“Hey, Rory. I think we found him,” Lionel Zomert said.
Rory sat up. When the associate deputy director of counterintelligence called, it was better to be sitting than lying down. “What do you mean you found him? I thought he was off the grid,” he questioned quietly.
“Hewasoff the grid,” Lionel boomed. The man was nearly seven feet tall and as wide as a purebred heifer. He was fast and smart, and one of the most dangerous people Rory had ever met.
“Where is he?” Rory asked.
“We think he’s in Denver.”
Rory scrubbed both hands down his face. He couldn’t leave Serenity right now, but he had been chasing his old friend for nearly six months.
His silence obviously caught Lionel off guard. “I figured you’d already be on a plane,” the man muttered.
“I know. I just have something going on at home.”
“I could send another team.”
Rory looked at the wide window leading out to the snowy backyard and the forest beyond it. Dawn hadn’t arrived yet, so it was still dark, but he could make out shadows of trees and what appeared to be a deer or two. “No, it has to be me. I know Hackson. Nobody else does.”
“That’s not true. We have analysts who understand him just as well as you do, as does Hana,” Lionel said half-heartedly. “If you need to stay at home, stay at home.”
Rory sighed. “No, I’ll be in Denver by early afternoon. I need permission to speak to my fiancée, though.”
“I already gave you permission to tell her about your job,” Lionel reminded him.
“I mean more specifically. I need to tell her why I’m leaving right now,” Rory clarified. He couldn’t leave her in the dark again. He’d almost lost her, and he still wasn’t sure he had her back. But his nana had always taught him to go with hope instead of despair, so he was doing his best.
“All right. Permission granted,” Lionel confirmed. “But don’t go into too much detail.”
“I’m aware,” Rory said dryly. “It’s not my first rodeo.” He couldn’t help but parrot Sheriff Franco’s often used expression. The experienced lawman was one of Rory’s favorite people. “What do we know?”
The sound of shuffling papers came over the line. “We know he’s in Denver. We don’t know exactly where,” Lionel clarified. “I have teams trying to trace him.”
“What’s he doing in Colorado?” Years ago, Rory and Hackson had worked several cases together, and the man was as city as city came. He wasn’t happy unless surrounded by concrete and glass and downtown anywhere with skyscrapers around him.
“I don’t know. Probably trying to stay off your radar,” Lionel answered. “I want a team with you when you bring him in.”
“I understand.” Rory nodded, even though Lionel couldn’t see him. He’d been chasing his old partner for too long. “Then I want you to accept that letter I gave you,” he added quietly.
Lionel’s sigh echoed as if he’d shoved it out hard. “Maybe. We’ll talk about it in person after you bring in Hackson.”
Rory didn’t remind him that he didn’t exactly have a choice if Rory wanted to retire, but now wasn’t the time to get into a fight with his boss. They’d worked many cases together, and Rory not only respected but liked him. “All right, thanks. I’ll be in touch when I’m in Denver.”
“Copy that.” Lionel clicked off.
“You’re going to Denver?” Serenity said softly from the bottom of the stairs.
He hadn’t even heard her come down. That was rare for him. He had excellent hearing. He looked over his shoulder and nearly swallowed his tongue. She wore a cute little pink cami outfit she had probably sewn herself. His groin hardened so fast his breath caught. “You look gorgeous.”
Red filtered into her face like it always did when he complimented her. Her sass turned him on, but her sweetness dug deep into him and held. Strong.
“I just woke up,” she protested, smoothing back her dark hair as the cat wound around her ankles. Rufus took a look at him and then ran into the kitchen.
Yeah, and she was stunning. He knew beauty was in the eye of the beholder and all that crap, but it was impossible to imagine that anybody wouldn’t see hers. In the morning, her hair was tousled down her back, and her eyes shone green like the flickering glow of fireflies on a summer night, both enchanting and mesmerizing. Her curves more than filled out the cami set, and his hands itched to touch. To take.
It took all his considerable self-control to remain on the sofa and not move for her as he would’ve just a few months ago. He cocked his head. “Why don’t you let yourself have sparkles?” he asked curiously.
“There’s no need for them.” She waved a hand in the air. “Don’t be silly, Rory.”
