Page 73 of Cold Silence
“Not enough for us to get the ball rolling on an arrest with Lynch then?” Claire asked.
“I’d hold off.” Eryn stowed her laptop. “Unless you enjoy irritating Army brass.”
“I’d rather have a root canal,” Claire said.
“Let’s split these incidents up so we can move forward with Robb and get him behind bars,” Gage said. “Then we’ll have the entire team focused on White.”
Travis nodded. “We’ll go see him, while you hit the hotel. Text us the minute you have proof. Hopefully, we’ll still be with Lynch when that happens.”
Gage nodded. “I’ll get White’s room under surveillance while Eryn works on obtaining proof. I’ll let you know when I have eyes on him.”
They departed, and Travis stood by the door. “Ready? Or should we call ahead?”
“A surprise attack is best.” She peered at him in the hallway. “You didn’t hurt Mike, did you?”
“Not physically, but emotionally? I sure hope so.” She shrunk back. Right. His intensity was likely throwing her for a loop. “Look. I don’t condone violence for the most part, but sometimes it’s the only thing that gets through to men like Robb. Think of me as a deterrent from future offending on his part.”
Her lips tipped in a stiff smile. “Thank you for having my back.”
“I always will.”
“I hope he goes away for at least long enough for me to complete this project. Then if the Army doesn’t need me for anything else, I can move and leave Mike behind.”
“I don’t mean to alarm you,” Travis said, though he hated to. “But depending on how infatuated he is, he could still track you down.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I might never be free from him?”
“I don’t know, but to be safe, you need to consider the possibility.”
“I guess you’re right, but it’s depressing to think I’ll have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”
“I can help with that.”
“How?”
“If the guy gets out of prison or doesn’t end up serving time, I can ask Eryn to keep tabs on him, and if he steps out of line, I can have another word with him.”
She paused outside Lynch’s office door. “You think she could do that for me?”
“I know she can and will if we ask.”
“That’s comforting.” Her worried tone didn’t confirm her words.
Travis wanted to promise to move to Florida. To be there for her. By her side. But his throat closed, and he couldn’t get the words out. Leaving the team—his family—was a decision he hadn’t been able to pull the trigger on, and he apparently wasn’t ready to do it now either.
What was it going to take? The woman he now knew he still loved could be in danger, and he was still thinking about his own needs. About the team and the career he loved. He couldn’t do it alone, that was for sure.
Help me do the right thing, whatever that might be. To sacrifice for her if that’s what it takes to be sure she’s safe.
He opened the door, and they stopped in front of the colonel’s middle-aged assistant’s desk. She plumped her chin-length black hair, but it looked stiff from hair spray and didn’t move.
“Is the colonel in?” Claire asked.
She nodded and smiled at them.
“I need to see him.” Claire put a sense of urgency into her tone that would be hard to refuse. “It’s about the urgent matter he has me working on.”
The assistant picked up her phone and held a short, but convincing conversation. “You can go in.”
