AllFreeNovel
Share Us
14
Jane joltedawake to the shrill ring of her phone. Bleary-eyed, she fumbled for it, nearly knocking over the lamp on the nightstand.
“Hello?” she croaked.
“Morning, boss lady.” Tai’s deep voice rumbled through the line. “Just checking in. Everything’s good here at the store. Wes has things under control. That guy’s a good piece of gear.”
Jane sighed in relief, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “That’s good to hear. I was worried about dumping all this on him.”
Tai chuckled. “I knew you would be, which is why Mason and I gave Wes the day off.”
She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “Tai Kaholo, you’re a saint.”
“Don’t canonize me yet. I’ve had to stop Mason from giving away half the inventory. Boy’s got a soft spot for sob stories and pretty girls.”
Jane laughed. She could practically see Tai’s exasperated eye roll.
“Listen, just focus on yourself,” Tai said, voice gentle. “We’ve got the shop covered. Stay safe out there.”
“Thanks, Tai. For everything.”
Jane set down the phone, a small smile playing on her lips. Knowing Tai had things handled lifted a weight from her shoulders. She took a deep breath, feeling lighter than she had in days. They would find Kellen and get to the bottom of Jason’s disappearance. She had to believe that.
The smell of sizzling bacon wafted up from downstairs. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation. She quickly dressed and made her way to the kitchen.
Bridger was at the stove, spatula in hand. The bandage peeking out beneath the edge of his black tee was fresh and bright white. He grinned when he saw her.
“Morning, sunshine. Hungry?”
“Starving. But shouldn’t I be the one cooking for the injured party here?”
Bridger waved her off. “Can’t have you doing all the heavy lifting in this partnership.”
He flipped the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate and handed it to her with a flourish. “For you, milady.”
“Why thank you, kind sir.” Jane gave a mock curtsy before taking the plate eagerly. The hot, salty bacon melted in her mouth. Delicious.
Bridger chuckled, leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed. His smile turned serious.
Jane heard a throat clear behind her. She turned to see Pegs in the doorway, motorcycle helmet under one arm. She tossed a set of car keys to Bridger. “Camry’s gassed up and ready to go. You two should get a move on.”
Bridger fumbled the keys awkwardly with his bandaged hand before getting a firm grip. “Really? The Camry?”
“No way I’m lending out the Mustang. Not even to you.” Pegs cocked an eyebrow. “I know you and your crew have state-of-the-art everything, but this’ll do ya.”
Bridger held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’d never doubt you and your wheels, Pegs.”
Jane hid a smile behind her coffee mug. These two bickered like siblings. It was rather sweet. But just as quickly, the humor evaporated, replaced by a heavy sense of dread.
Jane looked between the two spies. “Where are we going?”
“Not ‘we,’” Pegs corrected. “You two are heading for Las Vegas.”
Mouth hanging open, Jane looked to Bridger for an explanation.
He snatched a piece of bacon first. “When we got here, Pegs contacted an old friend who was able to gather some actionable intel on those FBI goons.”
“But he won’t talk unless it’s in person,” Pegs added. “It’s only good tradecraft. You’ve got to go to him.”
