Page 68 of Cops and Robbers

“Exactly what you need me for. Get in and out of places undetected. And to a territorial species, I’m easily seen as a threat, especially when they used me as an assassin in the past.”

“I’m sorry,” Kate said. “I also can’t rely on my community, and the few I know probably want me dead. It’s a lonely existence, but it makes the relationships you have that much stronger.”

Sid cleared his throat. “Well, I think that’s enough talk for tonight. It’s time.”

Ah. Fuck. He didn’t expect Sid to bring up their tradition.

“Do we have to?” Lewis asked, gazing back at the pitch-black ocean, waves crashing against the shore.

“Do what?” Kate asked.

“You’ll find out,” Raz said.

Sid stood. “We have to see what kind of fire you’re built from, Kate Ichikawa, and it’ll grant us good luck tomorrow.”

Kate’s eyes twinkled with curiosity as she stood. “All right.”

Raz groaned but climbed to his feet with Lewis and Caige behind him. Raz linked his arm with Kate’s and steered her toward the ocean, his body tightening just thinking about their plan. A stupid tradition that had persisted after graduating from BUD/S to become a Navy SEAL.

“So we’re going for a swim?” Kate asked.

“You only wish,” Lewis muttered.

At the shore, they all turned their backs to the ocean. Raz guided Kate with his arm. Freezing cold water surged up to his ankles, and goosebumps prickled over his skin. Fuck this shit. Lewis linked his arm with Kate’s on the other side, and Caige linked arms with Raz.

“Okay…now what?” Kate asked, shivering.

Sid’s voice hiked in pitch on the other side of Caige. “On one, we move to our knees, and on two, onto our backs.”

“No way,” she whispered. “For how long?”

“Ten minutes?” Raz said. Everyone nodded except Kate.

“What?” she exclaimed.

“One,” Raz said, tugging Kate down as they all kneeled. Sand dug into his shins and an icy wave rushed over his ass. Seriously, fuck this tradition.

“Nope…Nope…” Kate said, teeth and arms chattering already.

“You can pull out if you want to,” Lewis said.

They waited for her answer.

“Two,” she said, tugging Raz down. In turn, everyone fell back, but Raz controlled the descent with his protesting abs. Even as the cold seeped through his clothing and a wave crashed over him, gritty against his face, he smiled. Spitting out the salty water, he opened his stinging eyes.

“You guys are insane,” Kate spat out while another wave broke over them, cold and sandy. “This isn’t relaxing.”

But they laughed anyway.

With the sun barely gracing the morning sky, Caige parked the minivan in front of a suburban home. Raz’s jaw clenched as nervous energy saturated the air in the van. Kate’s anxiety made it seem like this was more than a simple money transaction with Sajani Reedy. Kate had to retrieve ID badges from Sajani for the submarine, something not readily replicated.

“I’ll just be a moment. Stay here,” Kate said.

Hell, if I’m staying in the vehicle. Even if the white vinyl house matched the normalcy of its neighbors, Raz didn’t want to leave Kate’s side in case something went wrong. She exited the van, and he followed on her heels.

“Raz. Please…” she said.

He shut the door and turned toward her expectantly. She eyed him for a long moment.