I stood and walked to the doorway. “Who are they?”
Aiden didn’t turn around. “Chuck Velomn and Marc Franks. Guns for hire along with everything else. I can see Barensky hiring them to do the legwork on a job.”
Drag stared at the pictures. “Now we just have to find them.”
Aiden pokedhis head in a little after work hours. “You hungry?”
“Starving.” I pushed away from the computer. “Want to order pizza or something?”
He shook his head. “There’s a great burger joint a block over where a bunch of the Gonzaga law students hang out. If we go now, they won’t have taken over yet. I think it’s safe enough to stick around here.”
“Wonderful.” I stood and stretched my back before reaching him. “Any luck finding those two men?”
“Not yet.” He took my hand. The more we were around each other, the touchier he became.
I really liked it. I entwined my fingers with his. “Just the two of us?”
“Yep.” He locked the door behind us and scouted the area outside like I’d seen him do a million times. I probably needed to learn that skill and pay more attention to my surroundings.
The walk around the block was pleasant as we passed several older homes turned into businesses, all with neatly manicured lawns and colorful flowers. We reached the diner and found a booth in the back. I ordered a cheeseburger and chocolate milkshake, while Aiden ordered a black & blue burger with water.
“No milkshake?” I asked, settling more comfortably in the booth.
“No.” He set the menus aside.
Aiden had a few flaws, and a lack of a sweet tooth was one I could work with. “Okay. Why are we taking time to have a burger?”
One of his dark eyebrows rose. “It’s dinner time.”
“Uh, huh.” I studied his serene expression. “If you’ve brought me somewhere for a milkshake, you’re up to something. What is it?”
His cheek creased. “Fair enough. I want you to go on a short vacation with Drag. I need Saber here, but Drag will cover your back.”
I figured. “What kind of name is Drag?”
“His name is Mitch Dragoner. Hence, Drag.” Aiden sat back as our drinks were placed in front of us.
I stuck the straw in my very thick milkshake. “No. I want to work with you, but I have court tomorrow and need to go.” Hopefully I could get Kelsey’s case dismissed, and at least that’d be off my plate. “I wouldn’t ask you to leave work.”
“You would to save my life,” he countered, taking a drink of his water.
That was true. “I’ll keep a detail with me, but that’s it for now. I have to do my job.” Then our burgers arrived and we dug in. They were every bit as good as Aiden had promised.
He paid the bill and we walked hand-in-hand back to the office. “I need to grab a few things, and let’s head home.”
Home. The way he said it sounded so right. Oh, I was in no hurry to get too serious, but I still liked hearing statements like that from him. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, still holding my hand as he punched in the correct code and opened the door to the main computer room. “I was thinking we could drop by the hospital—”
He stopped speaking and let go of my hand, reaching for his gun. He lifted it smoothly.
“What?” I edged to his side and gasped.
Two men lay against the table that held the computer keyboards, one slumped against the other. They were the men from the other day—Barensky’s henchmen. Chuck Velomn and Marc Franks. They had small, bloody holes in the center of their foreheads, and their eyes looked sightlessly past us.
My legs shook. “Aiden?”
He swept the room and then his office and the ammunition room. “Anybody upstairs?” he yelled.
Nobody answered. He studied the two dead men. “This doesn’t make sense.”
