“Technically, Colorado isn’t even home,” I pointed out. “If I were goinghome, I’d be going back to Savannah.”
“Yeah?” Taxi raised an eyebrow. “You’d leave your man and your best friend and go back to ‘the podunk, backwoods, hillbilly town’ you hate?”
“I should have never told you that,” I muttered. “And he’s not my man.”
He smirked. “I’m not your priest or your counselor, Jette, so I’m gonna let that lie. But I’ve got you on the first flight back to Denver. Orion and Raquel are gonna pick you up.” He leaned forward. “And you’re done. You need to work your shit out there. I’ve let this go on long enough.”
“What about your taskforce?”
“You’re not losin’ your place,” he said. “You’re still a Cabbie, but, as you well know, you don’t need to be here to work your magic. In fact, you do better when you’re surrounded by your people. Your chakras or energy or whatever moon landing crystal you wear around your neck, works better when you’re close to Wrath.” He cocked his head. “Whether you like to admit it or not.”
“Um, I’m gonna call bullshit on that.”
He chuckled. “Then it’s all about Raquel.”
I shifted in my seat. “Well, that’s true. She keeps me centered.”
“Sure, whatever. Go pack. Tackle’s taking you to the airport in an hour.”
Tackle was a giant of a man, and like me, the only other one on the team who hadn’t gone home after the assignment had ended.
“I’m already packed,” I said.
“Then go eat.”
I nodded and rose to my feet. “Um, thanks, Taxi. For everything.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go home.”
I headed to the kitchen and made breakfast, trying not to let the panic set in before the long flight back to Colorado.
* * *
“Gonna miss you, sweetheart,” Tackle said, pulling me into his beefy arms at the drop-off point.
“I’m going to miss you, too. And I’m not going to stop looking for your sister.”
His sister had been kidnapped ten years ago, and he’d only agreed to work with Taxi if the team would help find her.
He gave me a squeeze. “I appreciate that.”
“I’ll call you the second I find anything.”
He released me and met my eyes. “You gonna get rid of Wrath?”
I sighed. “It’s complicated.”
Stroking my cheek, he smiled. “If he doesn’t fuckin’ see the beauty that’s you, never ever forget that I do, yeah?”
I bit my lip, feeling my cheeks pink as I nodded.
He kissed my forehead, then released me. Grabbing my bag, I made my way into the airport, only tofind my flight had been cancelled. I’d been booked on a later one, but it conflicted with Scrappy’s funeral, so I called Raquel.
“I’m still coming to pick you up,” Raquel said.
“No,” I argued. “I honestly don’t want to pull focus and you know Wrath will cause a scene if he has a whiff that I’m coming. I’ll grab a car.”
“We’ll send a recruit.”