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“Might as well.” She held out her hand for the thumb drive. “I can deliver that if you want. You’ve got better things to do.”
“Do I?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Bridger North. We don’t all get second chances. You’ve seen enough friends die to know that. Make this one count, or I’ll come after you myself.”
Relief. Joy. Profound gratitude. The emotions collided in his chest, making his heart pound. “Yes, ma’am.”
He heard her. He really did.
Jane had spent the past few hours in horrific fear. The least he could do was take a chance on getting his heart stomped.
With Pegs standing guard over Romero, he hopped into the helo and engaged the engine. Quick preflight complete, he lifted into the darkening sky.
One way or another, life would never be the same.
41
The reunionwith Bridger was not what Jane expected. The man was a professional soldier. She didn’t expect tears or shouts of joy. A smile, or a hug would have been nice, though. Instead, from the minute he climbed out of the helicopter, he’d been distant. Rigid.
A completely different man from the one whose emotions shone in his eyes as he left her to hunt down her attacker.
“Who would have thought the magician would have jumped into the act?” Tai said for the second time in as many minutes.
“A crime of opportunity,” Bridger muttered, focusing on the horizon. “My guess is Romero found his new life a lot less lucrative than he expected.”
“Been keeping his hand in the game for years,” Tai guessed. “Just waiting for a score like this.”
The four of them, Bridger, Tai, Paige and Jane stood around the helicopter. She watched their faces in the fading light, feeling the desert wind whip through her hair. The airstrip outside Las Vegas held the scent of sagebrush and dust. She could taste the grit between her teeth and feel the residual heat radiating off the machine’s engine.
“No doubt,” Paige agreed. “Too bad his big opportunity turned into an epic fail.”
“Romero’s lucky,” Tai said, his voice lightening for a moment. “Pegs could’ve taken him out clean if she wanted to.”
Paige wrinkled her nose. “From the way she talked about him, I thought she was sweet on him.”
Tai made a face. “Seriously? The woman’s got way better taste than that.”
“Well in hindsight, sure,” Paige countered. “You can’t argue the man doesn’t look great in a tux, though. For an old guy, he’s pretty hot.”
“And insane,” Tai added.
Paige grimaced. “Fair point.”
Bridger seemed to be following the conversation, but behind his aviator glasses, it was hard to tell.
Jane swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Of course, she’d be emotional. Probably too emotional, at the moment. The past few hours had been…horrific was hardly the word. No wonder she was misinterpreting literally everything. She had to be soaked in adrenaline. A hug from Kellen and a good night’s sleep would get her back on an even keel. But for now, standing next to Bridger was torture. Her nerves had been ground raw, and he was in professional soldier mode.
All action. No emotion.
Jane sighed. “Either way, I’m glad it’s over.”
“Me too,” Tai said, eying Bridger. “We all are.”
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the airstrip as the desert sky bloomed with stars. The scent of sagebrush filled the air, mingling with the faint odor of aviation fuel from the Eurocopter.
Bridger eyed the skyline. His face was a study in concentration, but he couldn’t hide the tension in his shoulders.
Jane stared at his back. “Hey, Bridger? Thanks for everything. You know, for saving my life and all.”
