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He chuckled.
“This is serious—it’s just my whole life we’re talking about.”
“You forget, I was your partner three years ago. I remember how devastated you were when Lazarus went missing.”
She issued a low, shaky breath.
“Guys don’t come back from the dead. You need to let him in. Just go for it. And sure, his line of work is dangerous. Ours is dangerous too—you landed in the hospital. So live while you can, stop agonizing over letting Robert down easy and be happy.”
His speech crashed her back to the deepest depths of despair she’d lived through when AJ was presumed dead, then lifted her up and finally set her down lightly with both feet on solid ground.
“I’ll have that talk with Robert next time I see him. I might not be leading him on, but I didn’t come right out and hit him over the head with the information either.”
“Some guys need hit over the head.”
His frank response left her laughing. Suddenly, everything seemed to be looking up.
But there was still the question of those people AJ asked her to look into, the reason she’d called in the first place.
“Brown, remember those few names I started digging into before we left for the sweatshop?”
“I do.”
“I didn’t get far in my research before I ended up stabbed. Between changing bandages and taking pain pills, I forgot the importance of looking into them.”
“Open the folder on top of the stack I sent.”
For the second time during their conversation, her mouth popped open with surprise. She flipped open the cover and stared down at the short list of names AJ had given her.
Beneath each, Brown had typed out a paragraph including their last known address, details about family life and a dozen other points of interest they looked for in determining whether or not a person really was a danger.
Ties to a known terrorist cell was top of the list.
All three of these men were known associates of Abubakar before his death. Now, one in particular was rising in power with the goal of taking over as leader of that cell.
This was what AJ had been making secretive calls about and sneaking out of the apartment to meet someone for.
She clapped a hand over the page. “Brown, have I ever told you what a great partner you are?”
“Not enough. But I’ll let it slide because I already know you consider me a great friend.”
Her smile stretched wide. “You hit the mark, as always. I’ll be in the office ASAP. And please don’t send Robert over here anymore. I need to have that discussion on neutral ground.”
“Scout’s honor. Talk soon, Devi.”
She ended the call and pivoted in her chair to look at the closed door of the guestroom. It was time she helped her man finish the mission he was committed to. This wouldn’t be the first time she’d helped him or Blackout.
And she had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last. They were a true team in all senses of the word. She loved him, wanted him close to her.
She thought of him switching teams to stay close to her.
Yes, she wanted that too. But not if it meant him giving up his soul.
* * * * *
Indika barged through the door without so much as a knock. Phone locked to his ear, Apollo stopped in the middle of the room.
Their gazes clashed.
