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“I should go in with TJ and Lou,” Kala argued, buther hand was already in Cooper’s like she was always waiting for the moment shehad an excuse to touch him.
“Nope.” Cooper tugged on her hand. “I’m nervous, and we’regoing to watch for a little while and then head back to the office where we cando a clean exchange between you and Kenz. Have you thought about what couldhappen if Parker finds out the secret? We can’t trust him, and someonefollowing us feels like a play on his part. Guys, get whatever you need doneand fast.”
Zach nodded. “I agree. Actually, I think I’m going to callthis.” He had his cell phone out. “I’m going back to get the car, and I’ll pickeveryone up right here. Lou, do what you need to do in the next ten minutesbecause we’re leaving.”
How was she supposed to convince TJ in ten minutes? She puta hand on her hip and glared Zach’s way. “You know you’re not in charge of myprivate life, right?”
TJ frowned down at her. “I am. The same way you’re in chargeof mine, baby. I don’t want to be here, but I’m following you mindlesslybecause I’m so crazy in love with you. I’m walking into a bar where you want tomeet a dude who’s trying to date you, and no, I don’t honestly believe he’sinvolved in this. I believe he got one look at you and wants a real taste. I’mstill the idiot who’s walking in there without any kind of claim on you.However, things have changed and we’re going to follow the CO’s orders.”
“He is so not the CO,” Kala argued.
But he was in this situation. Tasha ran the team on theintel side, while Zach was in charge of any military operations. Which meant TJwould look to Zach, and she kind of should, too. Zach was here to balance outthe fact that the rest of the team had deep ties and history. Zach was supposedto look at things with an unbiased eye.
“Fine, one drink, and we’ll meet you out here.” Lou tookTJ’s hand. It would be smarter to leave with Zach, but she wanted to prove apoint. She’d been quiet for days, letting the decision sink into her soul.She’d needed the time, but now she wondered what it had cost the man she loved.
“Fine,” Kala said as she followed Cooper across the street.“I hate that Canadian. I was hoping to watch TJ eat Dennis’s innards.”
He wouldn’t do that. He might play with them a little, butTJ was a gentleman.
Zach jogged away, and she could hear him talking to Tashaabout trying to hook into the CCTV cameras in the area so they could get an IDon the man following them.
Things were happening much too fast.
One drink. A quick hello and sorry, I won’t be seeing youagain and they would be on their way, and they would face this unsure futuretogether. Side by side.
She would never leave him again.
She pushed into the dark little bar. It wasn’t the kind ofplace she thought Dennis would pick, but it had an odd ambiance to it, shesupposed. It was quiet as she walked into the lobby. Soft music played throughthe place.
It was fairly empty. There was a bartender and a woman whocould be a hostess, but she didn’t see the crowd that should inhabit a placelike this at this time of the evening. Deep Ellum was coming to life, withnightclubs and bars all filled to the brim, and it looked like no one was here.
Were they in the right place?
“I don’t like this, Lou,” TJ whispered.
“Hey, you’re here.” Dennis stepped out, and he was wearing athree-piece suit, his hair perfectly slicked back. He looked good if one likedthe sleek, master-of-the-universe look.
She preferred the dressed down soldier at her side, and shealways had. Since the day she’d met him, TJ had been the only boy in the worldfor her. Boy, guy, man. They were all TJ.
“Yeah, are we early?” Lou glanced into what appeared to bethe pub-like bar. There were high-top tables and a dart board, TVs on thewalls, though none were turned on.
Dennis frowned as he looked TJ over. “No, but I didn’texpect a we at all. I thought you were coming alone. Is that Taggart?”
TJ dropped her hand and stepped to her side. “Hello, Dennis.It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s unexpected to see you,” Dennis replied somewhatsourly.
“I’m just an escort,” TJ said, pulling his hand back when itwas clear Dennis wasn’t going to shake it. “Lou’s job can lead to her needingbodyguard services from time to time. I can sit at the bar.”
She rolled her eyes because this was probably the time hisalpha Dom should take over. They needed to work on his instincts. “Babe,there’s obviously something wrong here, and you’re not my bodyguard. You’retotally my boyfriend, and apparently Dennis didn’t take my wholelet’s-be-friends thing seriously.”
This whole thing felt like a setup to get her alone.
“Boyfriend?” Dennis and TJ managed to say the word at thesame time, though one said it with a satisfied smile and the other’s frowndeepened.
Lou went on her toes so she could look TJ in the eyes.“Boyfriend, though I suspect that won’t last long. My mom really is hankeringfor a wedding.”
The smile on his face lit up the dark room. “Oh, I’ll giveher a wedding. Am I off the leash?”
