He barked out a laugh, the muscles in his chest moving nicely. “Nothing salacious, I promise you. How about we cuddle down, watch a dumb movie, and fall asleep?”
Her little heart rolled right over and sighed. The hottest guy she’d ever met wanted to snuggle with her? No sex but comfort? He was turning out to be way too good to be true. “Who are you?” she murmured.
His head lifted. An unidentifiable light entered his eyes. “That’s always the question, now isn’t it?”
Chapter Seventeen
Even the snuggly woman in Malcolm’s arms couldn’t keep the flashback images at bay. Junior with a hole in his head. Other victims drowning in blood. The dead people at the diner. Finally, at around three in the morning, he gently extricated himself from the warm bed.
He checked the locks on the back door and the one to the garage. Then he moved to the front door and stopped. Shaking his head, he returned to double-check the back-door locks. Hypervigilance sucked. Then he went out the front door, made sure it locked behind him, and jogged quietly toward the street. Wolfe’s truck was parked several yards up the road.
Mal jumped in. “Mornin.’”
“You too.” Wolfe handed over a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. “Do what you’ve gotta do.” He started the engine and began driving down the deserted road. Kat peeked out from his pocket and gave a welcoming meow.
Well, at least the kitten was still alive. Malcolm took the bottle and drank several swallows before spilling some on his T-shirt and jeans. Then he rubbed some into his hair. “Good?”
“You stink. It’s good.” Wolfe took the bottle and drank a couple of shots.
“Hey. You’re my driver,” Mal said, not really caring.
Wolfe handed it back. “Lid.”
Mal took another swig to the gut, then twisted the lid back into place.
Wolfe reached into the glove box and handed over a cheap-looking pen and a burner phone. “The pen is actually a camera. Get as many faces as you can. Call in an hour if they don’t pick you up.”
“Oh, they’ll pick me up.” Mal messed up his hair more. “I told the sweet blonde that I often return to the back of the bar in the early morning hours and try to find any leftover booze. That sometimes they throw bottles out that aren’t quite done.”
“That’s just sad, man.” Wolfe sped up.
“That’s the whole point.” Mal studied the soldier. “Where do you live anyway?”
Wolfe reached the interstate and pulled on. “I found an apartment complex just off the exit where the offices are. It’s okay. Came furnished.”
“Where were you before that?”
Wolfe twisted on the heater. His voice remained level. Perfectly so. “Syria.”
Ah. “Do you miss the Teams?”
“Yes.” Wolfe pressed the accelerator. “I disobeyed orders. Probably can’t go back.”
Mal rolled his neck. “I thought your deal with Force was to get you back.”
Wolfe shrugged. “Force might have the juice, but I doubt it. It’ll be interesting when he tries and fails and then owes me.”
“He’s a profiler. You sure he hasn’t profiled you just right?” Mal asked.
Wolfe cut him a look. “Maybe. He sure got you right.”
Yeah. Mal had noticed. “Want to talk about your last mission? When you disobeyed orders?”
“No.”
Fair enough. They drove the rest of the way in companionable silence as the dawn began to break through the cloudy sky. Mal relaxed, enjoying the quiet tone and camaraderie. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed such moments until right now. Just as they reached the block of Blue’s bar, the skies opened. “Ah, shit.”
Wolfe pulled over in a deserted lot. “Take the phone.”
