“You gotta take things down. Way down.”
“I’m not asking you now.” Then, he flashed that killer smile that made her heart skip a beat. “I would if I thought you’d say yes.”
“You have one speed.”
“Full throttle. You know that.”
She inhaled the fresh air, her gaze locked on the rushing water below. She loved him enough to say yes, but they were just finding their footing again. They sat in silence for another ten, but reality crept back in. She had seven missing women to find, an arsonist to catch, and a pedophile to kill.
“I could stay out here all day,” she said, “but I’ve got to work.”
“Did I tell you I’m having a Fourth of July party on one of my cruise ships?”
“You mentioned it to Luciano.”
“Will you be my date?”
“Sounds fun.” After a beat, she said, “But I feel the pressure of these cases.”
He pulled her onto his lap. “Work will always be there. There will always be bad actors who need to be caught or taken out. That won’t end. You gotta promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“We putusfirst.” He kissed her cheek. “After these cases, there will be more. I don’t want us to be that couple who puts work first.”
“You’re right, but my work is a big part of who I am.”
“I’m asking for balance. What we’re building will be thebestpart of our lives, and I don’t want us to lose sight of that.”
“I can do that.” One more kiss before she pushed off his lap.
Hand in hand, they returned to their bikes. There, she noticed a silver, two-door coupe parked near the lookout exit. She pulled on her helmet, flipped up the wind shield. “How long has that car been there?”
He glanced over. “No idea. Why?”
“No reason.”
They mounted their bikes, started them up, and headed out. As they approached the car, it sped away, but not before she got a glimpse of the driver.
Alarms blared in her head.
The driver’s face was covered in a ski mask.
For fuck’s sake, we’re being tailed.
