Jase hit the hands-free button on his speakerphone, hit one of his contact numbers. When the call picked up on the other end of the line, Kate recognized Bran Garrett’s voice.
“What’s up?” Bran asked.
“You at the office?” Jase asked.
“At the moment, yeah. I’ll be here awhile.”
“Good, I’m on my way.” Jase ended the call. Kate’s attention swung back to the road, and she realized the route he was driving led to his office on Blackburn Street. A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot behind the brick building.
They went in through the back door and spotted Bran in the employee lounge, drinking a cup of coffee. In a T-shirt and jeans, with his dark hair, blue eyes and movie-star good-looks, the guy was seriously hot. But it was the heat of Maddox’s big, hard body behind her, the memory of all those amazing muscles beneath her hands last night that had her pulse kicking up.
Jase walked over to the kitchen counter, poured coffee into foam cups and handed one to her.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a sip, finding it surprisingly fresh and a lot better tasting than the stale brew she’d drunk that morning.
They sat down at the round, Formica-topped table with Bran. “So I’m guessing you got a break in the case,” he said, sipping from his own foam cup.
“That’s right. Looks like Eli Zepeda killed her. Broke into the rehab center where Tina was living and forced her to leave with him. She was dead the next morning.”
Bran casually sipped his coffee, but his intense blue eyes said he was anything but calm. “You tell the cops?”
“Not an option,” Jase said. “Tina’s roommate tipped us. She’s pregnant. We both know what’ll happen to her if Zepeda finds out.”
Bran leaned back in his chair. “It’s time Zepeda paid for some of the shit he’s done. When are you going after him?”
“We need a location, someplace beside the motel, someplace we can isolate him from his crew. Soon as I figure that out, I’ll be ready to go in.”
“You’re gonna need backup. I’ll hang loose for a couple of days, give you some time. When you’re ready, just let me know.”
Jase nodded.
Kate leaned forward in her chair. “I might as well tell you both right now—I’m going with you. Nothing you can do or say is going to keep me away.”
Jason’s jaw went iron hard. “Bullshit. For once, you’re going to do what I say.”
“I’m going,” she repeated. “You work for me, not the other way around.”
“You can keep your damn money. This was never about money, and I’m pretty sure you know it.” His eyes bored into her. “I need you safe. If you go with us to bring Zepeda down, you won’t be.”
Kate reached across the table and set her hand over his. She could feel the anger vibrating through him. “I know you think I’m being a fool, but I’ve seen you two in action. There’s nobody I’d trust more to keep me safe than you and Bran.”
Bran shifted, drawing her attention. His gaze locked with hers. “If we go after Zepeda, talking won’t be all that happens. Things could get messy. You ready to deal with that?”
“Chrissy was my baby sister. Now she’s dead. I’ll deal.”
Jase scrubbed a hand over his face and released a deep breath. “Lady, you are a definitely a pain in my ass.” But the heat was gone, and there was something in his eyes that might have been respect.
Bran finished the last of his coffee, tossed the cup in the trash. “Looks like the lady is coming along.” He shoved himself up from the table. “Keep me posted. I’ll be ready when you are.” As Bran strolled out of the lounge, Jase drilled Kate with a glare.
“You’re pushing your luck. You know that, right?”
She felt the pull of a smile. It faded as she thought of what the men might do to Eli Zepeda. “I need to be there, Jase. The man murdered my sister. The fact I’m a woman doesn’t matter.”
His gaze slid over her, hot and intense. “It matters to me, Kate. You’re a woman and I’m grateful for it.” Jase downed the last of his coffee and rose from his chair. “Why don’t I take you home and you can show me how much woman you really are.”
Kate felt a rush of desire so strong it made her dizzy. The muscles in her legs felt weak just thinking about it.
She took a moment to collect herself, managed to rise unsteadily from the table. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” she forced herself to ask. “We need to find a place where we can talk to Zepeda. How, by the way, do you plan to do that?”
