music.”
“Since when do you like classical?”
“It relaxes me, and my ears were bleeding. Did Tommy tell you anything about the taskforce? They found his body in Roswell, in a parking lot near a residential neighborhood. Did you know he was down there?”
“He didn’t share details. All he said was that he was hot and ready to be done with his latest assignment. Although, Tommy being Tommy, he had a lot to say about the women in town. Sounded like things were about to wrap up and he wanted to spend a few hours with a gal he was sweet on before he moved on to his next assignment. Next thing I know, Kemp tells me he’s dead.”
Mitch had his head turned, looking out the window, but the tight set of his jaw told her he was holding back emotions he didn’t know how to deal with.
Caroline couldn’t go there with him. As much as she wanted to, allowing him inside her head again would be torture. She wasn’t sure she could survive another round of Mitch’s brand of torture.
She merged onto the heavy, but moving expressway traffic. “Someone—besides this woman—had to be in contact with him down there. Someone had to know the details about the operation he was working on. We have to find that person. Maybe Brice Brennan might know who it was.”
“Let’s hope. Tommy liked working alone.”
“That’s what I’m worried about. The Bureau rumor is he was on the take. Selling assault weapons on the black market. I know he was your friend—”
“Yours too, Caroline.”
Whatever. “I know he was our friend, but you know as well as I do, none of us were getting rich as FBI agents.”
“He didn’t need money.”
“If he had a girlfriend, maybe he did.”
“Seriously? You believe this crap? Nuh-uh. I know you better. If you believed it, you wouldn’t be driving my ass on this goose chase. If you believed it, you wouldn’t have gone looking for those files.”
She glanced over at him, met his stare for a second, then went back to the road. “I’m not sure what I believe. Money makes people do crazy things. Maybe I’m here to satisfy myself. When we’re through, I’ll know for sure. That’s all I know right now. Now shut up and let me think for the next fifteen minutes.”
He punched the radio back to the rock station. Unbelievable. Most stubborn man ever. Well, guess what? She’d been known to be just as stubborn. Swirling her finger, she tapped the radio button to off. He sighed heavily.
Drama queen .
She waited for a response. Something. Anything. But Mitch only sat there, quietly staring out the window as Andre gave directions and they flew by clumps of trees on the side of the road.
Maybe she’d pushed him too far. Two of his best friends were gone and he was grieving and her only interest was self-protection.
After all they’d shared, how had they gotten to this place?
“I’m sorry,” she said. “About Tommy and Kemp. About us . Whatever us is. We were friends and then we weren’t.”
Quite possibly for the first time ever, Mitch appeared speechless. He hemmed and hawed for a second. “We’re more than friends, Caroline, whether you want to admit it or not. And I appreciate what you’re doing here.”
Sharp, ugly pain shot through her ribcage. That ache when thoughts of Mitch distracted her. Made her regret what never was. And here he was, working her over again. All that sincerity and the eyes—puppy dog eyes. He thought he could suck her in with those eyes.
Maybe he could.
She gripped the steering wheel tighter as she curved around the exit ramp. Just a few more minutes and they’d be back to business. “After this, we’ll know what happened with Tommy. Let’s just focus on that for now.”
“If that’s what you want, sure.”
At the stop light, Caroline turned left and sent Andre into a fit. Clearly, she’d missed his command to turn right. Distracted. Thanks, Mitch .
After hooking a U-turn, she cruised down the four-lane road leading to their first
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley