“You are Asher got a thing?” The question was abrupt. Like almost all of the man’s questions that turned the least bit personal were. It was just his way. Like the questions were being forced out of him by aliens or something.
And Miranda understood—she got to him, at least on some level. Just like he did the same to her. They were human; physical attraction between two rather intense people…well, it was normal. At least, that was what she was telling herself. There really wasn’t anything normal about Dr. Allan Knight, though. There really wasn’t. “Jealous?”
He just shot her that look he had perfected. The one Dani had said made him look all mysterious and dangerous and sexy as hell. Miranda had privately agreed.
“No. Pierce Asher and I are not involved, although we have dated a few times, when he was in St. Louis. That was just casual. Friends. Nothing more than a kiss or two. I’m talking seriously dating, Knight. Like…in search of life partner kind of dating. You ever tried it?”
“I have. Not in a while, though. Been a bit too busy.” He just smirked at her. “But you have. I’ve heard the rumors.”
“I have. I thought, you know…I’ve had Bentley long enough, we have a great routine set up, even with my job. He loves his school. The Cold Case Unit is established enough now. So…I thought maybe I was in a good place to start…dating. And…so when a guy asked, I said yes. He was good with the job. He’s with the U.S. Marshals.”
“So what was the problem?”
“Bentley. His very existence. As soon as he heard I had a kid that I had adopted, he shut me down fast. Said he wasn’t interested in raising some other guy’s kid. Especially since Bentley isn’t really mine. Not his kid, not his problem.”
“Let me guess, you stood up and walked out?”
“Dumped his spaghetti in his lap first, actually. How did you guess?”
“Because I know you. And I don’t blame you one bit. Any man who talks that way about an innocent child—not much of a man, is he?”
“No. He is not. I guess I was just expecting too much.” Miranda shot him a grin, but…she really didn’t feel it. Life felt a little too heavy inside right now. “Guess not every guy can be like a PAVAD guy, huh?”
“Apparently not. Come on. Let’s get home. We’ll grab food along the way. I’m sure there’s a diner somewhere to appease you.”
“Just like Grandma’s. I am so in. You know, Knight, you aren’t half-bad sometimes. Even come in handy once in a while. Thanks for the save.”
“Anytime.” He hesitated for a moment. “Do me a favor…stop needing saved. I’m not so sure my blood pressure can handle it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Chapter 49
Dani was closing down for the night. Knight and Miranda were halfway back to St. Louis from Indiana—Dani had a little tracker app that was PAVAD specific and let her see where all of her peeps were currently. Jac was currently on a flight out to meet Walker and Moncrief in California to help wade through possible connections on their case involving some sort of teenage drug trafficking ring that had ended up with two nineteen-year-olds murdered and buried in a sandpit more than fifty-five years ago. They should all be okay out there. It wasn’t a case that had been flagged for a high chance of violence.
But then again…any case had the potential to be…deadly. She would never take that fact lightly. This one in Indiana hadn’t had a high likelihood of a violent resolution, but it had.
“Why are you always the last one in here every night?”
The voice came just after she’d shut down the lights. Her lab was small, but it was built specifically for her usage. She worked with Cold Case, but her supervisor—and Jac’s—was still in computer forensics. Agent Lorcan—Carrie, there were so many Lorcans in PAVAD, it could get confusing—took care of her people. Dani squeaked this time.
She turned. Of course. Him again.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Ian Ward stepped into her lab more fully. She could just make out his features in the dim light from the monitors and from the hallway. “I thought you heard me outside your door.”
“No. I’m sorry…I was lost in thought. About…Indiana. How close it could have been.”
“Miranda is okay. She followed protocol.”
“Protocol doesn’t stop me from worrying about the people I care about.” She would always worry about her team, and about her friends on other teams, about all of the people in this building who faced the demons out there.
“Do you worry about me when I am out there?”
The question was almost a whisper—and it was definitely a dare. What was this man’s problem with her? That was something Dani had wondered for months, ever since she had been transferred to Cold Case. “Of course I do. I keep track of all of you. It’s one way I can do my part to help. You have the black dot on my tracking app, you know.”
“I see.”
“What are you exactly after, Agent Ward? Can I help you with something specific? I’d be happy to make a note, or you can send me a text with what you need—and I can get to it first thing tomorrow.”
