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“We come bearing gifts,” Jonesy announces as he enters, holding the present Tony left on Mia’s bed. CPD found nothing to indicate explosives or hazardous material. Unfortunately, no prints either.
Aaron and Sawyer trail behind Jonesy. Only the former was expected.
“Where’s Lionheart?” I ask Sawyer.
“Sue’s not feeling well, so he tagged me in.”
“Thanks for coming, Sawyer.” Mia smiles warmly at him, then takes the gift from Jonesy. “I appreciate you and Aaron rushing to my place last night and risking your life for this.” She glances at the box and turns it upside down. “Whatever it is.”
“We got you, girl. You’re Redleg family,” Aaron says, clinching her shoulder on his way past.
I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make my heart speed up. Not with jealousy, but with appreciation for his words and how they make her glow. Mia’s been alone for far too long.
She glances around the room, her eyes landing on thegift. “If it’s all right with everyone, I’m going to open this in my office. Tony set up surveillance in my bedroom, so there’s no telling what this is.”
Boss gives her a quick tip of his chin, and she strides quickly from the lair.
Pausing at the doorway, she catches my gaze from over her shoulder. “Klein, aren’t you coming?”
My feet propel me before I process the significance of her request.
She’s done hiding things from me.
As she sits at her desk and places the gift in front of her, she tosses a side-long glance at me. “Were you going to just let me go?”
Positioning myself on the same side of her desk, I lean against it so I’m facing her. “Tiger, if I haven’t been clear, let me rectify that. I have no intention ofeverletting you go.”
Her lips splay in a toothy grin. “I meant letting me leave the room.”
“Oh. I thought you might want privacy.”
She looks at me like I have seven heads, none with any brains. “Not from you.”
I’m not strong enough to resist kissing her sassy mouth after that.
My hand lingers on her cheek after our lips separate. “Thank you, beautiful.”
Her chest rises and falls with a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”
Making quick work of the wrapping, she shreds it with all the grace of a baby raptor.
My eyes widen to saucers. “Do you always open gifts that way?”
“Yeah. What’s the problem?”
I tsk at her. “There are two types of people. Those who unwrap presents like civilized members of a higher society. And those who tear into gifts like a high-strung husky with separation anxiety.”
She bares her teeth, hisses, and curls her hands to mimic having claws. “Why not a feral feline? A tiger, perhaps?”
Once she annihilates the remaining shreds of paper, we’re left with a sleek white box. She pops it open and pulls out a shiny new tablet with a yellow sticky note on it.
Out loud, I recite the words crisply printed on the paper. “I heard you were missing one of these.” My shoulders stiffen at the reminder of that asshole in her house. “Is he fucking with you?”
“Should we turn it on and see if he left anything on it for me?”
I nod but add, “Let me grab a signal jammer first. I don’t want it to connect to our phones or Redleg Wi-Fi.”
“Good call, stud.”
