AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Interesting.
Klein’s shoulders stiffen a touch, barely noticeable, but since I’m keyed into him, I see it easily. “Why Tomer more than the rest of us?”
Uh-oh.Cal’s guilty conscience is showing.
Sawyer sets down his bottle and returns both hands to Sammy’s shoulders, resuming his casual massage. “Tomer has been there for us when Redleg family was in danger. I think Leo was genuinely hurt that he didn’t ask the same in return. When Sue was in danger, Tomer worked around the clock, trying to find out who was threatening her. For Tomer not to come to Leo for his girl…” He trails off, letting the silence finish his sentence.
Oof.Now my guilty conscience pokes its familiar nose around my psyche. Wonderful.
For the most part, I’ve been silently observing the conversation, studying the group dynamic. I’m still an outsider and haven’t interacted with them all in a big bunch like this.
When no one else jumps in, I can’t resist asking, “Aren’t you bothered we didn’t invite you, Sawyer? The team rallied for Sammy, right? I’ve heard the stories.”
And read the police reports, hospital records, and obituaries for the men killed in the airport shootout. But they don’t need to know that.
Unless they ask me.
If they do, I’ll tell them everything, without hesitation.
In fact, maybe I should come clean without waiting to be asked.
My shoulders lighten at the mere idea alone.
Sawyer takes a small pull from his beer bottle before answering me. “I assumed you guys had a good reason for leaving me out. Slightly bothered by the snub, but,” he pauses to look at his fiancée, “I didn’t have to leave my princess late at night to risk my life, so who am I to complain? The team didn’t need me and got the job done safely. ’Cause that’s what we do.”
Simple explanation. And he seems genuine.
It eases my guilt some.
He holds up his bottle, crowing in a melodic chant, “Red-leg.”
Klein, Kri, and Shep answer back in the same cadence.
Military through and through.
The lone civilians, Sammy and I, swap amused glances.
With the impromptu toast finished, Kri leans forward and sweeps her gaze across the table. “What’s the latest with the case? I only hear what Shep tells me.” She throws him a playful side-eye. “And I don’t trust that guy.”
Laughter works its way around the group at the friendly fire she threw at her man.
“The case? Let’s see,” Klein starts, shooting a glimpse at me. He raises his brows, inviting me to share. When I don’t jump on the chance, he prompts, “Mia’s running point on that.”
Not a hint of annoyance or bitterness. Considering how bent he was when I got to Redleg, it’s comforting to see. I wonder if his tune would have changed so much about me if he wasn’t constantly making me beg for permission to climax.
Honestly, I think he would. He’s been quick to praise me for my skills in the office. And the bedroom. But my office prowess is more relevant to this topic.
“So far, there have been four arrests, including that shit stain kidnapper Davidov. He was the one with the colorful language who enjoyedbreaking inthe girls.” My upper lip curls, and I choke down a grumble of disgust. “Lettie was brave enough to file a police report and asked them to press charges. Redleg happily turned over Davidovdiscreetlyvia our CPD liaison, and Lettie identified him from a lineup as one of her kidnappers.”
“Will that be enough to make charges stick?” Sawyer asks me.
“It should be. But I also shared the pictures I found with Detective Patterson, off the record, of course. Then he retraced my digital steps to obtain that info himself for the official investigation. With Lettie’s positive ID and the pictures, they should have enough admissible evidence to put him away for a while unless the FBI gets involved. Then who the fuck knows.”
“Those pictures also incriminate Yuri’s guard, Yev. The one I roughed up with Aaron’s help,” Shep informs the group. “There’s a warrant for his arrest, but he’s on the run. There’s been no sign of him.” He wads his cocktail napkin and tosses it on the table. “If he ever shows his face again, there won’t be enough of him left for CPD to arrest.”
Sammy rests her elbows on the table, cradles her chin in her hands, and puckers her lips while languidly nodding at Shep. “That’shawt.”
Hilarious.That was a top-notch Paris Hilton impression.
