Page 9 of Night Hawk
“I still can’t believe you’re not an agent anymore.” She shook her head. “It’s hard to wrap my mind around.”
She didn’t know the half of it. “Me too, some days. But it’s good. I’m surprised by how much I like working with my brothers. It can be frustrating not to have access to official reports, but it’s freeing not to have all the rules and regulations of law enforcement.”
She tilted her head, her feathery hair crossing her face, and she pushed it aside. “The rules are there to keep us safe and to bring people to justice.”
“Yeah, I know. Still easier to work without them.” He grinned at her.
Her full lips quirked up in a smile, taking him back a year to a time when he’d wondered if she could bethe one. They hadn’t even dated, but he’d just felt complete when he was in her company. Like a peace descended over him that he’d never experienced with another woman.
Especially not during his latest dating fiasco with Grace. With her, he’d been trying to find that feeling again and failed. Foolishly, he’d continued to date her. He should’ve asked Toni out when they were on the task force, but he didn’t mix work and his personal life. So he’d decided to wait until they’d brought Hibbard to justice and the task force disbanded, at which point they would no longer work together. But it didn’t happen that way. Her father was murdered and Hibbard skated. Then the investigation they’d named Operation Safe Harbor went cold, and the case was closed. Not like Clay would’ve asked her out when she was grieving, and he blamed himself for letting her dad die on his watch.
“Clay,” she said. “What’s wrong? You’re a million miles away.”
“It’s nothing.” He swallowed and forced his attention back to their current situation.
“So, what do you want to do here?” she asked. “Call in the locals?”
“No!”
She eyed him. “Why not?”
“This isourinvestigation. I’m not handing it over to anyone else. Besides, the locals can’t do anything we can’t do except make an arrest, and we can arrange that when we find our guy.”
“Still, we need to process this place for evidence.”
Clay noticed Riley still walking the perimeter. Once Clay recovered from the smoke, he needed to thank the guy. “Sam can do that. Plus, Nighthawk just finished an investigation. We’re free to work this one.”
She held his gaze. “Not without me.”
“I’m glad to keep you updated, but you’re not here in any official capacity, right? And even if you were, your supervisor will likely refuse to partner with a private agency.”
She sat up straighter, her back stiff. “I work itwithyou. No matter how we have to do it. If Adair doesn’t approve, I’ll take leave.”
“I don’t know.” Clay watched the face he’d dreamed about for the past year. The woman who’d just been stuck in a room filling with smoke. Could’ve died.
The thought stilled his heart. She needed protection. Sure it wasn’t a good idea to work together again. Not good at all. But if they did, he could keep an eye on her. After all, the person who put the snake in the closet could pull the same trick again. Or do something worse. Then where would she be? Helpless and ripe for a lethal attack.
“I know that look,” she said. “You’re plotting something and not planning to share it with me.”
“I was thinking that it might be a good idea if we did pair up on the investigation. Since someone just tried to take both of us out, my team can provide protection.”
She crossed her arms, her pit-bull look darkening. “I don’t need protecting.”
“You do if someone tosses another snake in your path.” Maybe a low blow to mention her phobia, but he told the truth, and she had to recognize it.
She tightened her arms. “Please don’t tell me my fear of snakes is going to make the rounds in law enforcement circles.”
Not the response he’d expected at all. He mimicked zipping his lips. “Won’t get beyond me and my brothers.”
“Your brothers? Why do they need to know?”
“If they’re going to provide a protection detail, they need to know the areas of vulnerability.”
She sighed. “Just make sure it doesn’t get beyond them, or I’ll be a laughingstock. And you know how hard it is for a woman in law enforcement without added baggage like this.”
She spoke the truth. He’d seen enough proof of that on the job.
Sam and Griff got out of his truck and started across the lot.
