Chapter 3 West
WEST
I looked over the Idaho landscape as the helicopter made its descent into the tiny local airport. It was typically frequented by airplane hobbyists, not choppers. But at least there was a place for us to land.
Morel guided the helicopter to the landing pad with ease and cut the engine. He turned to look at Holt and me. “You sure you don’t want me to stay?”
Holt shook his head. “We need you on prep for the next job.”
What Holt didn’t say was that he needed Morel on prep to make up for us not being in the office.
Holt was a genius when it came to strategy.
He could see all sides of a problem in a split second.
We’d met on a military tour, which meant I’d seen that genius mind in action.
It had saved our asses more times than I could count.
But Holt often came to me for insight on the players.
For as long as I could remember, I’d had an uncanny instinct when it came to people.
Something that let me see possible motivations quicker than others.
Maybe it was my obsession with chess. I could see how people played the game of each scenario we were in.
Morel jerked his head in a nod. “I’ll send you guys everything I put together.”
I met his gaze. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”
He grinned. “You can pay me with a chess training session when you’re back. I really wanna kick Jack’s ass.”
Holt and I chuckled.
I clapped Morel on the shoulder. “You got it.”
Holt and I grabbed our bags and hopped out of the helicopter, carefully avoiding the still spinning blades.
Holt inclined his head toward an SUV. “Looks like that’s our ride.”
We strode across the tarmac, and Holt found the keys on the left rear tire. He shook his head. “Only in a small town.”
It was true. People in Crooked Creek rarely locked their doors or their vehicles. “It’s a whole different world.”
We climbed into the SUV, and Holt started the engine. “Tell me where we’re going.”
I rattled off a series of directions, and he started out.
Holt glanced over at me as we made our way down Range Street. “How’s it feel being back?”
I came back once a year. Every Christmas. I’d fly Dad and Cara out to Portland for Thanksgiving. Every now and then, Cara would convince me to come back for a week during the summer, but my job was demanding, and it was hard to get away.
I scanned the picturesque street with its quaint shops and restaurants, a million memories washing over me. “Good. I miss this place. I love Portland, but there’s nowhere like home.”
Something passed over Holt’s face, an expression that looked a lot like longing, but it was gone before I could be sure.
He made two more turns before pulling into a parking spot in front of a store that sold and rented bikes of all sorts.
Mountain bikes, road bikes, beach cruisers perfect for tourists.
I looked up to the second story, knowing who’d be waiting upstairs.
A zap of energy coursed through me—that thing that had always been there between me and Lex. The one I’d always tried to shove down.
Now, more than ever, I had to lock it up and throw away the key. I needed focus and my head in the game, or I could miss something vital.
“Ready?” Holt asked.
I jerked my head in a nod, not trusting my voice. I slid out of the SUV and started for the stairs on the side of the building. A muscle in my jaw ticked at how exposed they were.
Holt was clearly assessing the same thing because he said, “Not exactly secure.”
“I put in new locks when they moved in here, but they didn’t allow me to do a security system like I wanted to.”
The corner of Holt’s mouth kicked up. “My little sister’s the same way. Hates when me and my brothers interfere in the name of making sure she’s safe.”
I grunted. I knew that all too well.
We climbed the steps in a matter of seconds, and I knocked on the door.
“Coming,” a voice called.
Just the sound of it had everything in me tightening, wanting to lean in, get closer.
The door opened, and Lex’s amber eyes went wide. “West.”
I scowled at her. “You just open the door without asking who’s there?”
She blinked up at me. “It’s the middle of the day.”
“You can get dead in the middle of the day just as easily as at night,” I clipped.
Lex paled, and I wanted to kick myself.
Cara maneuvered Lex out of the way and smacked me, hard. “That is not helping, you overgrown oaf.” Then she pulled me in for a hard hug. “Thanks for coming.”
I dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “Of course.” As I released her, I motioned to the man behind me. “This is my boss, Holt. He’s going to be another set of eyes and ears.”
Cara’s eyes widened as she took him in. “Holy hotness. I bet people are lining up for you to guard their bodies.”
I pinched her side. “Boss, Cara. Rein it in.”
She shrugged. “Just stating a fact.”
“Uh, nice to meet you?” Holt said it like a question.
“Ignore my sister,” I said.
A soft laugh caught on the air, and my gaze instantly sought the source of the sweet sound. Lex grinned at her best friend, but it was as if she could feel my stare because her attention jerked to me, and she froze.
I couldn’t help but drink her in. Long, tanned legs peeked out from cutoff denim shorts. A slouchy shirt exposed one smooth shoulder and a hint of the curves beneath. I swallowed hard. “What are you wearing? It’s October,” I barked.
She flinched, hurt flashing in her eyes. “I run hot.”
She always had. Always one to jump into the lake, even when it was full of snowmelt. Rarely wore a jacket, even when there were feet of snow on the ground.
And I was being an asshole just because I wanted Lex more than my next breath and couldn’t have her.