Chapter 11
Waverly
“Abso-fucking-lutely not!”
After the meeting at Lachlan Industries, Duncan returned to the office with an update.
To my surprise, Finn and Joel did as well.
There was a moment, when they were explaining the maintenance man’s findings to the team, where I had to dig my nails into the palm of my hand to keep myself grounded.
It was hard to wrap my head around the facts.
At any point in the last week, Finn could’ve been taken from my life by a tasteless, odorless gas and we would’ve been none the wiser.
Hell, hundreds of people worked in his building, many of whom experienced symptoms.
“It’s a good idea, baby.”
Duncan had lost his ever-loving mind if he thought there was any way on God’s green earth I’d approve of his hairbrained plan.
Worse than that, he’d apparently convinced Finn to go along with his fucked-up fuckery.
Where was Shayne when I needed her? She’d talk some sense into these idiots.
Wait…on second thought, never mind. My best friend thrived on chaos.
She’d be more likely to jump in headfirst than try to talk them off the ledge. I was screwed.
“What it is, is incredibly dangerous. And foolish.”
“We’d have him covered, Waverly.”
That was Keaton. He was the first of my four agents to throw out his two cents.
Given the looks of sympathy coming from the other three, he wouldn’t be the last. Finn’s stalker was escalating and it appeared everyone was on board with using the banquet Friday night to draw him out.
Using an untrained civilian to lure out a criminal wasn’t uncommon, but when that untrained civilian was the man I loved…
nope. Not happening. There had to be another way.
Except there wasn’t and the knowledge sat in my stomach like a lead balloon.
We'd been spinning in circles for weeks without a break in the case. There wouldn’t be another opportunity like this, where the risk versus reward was heavily in our favor.
Still, knowing they were right and agreeing to put Finn in danger were two very different things.
My mind knew what my heart couldn’t comprehend.
“If we do this––”
“All due respect, Waverly, there is no if.” Duncan sat forward, leaning his elbows on the table.
His pale blue eyes bored into me. “I wasn't asking for permission to run the op. I was informing my friend and fellow agent it was happening. Director Ashland put you on the sidelines for a reason. You’re too close.”
Shit and damn.
That was a jagged pill to swallow and Duncan basically forced it down my throat.
“With all due respect to you, Agent Palmer.” Finn mirrored his position. “Nothing happens unless I agree. So if you’d excuse us, Waverly and I need a few minutes alone.”
The chair scraped against the floor as he rose to his feet, extending his hand to me. I took it. There was no hesitation; there never would be where Finn was concerned. Even from that first day on the beach, no matter how hard I tried to deny it, resistance was futile.
He moved with purpose down the long hallway, casually opening my office door, as if his name was on the metal placard instead of mine, then kicked it closed once we were both inside.
With my hand still firmly in his, we maneuvered around the desk to my chair, where he sat before pulling me down on his lap.
With the position, my skirt slid up, exposing more of my thigh than was probably decent, but I was too focused on what Finn was doing to care.
One by one, he removed each of the bobby pins which held my long red locks in a perfect chignon.
He pulled my head to rest over his heartbeat, as his fingers began combing through the strands from root to tip, soothing my nerves with every stroke.
Everything else faded away. It was just him and me.
“If this were any other case, what would you do?”
I sighed. “It’s not that easy, Finn.”
“Nothing ever is.”
“Why do you have to be so logical? It’s really irritating.”
“There she is.” He kissed the top of my head. “Now, what’s really bothering you?”
How could I explain the irrational?
“The day Aunt Carolyn was killed; I was late picking her up. Her death was the catalyst for my twenty-year obsession with being on time. It was the one thing in my life, outside of my job, I had complete control over. Since I met you, my battle with time has changed. Instead of watching the clock tick by, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to slow down the hands.
I don’t want to miss a second of our life together, and what you’re all proposing puts that future in jeopardy.
How could I possibly be okay with that?”
“I’m not asking you to be okay with it. I’m asking for your trust. I’m asking you to trust your people to have our backs. You don’t think I’m terrified? You’ve seen the way I shoot. What if something happened and I couldn’t protect you.”
Despite the heaviness of our conversation, I grinned.
“It’s my job to do the saving, Finn.”
“Bullshit.” He squeezed me tighter against him. “We’re a team. We protect each other.”
“Knock, knock.” Duncan cracked the door open. “Are you decent?”
“It’s my office. Why wouldn’t we be decent?”
“Sound carries in this office. I’ll just leave it at that and wait right here with my eyes closed until I get the answer.”
I couldn’t even find it in myself to be embarrassed. It was hot; the way Finn took me on my desk. Most definitely a repeat-worthy performance, though maybe after-hours next time so no one would hear.
“We’re good. You can come in.”
Duncan entered; his focus directed on the man whose lap I was still seated on.
He didn’t mince words when he said, “You’ve had your few minutes, now I’d like mine.”
Finn stood us both up, touched his lips to my forehead then walked away.
He didn’t make it to the door. Instead, he veered off course to go toe to toe with Duncan.
He was the only man who could, since they both towered over the majority of the population at a cool six foot six.
There were other similarities between them besides height.
Their integrity for one, and their innate protective instincts for another; however, my second-in-command was built like a brick shithouse.
Thankfully, he looked more amused than annoyed.
“Don’t upset her.”
“I don’t intend to.”
That must’ve been good enough for Finn. He glanced over his shoulder, giving me one last once-over, then took his leave. Duncan made himself comfortable in one of the chairs, crossing an ankle over the opposite knee. I closed the distance, lifting myself up to sit on the edge of my desk.
“I was an asshole, Way.”
“You were. You were also right.”
“Still, calling you out in front of the team––”
“Was a dick move, but it’s not like I gave you a choice.”
We had a strict no bullshit policy in our friendship, which translated to our work relationship as well.
In my eyes, being the RAC was simply a title.
We shared the day-to-day responsibilities of running the office, which included pointing out when the other was being difficult.
It’s the reason we worked so well together.
“We can figure something else out.”
“I want this to be over, Duncan. We need to go on the offensive.”
“You sure?”
“Not at all, but I also don’t want to live my life waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
He exhaled loudly. “Okay.” When he didn’t immediately move to leave, I knew there was something else on his mind.
“Spit it out.”
“Love looks good on you. It’s nice to see you’ve finally realized you deserve to be happy.”
“Your day is coming, Duncan. When it does, I’ll remind you of the same.”
“Nah. That ship has already sunk.”
He was tight-lipped about his past, partly due to its classified nature, partly because of the pain those memories caused.
A few years ago, after one too many shots of whiskey, his lips loosened enough to tell me he’d met and lost the love of his life.
I never pushed him about the details, figuring he’d tell me when he was ready.
Maybe that was the wrong decision. It was glaringly obvious he hadn’t moved on.
“Then find a new boat.”
His hearty laugh filled the air. Not the funny, ha-ha kind. No, this had a twinge of defeat laced in the tone. It made me sad and pissed me off in the same breath. Duncan had a huge heart, even if it was meticulously hidden underneath his surly exterior.
“We’re not talking about this right now. Actually, we’re never talking about this.”
He was firm. Too bad for him not only was I determined; I had a secret weapon to combat his battle of wills.
“Never say never, Duncan. You know I have ways of making you spill the beans.”
“Leave Shayne out of it.”
Damn. He knew me too well.
“I’ll make you a deal. We’ll table this discussion”––I scootched forward until my three-inch, black satin Louises touched the floor––“if you promise to keep your mind and your heart open.”
“I’ve never lied to you, Way, and I’m not about to start with a promise I can’t keep.”
“God, you’re infuriating.”
He motioned between us. “Pot meet kettle.”
“Touché.”
He pushed out of the chair, then wrapped me in a hug. It was such an un-Duncan-like move, I froze. After a few moments of awkwardness, I returned his embrace.
“I wasn’t meant for the long haul, Way,” he whispered. “The wife, two-point-five kids, and house with the white picket fence aren’t in the cards for me. I’m okay with that and I need you to be okay with it too.”
If that’s what he needed, I’d give it to him, even though I’d never be all right watching him settle for a life of loneliness.
Call me a sap, but I wanted my two best friends to find the kind of happiness I’d found with Finn.
Shayne was at least open to the possibility.
Duncan was going to be a harder sell. Regardless of what I said next, I wouldn’t give up on him. I couldn’t.