“About?” Sterling asked.
“The gator incident at Juniper's. I got some information. I just need to go over some of it with you, in private.”
"No problem." Sterling turned. “I'll talk to you later.”
“Stay in touch," Doyle said.
“I will.” And this time, Sterling actually meant it.
Sterling followed Dawson down the steps and across the dirt drive toward Sterling's truck. He didn’t look back right away. He waited until he reached the driver’s side door.
Doyle had taken out his cell and pressed it to his ear.
Dawson leaned against the front quarter panel and crossed his arms. “You gonna tell me why I’m standing here like an idiot after we've already talked about the fact that I got a hit on that blood that was found on the back of that gator. That the hit came back from a military database, and we learned it was Doyle's blood, and yet you want me to sit on it?”
“Not while he's standing fifty feet away.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you can be a pain in the ass.”
“My mother, every time I talk to her.”
Dawson hooked his fingers into his belt loop. “Tell me why I shouldn't haul Doyle in for questioning right now.”
“He's not a good guy, but putting him in an interrogation room right now won't do anyone any favors, except maybe Tara.”
"What the hell am I supposed to do with that?"
“Warn her.”
"You're really pissing me off, and unless you give me something else, I'm bringing him in," Dawson said.
"I need to set him up, and that will be impossible if you're putting pressure on him."
"Why do you need to do that?"
“Let’s just say he’s here to put a bullet in my back,” Sterling said. “Eventually.”
Juniper sat in her office with the door shut, her laptop open, and the pub moving around her like nothing had changed.
Manny banged pans around in the kitchen and yelled out to his staff about what needed to be done. He was good at managing his people. He ran an efficient kitchen, and his food was spectacular. It's why the town continued to come night after night even though they weren't on the water.
Tara laughed at something because Juniper could always hear Tara's voice over the chatter. And it was infectious. No matter what was going on in her life, the woman was always happy.
Even though right now, she was annoyed with her latest conquest, which actually made Juniper want to do cartwheels. The idea that Tara was sleeping with Doyle made Juniper want to vomit.
Juniper rolled her neck and stared at Logan Pike’s name on her screen like it was a lit match near a can of gasoline.
Mia’s report wasn’t long. His DEA record read like most. He was highly skilled. A little high strung. And left with a few accommodations and a few more reprimands for not always following orders.
Not really all that out of the ordinary.
His current location was unconfirmed, but a rental vehicle attached to a Delaware-based security account had pinged thirty miles from Calusa Cove that morning.
Too fucking close for comfort.
Juniper stared at the number until it blurred, then she opened the secure call window and put in the request.
Bea answered on the third chime. “Solstice.”
