“You’ll text when you get to the airport?”
“Yep.”
“And when you get to Detroit?”
“Yep.”
“And when it’s done?”
“Yep.”
“And before you take off to come back?”
“Yep.”
“And when you land at Glacier?”
Chase laughed, he’d never been required to send so many texts on a mission before, but if it made things easier for her, he’d do it happily. “Do you want me to bring back a souvenir too?” Gray started, and he realized what she must have been picturing. “I didn’t mean like a finger or anything. I was thinking more along the lines of a snow globe.”
She shuddered even though they stood by the crackling fire burning in the massive stone fireplace. “I don’t like snow globes.”
“Everyone likes snow globes, baby.”
“Not me.” She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Gray was worried—and rightly so. Up until three weeks ago, Johnson had been privy to every scrap of intelligence the JTT had. Christ, as the man in charge of Homeland Security, they’d been feeding it to him on a daily basis.
If Johnson was aware Hood had been found in Detroit, they could be walking into a trap. “Adam has confidence in the men he’s hired. They’re telling us the location is secure. It’s fine, Gray, trust me. We’ll be back by morning, and I’ll have your ass snugged up tight against my—”
“You ready,Rambo?”
Chase didn’t need to look over his shoulder to know Grant was still angry. The tone of his voice said it all. He also didn’t care in the least. If he had to leave Gray, he was leaving her to the man who dove in front of bullets for her.
“Adam send you?”
“Yep.”
“Then I’m ready.”
Gray’s arms tightened, and she pressed herself against him. He cradled the back of her head with both hands. Her hair felt soft and luxurious. This morning she’d sat naked between his thighs, and he’d brushed it until the tangles brought on by their lovemaking were gone. He’d do the same tomorrow and every single day after that.
He planted a kiss to the top of her head. “We’ll talk about Mallorca when I get back.” He loved this woman. More than loved, his spirit had become bound with hers in a way he’d never been able to explain but recognized all the same.
She lifted her chin to argue, and he covered her mouth with his, kissing her slow and deep, her taste familiar and leaving him wanting more. He left a trail of nibbles from her mouth to her ear and whispered, “You belong to me, Gray. There’s no point in fighting it.”
He left her there by the fire but turned for a last look when he reached Grant by the entryway. She stared into the flames, lost in her own thoughts. Keeping his voice low, he pointed to her with a thrust of his chin. “You got this?”
Grant acknowledged with a sharp nod. “You just make sure that fucking bastard gets what he deserves.”
“Roger that.” Chase clapped him on the shoulder and left the man with a piece of his soul. Wasn’t the first time. Wouldn’t be the last. He was taking Gray to Mallorca and putting a ring on her finger. After that—he was going after Johnson to get to Tak.
CHAPTERFOUR
Exhaustion had allowedEve to sleep until the deep ache in her shoulder woke her. Above her head, her right elbow dangled six inches off the mattress, the source of her discomfort.
Eyelids squeezed shut, she fought the rising tide of panic at the awareness she lay in the dark. She inhaled through her nose, concentrating on the expansion of her chest. When her lungs reached maximum capacity, she held her breath for a count of five heartbeats, then parted her lips, and slowly let it go. She repeated the procedure until she had her fear under control.
If she kept her eyes closed, she could lie to herself, pretend she slept in her Claremont apartment, a soft yellow glow coming from the lamp left on in the corner of her bedroom. A trick her mother had devised to help Eve cope as a child.
Her shoulder throbbed, but she didn’t bother to adjust her position. There wasn’t one that would relieve the pain. She’d tried them all. No matter how she angled her body, her arm still hung in the air. The only way to get her shoulder better aligned was to sit on the edge of the bed or stand. And she was doing neither of those things without any lights on.
