He kissed her cheek as Rebel walked into the hallway. “I thought my ride left without me.”
Z chuckled. “Not a chance.” Then, he gave them both a once-over. “You’re barefoot, you’re in hospital gowns with a coat and a blanket. Let’s check for some clothes.”
“Daddy, we’re fine.”
In the hangar, Z hugged Brit, extended his hand to Rebel. Rebel shook it, then pulled him in for a quick hug. “I’ve got her back.”
“I know that. Thank you for calling me directly. I’ll send over any surveillance as soon as I get it.”
As Z headed toward his SUV, he called over his shoulder, “Take any of the fleet vehicles.”
After they climbed into a black SUV, Rebel backed out. He waited while the garage door closed before driving away.
“When we find the son of a bitch—and we will—he will feel my wrath,” Rebel growled. “He will feelallmy wrath.”
28
THE DINNER PARTY
Joaquin
The following afternoon, Rebel sat at his kitchen island reading through their case. He’d checked the ALPHA portal a half dozen times, but Z hadn’t posted any videos from the accident.
Standing behind him, Brit massaged his shoulder, kissed his cheek. “My dad will not let this go. As soon as he gets the surveillance, he’ll send it, then he’ll probably text you.” She lowered the laptop screen. “We have guests coming over in fifteen.”
He scraped his fingers down his beard. “We’re not twenty-four hours from a river plunge.”
“I wonder if we could get a lifetime membership to the polar bear club.”
He pulled her onto his lap. “Look at you makin’ jokes about our near-death experience.”
“It was only near-death for me. You had it from the start.”
When he pressed his lips to hers, he smiled. Brit had this amazing way of riling him and calming him at the same time.Her gaze floated over his face before she sunk soft fingers into his hair, kissed his cheek.
His agitation stood down. “I fought to get us to shore because you were with me. I wouldn’t have made it alone.”
She hugged him. “Love. The great motivator.”
“You are such a damn good kisser,” he murmured, stealing another one.
“I think it’s you,” she said.
“It’s us,” he said. “We just work. Kissing, sex, cooking, working a case, whatever it is, we got it goin’ on.”
His phone buzzed. “Maybe that’s Z.” He read the text. “Hawk and Addison are downstairs.”
“I’ll bring them up.” She pushed off his lap, grabbed the elevator keycard. “We didn’t get much sleep last night.”
He walked with her toward the elevator. “We talked half the night.”
“I like what we did for theotherhalf better.”
“Me too, babe.” She entered the cab, blew him a kiss, and the door closed.
Rebel hadn’t slept because he couldn’t get a handle on who would want them dead. They didn’t have a suspect in the Alphabet case. They hadn’t interviewed any persons of interest either. His thoughts jumped to his undercover job in Texas where Brit had taken out the three drug runners. If the drug lord found out he’d survived, he’d come after him.
That’s possible.
