Bastard. His boss was calling his bluff. “What the fuck do you want?”
“We’re ready to talk. Conference room. Five minutes. Come with less attitude. We’ve got a new mission for you.”
Seriously? He’d just gotten back, goddamn it. They knew what he wanted. The last thing he wanted to do was leave town again. Yeah, yeah… This was his life, and he’d signed up for this job. He was often gone for weeks at a time with almost no advance warning. But he needed to fix this contractual situation and settle everything with Tessa before the wedge she’d put between them over a month ago grew bigger.
Zy didn’t bother to swallow down his sarcasm. “Can’t wait.”
“Don’t worry. You’re going to love this mission,” Logan assured with an evil grin. “Right before you hate it.”
Then the son of a bitch disappeared.
What the fuck did that mean? He didn’t have time to figure it out before the door behind him opened.
Zy turned. And there she was, his gorgeous bundle of blonde, all big green eyes, soft mouth, and lush tits. He’d missed everything about her, right down to her Southern sass and bless-your-hearts. Jesus, even the sight of her had his breath catching and his body pinging.
Yeah, he had it bad for Tess…and every fucking person on this team knew it.
She dumped her keys in her little pink purse, gripped her laptop bag, and looked up, stopping mid-stride. When their gazes locked, the heavens fucking parted; he felt it.
“You’re back!”
Zy wanted to touch her so damn bad, but he didn’t dare—yet.
“As of last night,” he managed to say past the knot in his throat. “You okay?”
“Fine.”
“Hallie okay?”
Adoration softened her eyes. “She’s fine. Walking everywhere now. I can hardly keep up.”
“What about—”
“Let’s go, Garrett,” Hunter Edgington called out as he made his way to the conference room. “Shit’s hitting the fan and time’s wasting.”
Zy gritted his teeth. “Lunch later?”
Her gaze fell. “We shouldn’t. After the Christmas party—”
“Nothing happened.” Absolutely fucking nothing—no matter how badly he wished otherwise.
“Maybe not physically, but…” she whispered. “You’re splitting hairs.”
“I’m being factual.”
But she was right. He’d tossed out the L word like a bomb, hoping to persuade her to break all the rules with him. He’d been close to piling on and kissing her senseless until she’d given in, too.
Tessa sent him a pleading expression. “This job pays better than everything else. You know I need it.”
“Yeah.” He hadn’t told her that he was trying everything he could to change their situation. No sense unless he succeeded. “I just want to talk to you. I won’t…” Touch you, try to seduce you, tell you all the ways I’m dying to make you mine. He cleared his throat. “Please. I missed you.”
She sighed like she couldn’t refuse him. Fuck, he wished that was true.
“A-all right.”
“I’ll come around about noon.”
Tessa smiled at him again. “Looking forward to it.”
“Now, Garrett,” Joaquin Muñoz growled as he stuck his head around the corner.
“For fuck’s sake…”
“Go,” she encouraged. “Whatever it is seems important.”
It was, and soon he hoped she’d know precisely why.
“If something comes up, I’ll let you know,” Zy promised, then stomped down the hall, hung a left, and barreled into the conference room, barely refraining from slamming the door. “I’m here.”
But he didn’t say more. He couldn’t with the new guy in the room. Around six foot and built broad with an obvious hard-on for bodybuilding, he had piercing dark eyes, a black mustache, and a watchful mien.
“You met Kane Preston?” Hunter offered.
“Briefly.” While all the shit had been going down with the creepy cult, the deputy had been cleaning up the absent sheriff’s mess.
“Josiah highly recommended him, said he’d done an excellent job the last couple of years in Comfort.”
Kane stuck out his hand. “But I was looking to make a change. Some folks call me Scout. But as long as you don’t call me motherfucker, I’ll probably answer.”
Zy tamped down his impatience to get the bosses alone and clapped his hand in the other guy’s. “I’m Chase Garrett. You’ve probably heard everyone call me Zyron.”
“Yep. Good to see you again.”
“Got everything you need?” Joaquin asked the former deputy.
“I do,” Kane replied. “I’ll go make myself useful.”
“Perfect,” Logan said to the guy’s wide, retreating back. The minute he’d gone and shut the door behind him, the younger Edgington turned an intent gaze his way. “We need to talk.”
“Hell yeah, we do.”
“We’ll get to you and Tessa in a minute. More urgent stuff has come up in the last forty-eight hours. Sit.”
Fuck.
He’d run out of patience with their sidestepping him, but this sounded serious. Damn it. Zy took a seat in the nearest chair, across the table from Logan. “What’s up?”
“Our mole struck again. The only people who knew the location of Valeria Montilla’s new safe house were the three of us and One-Mile. At least until last night.”