Chapter 3 #3
“Not yet.” He pushed himself to his feet. Grabbing the near-empty bottle from the small table, he swallowed the rest of his beer in one long gulp. “The cops are convinced it was a random drive-by.”
“But you don’t agree.”
“No.” There was no hesitation in his response. “It was a targeted hit. I can feel it in my gut. I just don’t know who gave the order.”
“My money’s on Kozlova. The shooting doesn’t really fit his M.O., but still. Given the timing . . .” Her voice trailed with the accompanying thought.
“Timing, yes,” Rafe agreed. “But why her? If Alexei truly is the one behind Caleb and Sabrina’s deaths, why not come after me directly?”
“Maybe he did.”
Lena’s comment took him aback.
“You think the shooter was aiming at me all along?”
“There’s one way to find out.” She shrugged. “Depending on the angle of the street cams in relation to the shooter, there’s a chance we can use the CCTV footage from outside your building to determine the trajectory of the shot.”
Rafe raked a hand through his short, thick hair, frustrated he’d gotten tunnel-vision where Alice being the killer’s intended target was concerned.
He nodded, following her line of thinking.
“If we have a clear enough vantage point, we can use the angle of the shot to ascertain the shooter’s true target.
My people are already working on getting the CCTV recordings, but they’re going in under the assumption that Alice was the intended target.
Checking for patterns and seeing if the shooter’s car shows up in the area prior to today. ”
Lena was right. A drive-by shooting wasn’t exactly Kozlova’s style, but given the timing of the rest, they’d be fools to rule the estranged terrorist out.
“Good.” She dipped her delicate chin. “The more proof we have, the more ammunition we’ll have to use against these guys when they’re finally caught.”
“We?”
“If I’m right about this and Kozlova is responsible for what happened to your daughter, it’s only a matter of time before he goes after you again.”
“If this was him, he’ll go after you, too.”
Resignation burned brightly behind her stare. “Even more reason to find your shooters sooner rather than later.”
“If we do find the men from today—”
Lena cut him short with a confident, “We will.”
“They won’t be easy to break.”
“Good thing I like a challenge.” Her dark brows waggled up and down.
Rafe filled his lungs with a deep breath before releasing it slowly. “You took a big risk coming here tonight.”
“I had to warn you.” Her expression fell, growing a bit somber. “I already lost two friends, Rafe. I can’t lose you, too.”
His chest grew warm. “You could’ve just called, you know?”
“And miss the chance to see that handsome face of yours again?” Lena chuckled. “Come on, Brit. What do you say?” She offered her outstretched hand with a smile. “Wanna help me stop this prick once and for all?”
He glanced down before sliding his palm against hers. A familiar shock of electricity raced up the length of his arm as he gave her hand a gentle but firm shake. Their gazes held steady, and for a moment neither attempted to pull away.
Her fingers curled around his. “Partners?”
“Partners,” Rafe rumbled low. “And thank you.”
“For what?”
“You didn’t have to come here and warn me, but you did.”
A light hue of crimson crept into her cheeks, but as usual, the tough-as-nails woman played it off.
“Eh, it’s nothing. Besides, I told you a long time ago, I’d always have your six. And it’s not like that promise came with an expiration date.” She pulled her hand free and turned for the door.
Rafe looked down at his empty palm as she walked away from where he stood. The void left in the wake of her touch felt almost ominous, as if he wasn’t supposed to let her go.
“I’ll get out of your hair so you can get some sleep,” Lena spoke up again as she moved farther away. “We can reconnect tomorrow. I’m assuming you’ll want to stop by the hospital to see your daughter?”
“I plan on going there first thing in the morning,” Rafe confirmed. Stop her. “Where are you staying tonight?”
Lena stopped near the door and turned back to him. “I’m not sure yet. Any suggestions?”
With me.
“Stay here.”
A bark of laughter fell from her tempting lips. “Thanks, but you have enough on your plate without having to play host to someone who showed up uninvited and unannounced.”
“There’s plenty of room, and to be honest, I’ll sleep a whole lot better knowing you’re here.”
“Why?” She watched him closely. “So you can keep an eye on the government spy?”
Rafe shook his head slowly, his eyes becoming locked with hers. “So I can keep you safe.”
Lena blinked. “That’s sweet, but you do know I can take care of myself, right?”
“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should have to.”
Something flashed behind her eyes, but then it was gone. “I guess it’s settled, then. We’ll protect each other until this is over. Just like the old days, yeah?”
“Just like the old days.” Rafe nodded.
Only this time was different. This time, it was personal. For Rafe, Lena, and the entire Tac-Ops team.