Dana had fallen asleep on the sofa, with the dog at her feet and the kitten near her head. Her silky hair was spread out on the cushions, and even in sleep, dark circles marred the pale skin beneath her eyes. She was a tall woman, a curvy one, but lying there on his sofa, she looked fragile. Vulnerable and defenseless.
He’d been an ass to her earlier, but the anger wouldn’t leave him alone. It was eating him from the inside out.
Using all his stealth, he moved into his bedroom and changed into sweats and tennis shoes without making a sound. Then he returned to the living room, gently removed the papers off her stomach, and lifted her from the sofa. With a murmur, she cuddled into his chest, remaining asleep.
Trusting him completely.
She sighed and sliced his heart in two. He carried her into the bedroom and set her in the bed, turning as the dog padded into the room.
“Watch her,” Wolfe ordered, grabbing his phone and striding from the room.
The first text he sent was to Malcolm so that he would watch the house for the next couple of hours. He sent the second text because he’d promised he would.
Then he stepped into the stormy night and made sure to lock the door behind himself. A light flicked on at Mal’s house, and he nodded, moving into a jog and then a full-out run. Heated rain splattered against him, quickly soaking his T-shirt. He let the water run down his face, taking the punishment and running down the forested road even faster.
Emotions coursed through him along with the pain in his ankles and knees. He took the pain and tried for more.
Images clicked through his head, moments with Dana the night before. Fury choked him, making breathing difficult, but he didn’t relent.
He ran for almost two hours, along back roads, his tennis shoes splashing up mud. A couple of houses came into view and then a few businesses. The diner stood at the end of a dirt road, only two miles from the interstate and somehow only known by locals and a few truckdrivers. He slowed when its lights glowed into the wild night, walking the last several yards to the front door.
The bell clanged when he shoved it open.
Without halting, he turned and walked to the booth in the far back, his shoes squeaking on the cracked tiles and leaving a wet trail.
Nari Zhang took one look at him, slid from the side of the booth facing the door, and took the seat across from it. He claimed her vacated seat. “We’ll work on putting your back to the door some other night.” She crossed one leg beneath her and then dug a beach towel out of her bag. “Saw it was raining.”
He took the towel and wiped down his head and face. “I don’t want to practice my Mandarin tonight.” The shrink had been teaching him to speak one of her languages, but he wasn’t in the mood.
“I figured.” She retook the towel and shoved it in the beach bag. “We haven’t done this in a while.”
His skin went numb after the run. “I don’t like doing it.” But he’d promised her if he was ever in that state, the purely angry one, he’d text her and meet here after running.
“I appreciate you keeping your promise.” She sipped a cup of coffee.
The waitress sidled up, her orthopedic shoes spreading the water he’d dropped. “Wolfe? It’s a weird night to run.” Janice pulled an old-fashioned order pad from her faded green uniform. “You want the usual, hon?”
“No. Not hungry,” he said, trying to calm his voice for the seventy-year-old.
Nari nodded. “Bring him the usual. Thanks.”
“You betcha.” Janice turned on one shoe and made her way back to the kitchen.
Wolfe didn’t have the energy to fight with the shrink. “Fine, but you’re eating some of it this time.” He looked at her and guilt swamped him again. She’d dressed in a white button-down shirt and dark jeans, her black hair up on her head and no makeup on her pretty face. She was Chinese, and even without makeup, her dusky skin glowed. Her dark brown eyes were bloodshot. “You should be sleeping,” he murmured.
“Sleep is a luxury,” she returned, her small hands around her coffee cup. “I heard about the drugging. You must be pissed.”
That’s why he let her be his shrink. She got him and didn’t try to be all intellectual. “Yeah. Anger is like acid, and it’s eating through me.”
She blew on her coffee and then took another sip. “Any flashbacks?”
“Just to the night with Dana.” He rolled his neck, feeling the muscles tighten anyway. “I’m sure I’ll have more if I try to sleep.” Facing the day his team had died was never easy, and a nightmare in his current mood would be a disaster.
“How about the hyper vigilance?” Nari asked.
“I’m not looking over my shoulder, but I want to lock Dana down to keep her safe.” Unfortunately, Dana wasn’t a woman who would be locked down.
Nari leaned back. “Deal with right here and right now and with what you can control. The rest will come.”
It was good advice. “I just want to kill whoever put that drug in our drinks,” he admitted.
“Sure, you do.” Nari nodded, her gaze soft. “Somebody either tried to kidnap or kill both of you, and they forced you two to take a step you hadn’t intended to take.”
“We’d already had consensual sex, but that doesn’t make this okay,” he said.
Nari’s eyebrows rose. “Ah. Okay. Well, you’re right. The choice was taken away from you both in this instance, and you have every right in the world to be furious.” Nari leaned toward him. “That’s a normal and healthy reaction, Wolfe. Stop being so hard on yourself.”
Janice plunked down a cup of coffee with whipped cream and sprinkles for him. “Be right back with the food.”
He took the drink and sipped. “I made myself a target for someone from my past, which means I need to stay the hell away from Dana so she doesn’t get caught in the firefight. But now somebody has drugged us, and I’ve learned she’s a target too. I need to stay beside her to protect her.” He was being pulled in two directions, and even his ribs hurt.
“That is a conundrum.” Nari eyed his whipped cream.
He nudged his cup to her. “Why don’t you just order your own?”
She grasped her spoon and took several scoops from his to put into her cup. “Thanks.” She hummed happily as she licked off the spoon. “How’s it going with your great plan to protect the team without getting emotionally involved?”
“Shrinks aren’t supposed to be sarcastic.” He looked down as Janice delivered his veggie egg-white omelet with a side of fresh fruit.
Once again, amusement lit Nari’s eyes.
“Shut up,” Wolfe said mildly, reaching for the hot sauce at the end of the table near the salt.
“Didn’t say anything. Except it’s hilarious that you’re actually a health food nut—except for the latte treats.” She wiped whipped cream off her top lip.
Wolfe unfolded his paper napkin. “I need to be in top shape and nutrition is part of that. Besides, everyone deserves a treat sometimes.”
“That’s just it, Wolfe.” Nari leaned toward him. “You’ve made connections, you’ve shared your treats with the team, and you didn’t want to, but you have connected. Stop pretending otherwise.” She shook her head as he dug into his healthy meal. “I know you’ve lost a lot, starting with your sister. Even so, you can’t shut yourself off for the rest of your life.”
“I’m more worried about people being sad they lost me,” he said thoughtfully. “Though talking to you about Karen has been good, I think.” Many of their nightly talks had centered around his geeky, adorable, lost sister. In fact, one of the reasons he’d opened up to Nari so quickly was that she reminded him of Karen. He liked the shrink and considered her a friend.
“Then try not to get lost.” She dug into his fruit with her fork. “You’re stronger with a team behind you, so let them help with whatever you have going on. Let me help. We can beat whoever you’re chasing.”
He’d run some of the anger out, but he still kept an eye on the other diners, even tho
ugh they were few and far between. A threat could come from anywhere. “This guy is a sociopath who will instantly take advantage of any weakness.”
“Your team isn’t a weakness.”
She just didn’t get it. Wolfe shook his head. “If they’re killed to hurt me, they’re a weakness.” As was Dana. The idea of Rock even finding out about Dana made Wolfe lose his appetite. He pushed his plate away.
“Not if you work together. You’ve become a team, Wolfe. We all have.”
Last time he’d had a team, they’d all died. “You and I both know that the second I let my guard down and believe the team will last, I’ll start holding on too tight and freak everyone the hell out.” He took another drink of the brew, letting it warm his chilled stomach.
“Right. You care about Dana?”
“Of course. Feel responsible for her.” That didn’t mean anything.
Nari finished the fruit. “Who’s protecting her right now?”
Wolfe rolled his eyes. “Roscoe is a dog. Dogs don’t count.” Though it was a nice try.
“Hmmm. What’s Malcolm doing?” Nari set her fork down.
Wolfe opened his mouth and then shut it.
“Who went with you to the mansion to confront Trentington?” She finished off her coffee.
Force and the new guy. “I get your meaning,” Wolfe said. He needed to stop relying on people who would just get killed. “You don’t know this guy—the one from my past. He enjoys killing, and he’s damn good at it.” Though Wolfe didn’t like arguing with the shrink, he was feeling marginally calmer.
“What are the odds that this mysterious guy somehow found you two and had you drugged last night?” Nari asked.
Wolfe had already considered the idea. “Zero. It’s not his style. He would’ve just bombed the entire party and then enjoyed the chaos and destruction. Drugging us is too . . .”
“Distant?” Nari asked. “From what you’ve said, this guy likes to get his hands bloody.”
Wolfe nodded. “Exactly.” He drew bills out of his pocket to leave beneath the plate. “I’m gonna miss these talks.”
Nari gathered her belongings and scooted from the booth. “What do you mean?”
He waited for her to stand and precede him to the door, waving a good-bye at Janice on the way. “Just what I said.”
Nari pushed open the door and winced at the heavy rain outside. “How about I give you a ride home?”
“No.” Wolfe escorted her to her compact car, checked the back seat and underneath the vehicle, and then opened her car door. “I’ll wait until you lock it, and please drive carefully.” He’d followed her one time, making sure her route was safe. She had an attached garage in her rental house outside of D.C., and she’d wisely driven inside and shut the door before exiting the vehicle. However, she hadn’t realized he’d followed her, so that was a concern. “Be safe, Nari.”
She looked up from her car. “Wolfe? I don’t understand. Usually I can read you, but I’m lost. We’re not finished meeting up once in a while.”
“We are.” If anything, their comfortable chat had shown him how close he’d let himself get to this team. He could never let Rock know what they meant to him. “I’ve challenged the past, and he’ll be coming soon. It’s too late to stop.”
A line formed between Nari’s brows. “I don’t understand.”
“I know.” She was an excellent psychologist, but sometimes evil just existed. There was no analyzing it.
Wolfe shut her door and planted his hand on the window.
She frowned but started the car and then drove carefully over the potholes in the parking lot.
Wolfe watched her until the taillights disappeared into the storm. “Bye, Nari.”
Chapter Eighteen
Dana sat at the middle hub of desks in the Deep Ops dismal basement, researching Frank Spanek on her laptop all morning. Why would that man have wanted to drug either her or Wolfe? Did he want them dead? If it was because of her, then she was getting closer to deciphering Candy’s story. If it was because of Wolfe’s search for Rock, whoever he was, then she had no idea why. Also, had Spanek killed Albert Nelson? If so, why?
Wolfe had given her the silent treatment on the way in to the off ice, and even the super sweet latte he’d bought for her on the way had failed to lighten her mood. There was something up with him, and it wasn’t good.
He’d dropped her off, along with Roscoe, and then had gone to run errands. Whatever the heck that meant.
Angus Force worked quietly in his office, and Nari was in hers, so Dana had the hub to herself. Apparently Malcolm was out on a case.
The room was too quiet.
She looked up to find Angus watching her, leaning against the doorjamb of his office.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
Sometimes she forgot he could be such a nice guy. “I’m fine.” It was more or less the truth.
Angus ruffled a hand through his thick hair. His green eyes were sharp and focused today, and his broad shoulders took up most of the space in the doorway. Like Wolfe, he was all muscle. Lean and strong. His face was sharper, more angled, than Wolfe’s rugged one. “If you need to, talk to the shrink. I’ve heard she has some good advice.”
“Okay.” They had enough hotties on this unit to make a calendar. Dana grinned.
“It’s good to see you smile.” Angus straightened, and a second later, the elevator’s gears ground loudly.
Dana pivoted, her heart rate accelerating. Was Wolfe back?
The door opened, and a woman stumbled out, her hands full of papers. Her curly black hair was cut in a blunt bob, and a fine smattering of freckles spread across her nose and cheeks, a shade darker than her russet brown skin. She wore cargo pants, tennis shoes, and a T-shirt depicting the Starship Enterprise being swallowed by a black hole. The woman’s gaze caught on Angus, and relief filled her face. “Angus. This is such a dump.”
Angus smiled, a genuine one. “Serena.” He maneuvered around desks to reach her, picking up her falling papers. “Thank you for coming.” Grasping her arm, he drew her closer to Dana. “This is my friend who’s good with puzzles. Dana Mulberry, meet Serena Johnson.”
“Hi,” Serena said, crouching to scratch Roscoe’s ears.
The dog perked up, rolled out his tongue, and then froze. He growled and jumped up, grabbing Serena’s handbag with sharp teeth and running around the desks.
“Roscoe!” Dana pushed her chair back and stood. “Stop it.”
He growled and shook his head, tearing the purse. It looked like cloth with an argyle pattern of purples and blues across it. The fabric ripped apart.
Dana went one way and Serena the other, both trying to hem the pooch in.
Angus whistled, but the dog ignored him. Dana’s breath panted out, but she nearly caught him. In a smooth leap, he jumped onto the desks, skidded across, and landed on the other side. With a doggie burp, he dropped the wet, shredded mass to the ground.
“Huh,” Serena said, looking down at the ruins of her bag.
Angus sighed. “I’m sorry. He has a problem with argyle patterns. We believe there was one on a vest nearby when we took that shrapnel overseas, and he freaks out every time he sees it.”
“Is it the colors or the actual x pattern?” Serena asked.
“I think it’s the pattern,” Angus said, shaking his head.
With the argyle safely destroyed, Roscoe padded up to Serena and nudged her hand. The woman patted him, staring down at her ruined purse. “Well, I guess it’s good news I forgot my wallet before leaving the apartment. He only ruined some tissues, gum, and my favorite lip gloss.”
“Man, you have issues,” Dana murmured, staring at the happily panting dog.
“I’ll buy you a new purse,” Angus said, whistling for the dog, grasping his fur, and leading him to the office in the back. “Get in there and take a nap.”
Roscoe rolled his eyes and padded inside the office, brushing by Angus with a twitch of his head. The phone rang
from somewhere inside the room, playing a tune about lost boats. “Excuse me.” Angus shut the door and disappeared.
“Hi.” Dana tilted her head, retaking her seat, trying to calm her breath as she studied the newcomer. “You’re good with puzzles?”
Serena pulled out Malcolm’s chair and sat. “I like a good puzzle.”
“So do I. Are you a journalist?” Dana asked.
Serena shook her head. “I have PhDs in physics and applied mathematics with a focus on quantum cryptography, measurement-based quantum computation, and of course, methods for entanglement verification.”
Of course. Dana grinned. “I don’t know what any of that means.”
“It means that I like puzzles.” Serena shared her smile. “I consulted with Angus on a case several years ago where a serial murderer was sending coded messages to the press. It took a while, but I saw the patterns in them, and we figured it out from there.”
“Like with a computer program?” Dana had used all the ones she’d found on the internet.
“It’s more intuitive than that initially.” Serena shrugged. “Patterns are everywhere, and I can recognize one if it’s there. Once I can see how everything figures together, then we can develop a computer program to decipher it, if we need to. Sometimes a good code just unravels.”
The elevator protested loudly again, and Dana sat up. This had to be Wolfe.
It opened, and the British guy stepped out.
Serena’s head snapped up. “What in the world are you doing here, Professor Hanson?”
Oh yeah. That was his last name. Dana’s ears twitched. Tension zinged between him and Serena. Oh, there was a story here.
The professor, satchel slung across his surprisingly fit body, strode inside. “Sometimes I like to slum it.” He turned his intelligent brown gaze on Dana. “I mean the building, not the company. The company is lovely.”
Serena snorted. “I doubt the unit needs to dissect the philosophy of crime and punishment or good and evil.”
“Love, there’s always time to dissect good and evil,” the professor returned, his jaw cleanly shaven today, showing very hard angles.
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