“I even started the paperwork once.” She gave a small, wry smile. “Then I realized what that would mean. A child needs you there, not halfway around the world chasing down a fugitive. Too many hours away.”
Cal frowned, wanting to argue but knowing she was right.
She drew in a breath. “I did talk to Noah, though. About maybe moving into a support role for a while. Crossfire’s always looking for trainers, and I’ve got the credentials for that.”
He studied her, the idea settling in his mind. He could picture her leading new recruits, sharp and steady, drilling them with the same focus she brought to every mission. It would suit her. But the thought of her stepping away from the field made something stir in his chest he wasn’t ready to name.
Cal’s phone buzzed, the screen flashingDispatch. He answered on the first ring.
“Dispatch,” the voice said. “Call coming through for you.”
“Patch it,” Cal said.
A beat later, another voice filled his ear. Smooth, cocky, unforgettable. And someone he instantly recognized.
“Cal,” Dexter drawled.
The jolt hit him hard, and he saw some of the color drain from Alena’s face. Cal yanked the phone from his ear to put it on speaker so Alena could hear and at the same time hit the trace function, praying Isla could grab the signal.
“Bet you’ve been thinking about me,” Dexter’s voice drawled through the line. “Maybe even worried about me.” He gave a short laugh. “You want to know why I broke out? Kara hired somebody to kill me.”
Cal’s jaw tightened. He didn’t believe it, but he couldn’t dismiss it either. “That’s one hell of a story.”
A metallic bang echoed in the background, like a door slamming against concrete. Cal’s focus sharpened. He logged it away.
“From what Kara said, you two are in love,” Cal threw out there.
“Fuck no,” Dexter spat out. “She’s batshit, and when I told her that, she paid off an inmate to try to shank me. The bitch. I had to get the hell out of there or she would have kept trying.”
Cal had no idea if any of this was true, and he didn’t especially care. “You killed someone during your escape,” he pointed out.
“Yeah, that. I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Dexter went on a heartbeat later. His tone changed. Less cocky now. “I was fighting for my life. I was—”
“That doesn’t square with the message you left on camera,” Cal interrupted. “You said Alena and I were dead meat.”
Dexter gave a low chuckle. “I want you dead, sure. That’s a given after what happened. But at the moment you’re not in my sights. I’m just trying to survive. Trying not to get my ass shot off. And trying to figure out how the fucking hell to get out of this situation alive.”
Again, Cal had his doubts as to what Dexter was saying. It was possible the man had all the help in the world. Enough help to allow him to disappear.
But Cal rethought that.
Why call him if the goal was to evade and escape? What kind of sick game was Dexter playing now?
“Then who does have Alena and me in their sights?” Cal snapped. “Because someone went after David, and Melissa is missing.”
“Don’t know shit about Melissa. But as for who tried for David, yeah, that was Bryce Keller,” Dexter was quick to say. “That’s the hired gun working for Kara. That’s who you should be looking for, not me.”
The line went dead before Cal could say another word.
He stabbed the redial button, but the call didn’t go through. Straight to nowhere. He swore under his breath and tossed the phone on the desk.
Alena was already at her laptop, fingers flying. “I’ll run Bryce Keller,” she said.
Cal picked the phone back up and punched in Raines’s number. The sheriff answered on the second ring.
“Dexter just contacted me,” Cal said without preamble. “He called through dispatch.”
“What’d he want?” Raines’s voice was sharp.
