“Probably a smart choice, Detective.”
“I thought as much,” Knox teased. Growing serious, he told them all, “I talked to the first officer on the scene. He gave me the rundown of your statements. Not that there was a whole lot to them.”
“Plausible deniability is your friend on this one,” Archer assured him. “Trust me, the less you know about this, the better.”
“Yeah, well, you’d better get your asses out of here before this place fills with feds. I know you’ve got some damn good connections, but when it comes to federal agents, you never know how far that’s going to take you.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Lucky dipped his chin before turning and walking toward the team’s SUV.
The blacked-out vehicle was waiting for them inside their client’s private hangar. It was still parked in the same place they’d left it before taking off on their flight to Kandahar days earlier.
With another handshake, Logan bid the detective goodbye. Archer followed suit, and Chase gave the man a half-salute. Rather than immediately joining the others, Van stayed back for a little one-on-one chat with the man who’d become a solid ally to their team.
“Something on your mind, Braddock?” Knox eyed him closely.
Van took a step toward him. “This one’s important, Travis.” He met the man’s intense stare. “You’re smart to keep one foot outside the door on this one, but you hear anything outside of the usual intel involved with something like this, I need you to give either Logan or me a call.”
The man’s gaze slid to the side, and it was only then that Van realized Kam hadn’t gone on with the others. She’d stayed back, keeping a short distance behind where he stood. Watching. Listening.
When Van shot a quick glance in her direction, he half-expected her to be leaning an ear their way. But she didn’t look as though she’d been trying to eavesdrop, but rather keeping close in an almost protective way.
“Not a problem.” Knox’s deep voice sounded once again. “But you know, one of these days, I may have to cash in all these favors you and your boys keep stacking up. And when that time comes?—”
“We’ll be there,” Van assured him. “You have our back on this one, I guarantee we’ll have yours in the future.”
The two men shared a look that spoke volumes, their gazes remaining locked for a few seconds more. With a dip of his chin, Van bid the man farewell, and he and Kam left to join the others.
Once they were all inside the SUV, Archer wasted no time in taking off from the scene. With him behind the wheel and Logan in the front passenger seat, they headed back to Seattle.
“What happens now?” Kam asked from the middle seat, where she sat between Van and Chase.
Before Van could respond, Lucky chimed in from his spot in the back.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’d love a hot shower and some food. Preferably in that order.”
“A shower would be lovely.” She smiled in an almost bashful way.
Of its own accord, the image of her wet and naked filled every inch of Van’s wandering mind. He blinked, willing the unsolicited thought away, trying like hell not to glance over at her as he kept his expression schooled.
Must be the concussion.
That’s what he told himself, despite knowing deep-down that wasn’t the case. His head hurt like a bitch, and he was definitely concussed, but the attraction he was beginning to feel toward the woman they’d gone after was about as real as anything he’d ever felt before.
And that was a problem of epic proportions.
For all intents and purposes, Kaamisha Dawari was their prisoner. A woman he and his team had flown halfway across the world to abduct, interrogate, and then bring back to the States to face the judgement she deserved.
There was just one problem with their original plan…
She’s telling me the truth.
Van recalled having that thought shortly before the jet hadstarted to go down. They’d been discussing Farzad Akimi, and he’d listened and watched while she explained—without even realizing it—how her DNA had ended up on the man’s dead body.
There hadn’t been a hint of deception in her voice or her gaze. No tells to indicate she was being anything other than truthful.
And in those moments immediately following the explosion, when Van was being tossed around like a fucking rag doll, he’d seen the fear in her eyes when she’d been trying to get to him. Not for herself, but for…
Me.
