“I’ve got to go, Devlin,” Saber said once he swallowed.
Aiden turned serious again. “Remember what I told you.”
Saber reached out a hand, and Aiden released mine to clasp it.
“Head on a swivel,” Aiden said quietly.
Saber nodded. “Always.”
The exchange tightened something in my chest. A realization flickered inside me. Saber was going undercover instead of Aiden now.
I moved toward Saber before I could stop myself. “Hey,” I said softly, stepping into his space. “Be careful.”
He hugged me once, quick but solid, then patted between my shoulder blades. “Always.” When he pulled back, his grin had softened into something almost brotherly. “Take care of this guy, would you?”
I turned toward Aiden. He had gone quiet, cookie bag resting beside him on the blanket, eyes fixed on me. That sharp blue gaze, the one that could freeze an entire interrogation room, held something else now. Vulnerability maybe, buried under the calm.
“I promise,” I said.
Saber turned and strode out, his boots echoing down the corridor until silence filled the space again.
I sank into the chair beside Aiden’s bed, the vinyl creaking under me. For a few seconds, the only sounds came from the monitor’s soft beeps and the distant rumble of a rolling cart outside. The sterile scent of antiseptic blended with the faint aroma of Nonna’s cookies.
Aiden reached for my hand again. His grip felt strong, grounding. “You okay?” he asked.
“Me?” I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I held. “You’re the one who hit the floor in front of a judge.”
“Still here,” he said. “Thanks to you, and your grandmother’s spoon.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You should’ve seen her face when you said yes, ma’am.”
“I did.” His smile turned small but real. “That’s why I said it twice.”
The laugh caught in my throat, soft and unsteady. For a moment, nothing else mattered. Just us, the cookies, and the soft hum of a world that had finally stopped spinning. Rain began to tap against the window a moment later, soft at first, then sharper, each drop pinging against the glass.
He cleared his throat. “The CCTV didn’t show who stole the silver nugget boxes out of your dad’s rig at the hospital.”
I sighed. “Don’t tell me. We parked in a blind spot.”
He frowned. “How did you know that?”
“Long story.” I pushed hair out of my eyes, not wanting to talk about Cormac. “Saber will be okay.”
“I know.” Aiden’s voice carried conviction. “Saber’s excellent undercover. We built that op for me, not him. I just hope it’s not too late to swap someone in.”
I eased onto the edge of the bed and smoothed the sheet near his ribs. “He’s smart. He’s trained. He’ll be fine.”
“I know.” Aiden caught a strand of my hair and tugged lightly. “What are you up to?”
I gave him the short version of my afternoon. By the time I finished, he was nodding slowly.
“Well, at least I can stay here and keep working the mushroom angle. My money’s still on Brooke. There’s no way someone just switched the tea by accident,” he said. “Wait a second. When the leprechaun stole the silver boxes?—”
I shook my head. “I thought of that. Believe me, I wish that was it. But Nana didn’t even put the tea out until the day before the grand opening.”
His shoulders lowered. “So the tea wasn’t there when the silver boxes disappeared.”
“Exactly. I’d love to blame that thief for both, but no.”
