She looked up from her car. “Wolfe? I don’t understand. Usually I can read you, but I’m lost. We’re not finished meeting up once in a while.”
“We are.” If anything, their comfortable chat had shown him how close he’d let himself get to this team. He could never let Rock know what they meant to him. “I’ve challenged the past, and he’ll be coming soon. It’s too late to stop.”
A line formed between Nari’s brows. “I don’t understand.”
“I know.” She was an excellent psychologist, but sometimes evil just existed. There was no analyzing it.
Wolfe shut her door and planted his hand on the window.
She frowned but started the car and then drove carefully over the potholes in the parking lot.
Wolfe watched her until the taillights disappeared into the storm. “Bye, Nari.”
Chapter Eighteen
Dana sat at the middle hub of desks in the Deep Ops dismal basement, researching Frank Spanek on her laptop all morning. Why would that man have wanted to drug either her or Wolfe? Did he want them dead? If it was because of her, then she was getting closer to deciphering Candy’s story. If it was because of Wolfe’s search for Rock, whoever he was, then she had no idea why. Also, had Spanek killed Albert Nelson? If so, why?
Wolfe had given her the silent treatment on the way in to the off ice, and even the super sweet latte he’d bought for her on the way had failed to lighten her mood. There was something up with him, and it wasn’t good.
He’d dropped her off, along with Roscoe, and then had gone to run errands. Whatever the heck that meant.
Angus Force worked quietly in his office, and Nari was in hers, so Dana had the hub to herself. Apparently Malcolm was out on a case.
The room was too quiet.
She looked up to find Angus watching her, leaning against the doorjamb of his office.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
Sometimes she forgot he could be such a nice guy. “I’m fine.” It was more or less the truth.
Angus ruffled a hand through his thick hair. His green eyes were sharp and focused today, and his broad shoulders took up most of the space in the doorway. Like Wolfe, he was all muscle. Lean and strong. His face was sharper, more angled, than Wolfe’s rugged one. “If you need to, talk to the shrink. I’ve heard she has some good advice.”
“Okay.” They had enough hotties on this unit to make a calendar. Dana grinned.
“It’s good to see you smile.” Angus straightened, and a second later, the elevator’s gears ground loudly.
Dana pivoted, her heart rate accelerating. Was Wolfe back?
The door opened, and a woman stumbled out, her hands full of papers. Her curly black hair was cut in a blunt bob, and a fine smattering of freckles spread across her nose and cheeks, a shade darker than her russet brown skin. She wore cargo pants, tennis shoes, and a T-shirt depicting the Starship Enterprise being swallowed by a black hole. The woman’s gaze caught on Angus, and relief filled her face. “Angus. This is such a dump.”
Angus smiled, a genuine one. “Serena.” He maneuvered around desks to reach her, picking up her falling papers. “Thank you for coming.” Grasping her arm, he drew her closer to Dana. “This is my friend who’s good with puzzles. Dana Mulberry, meet Serena Johnson.”
“Hi,” Serena said, crouching to scratch Roscoe’s ears.
The dog perked up, rolled out his tongue, and then froze. He growled and jumped up, grabbing Serena’s handbag with sharp teeth and running around the desks.
“Roscoe!” Dana pushed her chair back and stood. “Stop it.”
He growled and shook his head, tearing the purse. It looked like cloth with an argyle pattern of purples and blues across it. The fabric ripped apart.
Dana went one way and Serena the other, both trying to hem the pooch in.
Angus whistled, but the dog ignored him. Dana’s breath panted out, but she nearly caught him. In a smooth leap, he jumped onto the desks, skidded across, and landed on the other side. With a doggie burp, he dropped the wet, shredded mass to the ground.
“Huh,” Serena said, looking down at the ruins of her bag.
Angus sighed. “I’m sorry. He has a problem with argyle patterns. We believe there was one on a vest nearby when we took that shrapnel overseas, and he freaks out every time he sees it.”
