“Are you ladies hungry? I can order pizza. Or make you some of my famous ‘cheesy skillet mac’?” Terry asked.
Laura sank down onto the bed, exhaustion in the tiny lines around her mouth and eyes. “I need to lie down. The meds…”
Holding up his hands, Terry backed out of the room. “Say no more. Dana?”
“I could eat. I’ll join you in a few minutes.” With a grateful smile, she shut the door, and he could hear the two women talking in low tones.
Cheesy skillet mac was one of the few dishes Terry had perfected over the years.
Every man needs to know how to cook.
His mother’s words ran through his head on a loop. He’d cooked for a few dates, and this recipe was always a hit. Thank God he’d gone shopping before flying to D.C. three days ago.
By the time Dana emerged from the bedroom, he had the beef, tomato sauce, onions, and various spices simmering in the pan.
“Oh, God. That smells divine,” she said. “No one’s cooked for me in ages.”
“My repertoire is limited to cheesy skillet mac, steaks, and fried chicken. I eat a lot of frozen burritos, pizza, and salads.” He gave the mixture a stir and angled a quick glance at Dana. “I have beer, red wine, gin, water, and OJ.”
“I’ll take a beer.” Dana curled up on the couch, tucking her legs under her. She’d changed into a pair of yoga pants and a flannel shirt, and damn if seeing her comfortable—in his space—didn’t make her ten times more beautiful.
When he’d joined her, Dana picked at the label on the bottle. “Do you think…is it good or bad that you haven’t heard from Xavier yet?”
The worry in her voice slayed him, and he covered her hand with his. “Neither. X works on his own timeline. I’ve seen the man go without sleep for three days on mission, but finding Micah depends on a hell of a lot more than just him. Contacting sources, paying them off, verifying whatever information they give him—”
“Paying them?” Dana blanched and set the bottle down. “I can’t afford…”
“And you don’t have to.” Fuck. He’d inserted his size eleven boot firmly in his mouth, and desperately tried to spit the thing out without causing her more pain. “Zulu Team—X’s unit—has a number of different income streams. They can afford some pro bono work when it’s important.”
The shame in her brown eyes rocked him to his core, and he wrapped his arms around her. “Sweetheart, you’ve been carryin’ the whole world on your shoulders for almost three years. You’re not alone anymore.”
Dana
A buzzing startled her awake, and she sat up—or tried to—but Terry’s arm tightened around her shoulders. “Easy. Xavier’s callin’. I’ll put him on speaker. Do you want to wake Laura?”
She glanced back at the bedroom door. “No. Not yet.”
“X? You’re on speaker and Dana’s with me. What’s up?”
“How soon can you get to Vegas?” Xavier’s deep voice held a hint of strain, and Terry released her, leaned forward, and grabbed his laptop.
“Checking on flights now. Did you find him?”
Dana rubbed her eyes. After dinner, they’d curled up together, a movie playing in the background, and she’d fallen asleep in his arms.
A notification popped up on Terry’s phone, and he tapped it. The photo on screen sent a cold ball of ice slamming into Dana’s stomach. “Micah.”
The boy looked nothing like his last official school photo. Black hair hung limply to his shoulders, and he’d shot up at least six inches. He’d been strong before, but now? He was rail thin, wearing disheveled clothing several sizes too big, and staring down at his feet. The man behind him gripped Micah’s shoulder, and his expression made Dana shudder.
“Who’s the asshole with him?” Terry asked.
“Unclear. Facial recognition brought up a handful of matches across Vegas security feeds, but according to the government, he doesn’t exist,” Xavier said. “My team’s taking off in twenty, and our first priority is finding out where the kids are being kept. Can’t put together a rescue plan until we know what’s waiting for us. Local authorities gave us a forty-eight-hour window. If we don’t have the kids by Thursday morning, they can’t guarantee free rein.”
“Shit.” Dana clutched Terry’s arm—as much to stop her hand from shaking as to ground herself. Could they really have Micah back in under two days?
“That the aunt?” Xavier asked.
“Y-yes,” she said. “I’m here.”
