Page 23 of Rafe’s Future

Colt motioned toward the long table. “Guess we should head over there, too, so we can get started as soon as Bones gets here.”

“I’m here!” Beckett “Bones” Stone rushed into the room less than a minute later. “Sorry.” The team’s medic flashed them all a quick wave. “I ran home to shower and change.” He plopped down into the chair to Apollo’s right with a sleepy smirk. “You’ll thank me later.”

“Let’s get started.” Rafe’s accented timbre pulled Lena’s attention to the front of the room.

Her lower belly tightened, and her heart gave the same familiar kick it always did whenever he was near. Too bad the silver-fox hunk was still locked up behind the walls of his past.

One of these days, I’m going to find a way to tear those damn walls down.

Or she wouldn’t. Lena had no way of seeing into the future. So for now, she chose to focus on the present, which meant finding Kozlova. After that, perhaps⁠—

“How’s Shadow doing this morning?” Apollo’s dark gaze landed on Rafe’s.

“She’s good.” Rafe nodded. “Much better, actually. Director Price and I stopped by the hospital on our way here. Digger is still refusing to leave her side, of course, but she was awake and in good spirits.”

Bones snorted. “More like pissed as hell.”

“That, too.” Rafe’s mouth began to form a small smirk, but almost instantly, it fell flat. His gaze slid to Lena, and he motioned for her to join him. “In the meantime, I’m sure you’re all as anxious to find those responsible as I am, and after an unexpected visit from Director Price, we may already have an idea. I’ll let her explain.”

Lena joined Rafe at the front of the room.

“Thank you. And please”—she looked to the others—“call me Lena. I’m here as a supportive friend, first and foremost. Though you should know, I’m going to do everything in my power to find and stop the man we believe is responsible for what happened to Shadow.”

She purposely used the team’s nickname for Alice, needing them to see that she understood. This wasn’t some random job in which they’d been assigned. Someone had gone after one of their own, and they needed to trust that she had their backs.

“It’s good to see you all again,” Lena greeted the three men. “Obviously, I wish it were under different circumstances.”

With a gleam in his eye and an ornery smirk on his lips, Coulter was the first to respond.

“I’m gonna skip right past the part where you and Owens rode here together this morning,” the former CIA operative quipped, “and simply say it would be nice if you could drop by one of these days when we’re not in the middle of a shit storm.”

He did have a point. The last time she was in Charlotte was when Coulter’s now-fiancée had been kidnapped and was nearly sold in an underground sex-trafficking ring. So yes, it would be nice to come for a visit that didn’t involve a dangerous mission.

As for the other⁠—

May as well put the rumor to rest before it begins.

“I went to your boss’s home late last night for the same reason I’m here today.” With a nod, Lena gave Rafe the signal to power up the wall-mounted flatscreen behind him.

When he did, an image of their presumed target almost immediately filled the screen.

“Who’s that?” Bones asked with a yawn.

Poor guy looks dog tired.

“His name is Alexei Kozlova.” Lena’s back teeth ground together. “The only target in my entire CIA career to ever get away.”

“Same goes for me,” Rafe shared. “Kozlova was one of two targets we were after during my last op with MI6.”

“Okay . . .” Coulter let his voice trail. “How is this guy connected to yesterday’s shooting?”

“We’re not certain he is.” Lena’s head slid from side to side. “To fully understand, I need to backtrack a little, so please, bear with me.” She took in a deep breath, and then she began. “Twenty-seven years ago, to be exact. Kozlova was one of two targets during a joint CIA-MI6 operation that took place on the ground in Syria.”

“It’s where Lena and I first met.”

Glancing over at Rafe, she fought hard not to let her mind wander back to that day. Later, she’d afford herself the time to reminisce about how he’d stolen her breath at first sight.

And then, as always, Lena could lament all the years spent secretly pining for him since.