“I’m not sure about anything right now.”
It was the best nonanswer he was going to get. Duncan and I were well acquainted with each other’s demons, but when it came to the more intimate details of our personal lives, we tended to steer clear. Shayne, on the other hand, didn’t have the same qualms. My best friend was tenacious to a fault. It’s part of what made her a great detective. Her incessant texting since yesterday meant I wouldn’t be able to hold her off for much longer.
“Fair enough.” Duncan lowered himself into one of the chairs on the opposite side of my desk, crossing one leg over the other. “Just know I’m here if you need me.”
“Appreciate it.”
The team would be in at eight, which left us with about twenty minutes to go over details regarding our last investigation. For weeks, Lanie and Noah hid from the Russian Bratva—who’d put a hit out on her after she busted up their drug trafficking ring—in her home town near Denver. It was touch and go for a bit, but eventually we eliminated the threat. Problem was, while I’d been vacationing––and actively losing my mind over a man––everyone else had been dealing with the fallout. The case garnered a lot of media attention, as well as piquing the interest of a few high-powered government officials; namely my father.
According to Duncan, my sperm donor inundated the office with daily phone calls, demanding to know when I’d be back. When his highhandedness didn’t get results, he showed up, only to be turned away by Sammy. That woman deserved a huge raise for having to deal with his pompous ass. Hopefully, he got the memo.
Voices carried down the hall as––one by one––my agents began to arrive. Checking the time on my watch, I cringed. Eight-oh-four. They were late; not by FBI standards, but by mine. Four minutes may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but I knew even a few minutes could mean the difference between life and death.
Time was a paradox. It was both fleeting, yet never-ending. It could fly by or creep along at a snail’s pace. It had the power to save lives and the capability to destroy them in the blink of an eye. Time was everything and nothing all rolled into one. It was also one of my greatest sources of anxiety.
“You deserve to be happy, Waverly.” Duncan stood, pinning me in place with his pale-blue eyes. “Love is risky. Don’t wait too long or you might miss the opportunity of a lifetime.”
I mulled over his words well after he left my office. He was right anddamnit stung. The losses I’d experienced altered my way of thinking. They made me overly cautious about opening myself up to feel that kind of pain again.
My three-inch heels clicked against the tile floor as I made my way to the main part of the office where my team was gathered. They appeared to be in a heated discussion, so I made my way to the Keurig for a refill until they finished.
“All I’m saying is, we should give it a try when it reopens.” Lanie sat on top of her desk, sipping on a steaming cup of coffee. “It was our go-to spot for a long time. We shouldn’t let one asshole ruin it for us.”
“Lanie’s right,” Noah chimed in. “It’ll be the perfect opportunity to lay some of our demons to rest.”
“Of course you’d agree with her,” Koen huffed.
Lanie and Noah had been circling each other since they’d joined the team, but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago when they finally admitted what I’d known for a while. They were in love. Even though it wasn’t ideal to have two agents who were dating on the same team, I knew in this case it would only strengthen the bond between the four of them.
“The place has bad juju, Lanes. Why would you even want to go back there?”
“It’s under new ownership, Koen. Christ, the bar isn’t even Sunset anymore. It’s called Birds of a Feather now.” She scowled. “Help me out here, Duncan.”
The man in question leaned against the counter next towhere I stood; his arms crossed over his expansive chest. “I’m not the one you should be asking.”
“You’re a shit-stirrer,” I mumbled under my breath, realizing what he was up to. His deep “Yup” had me grinning behind my mug as I waited for the fireworks to begin.
“You’ve been awfully quiet, Agent Clark.” Duncan added fuel to the fire. “Something you want to share with the class?”
All heads swiveled to Keaton. The previous owner of Sunset had fixated on the six-foot agent to the point where he kidnapped Henley, Keaton’s now wife. Jade, Koen’s new bride, was also caught up in the melee, though she hadn’t been the intended target.
“Asshole,” he grumbled. “How long have you known?”
“Since before you signed the papers.”
“What the hell are you two going on about?” Noah questioned.
Sighing, Keaton scrubbed a hand down his face. “I bought Sunset.”
The silence was deafening, then an explosion of “Fucks” rang through the room.
“Why?” Noah asked. His stoic facial expression may not have given much away, but the rigidity of his posture spoke volumes. He was hurt his friend had kept this secret. They all were.
“For Henley and Jade. For Lanie. Hell, I did it for all of us.” Keaton paced back and forth, then came to a stop in the middle of the group. “That motherfucker stole something from all of us when he took the girls.”
“So you took it back,” I interjected.
“Exactly.”
