Page 38 of Sighs By the Sea

"I'll chat with Harry, and we'll go," I say quickly. There's little room for hesitation. It's a real chance to help, and I'm not going to let it slip through my fingers. I hurry back to find Harry at his desk, thumbing through old files.

"Cover for me," I say.

"Whoa, girl. I don't think so. Where's Mr. Badboy taking you? A hotel?"

I roll my eyes. Maybe I should think twice about how much I share with my partner from now on. He's way too invested in this thing with Grayson. "San Clemente Island on a lead."

I've already grabbed my purse and am turning when his hand catches mine. "Margaret, hold up a second." I scoff like a teenager, and he chuckles. "Just hear an old man out."

I can't contain my eye roll. "Dad..." I say with a long drawl.

He laughs again. "Margaret Marie, I do love you like a daughter. But I want you to be happy like a friend. I've read his file, and I see the way he watches you. That man is no danger to you. Be careful, but not too careful that you miss out on something. Okay?" I'm too shocked by his words to immediately answer. "Margaret, the court reporter needs a verbal response for the record."

I laugh. "Yeah, Harry. Okay."

With a new spring in my step, I go back out to find Grayson. One of the dispatchers is by his side, obviously trying to get his attention. Grayson has a furrow on his face and is trying to keep his distance, but the dispatcher, or former dispatcher if I have any say in the matter, grabs his hand.

I stomp forward, and Grayson sees me coming. His entire face lights up. God, that smile. It should be labeled as hazardous material. Radioactive even. My stomach does another somersault, but I don't fight it. Harry's small push has done more than I want to admit. He's the closest thing I have to a father, and he's practically shoving me into Grayson's arms.

If that's not a point in Grayson's pro column, I don't know what is. Hell, it's the whole column. Or rather, the excuse I need to open up to the possibilities. But dispatcher bitch-barbi is standing in the way of that. No thanks.

I walk straight to his side and snake an arm around his waist. He tenses at first, then puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Ready?" I ask, looking up at him.

"I suppose I am. Theresa, nice to meet you," he says.

The woman glares at us both before turning around to leave.

Leaning close to me, he whispers, "Detective, I do believe you've made your first save of the day. I owe you my life."

"Gray, please call me Maggie. You're here, and we're working together. Get over it."

He holds open the door, careful to keep one hand still around me, and laughs. "Maggie." The word settles in my stomach like a glass of warm milk. As soon as he says it, I realize how much I want to hear it.

Leading me straight to a parked sedan, he opens the passenger side door for me.

"Thank you kindly, Mr. Cardenas."

He slides into the driver's side and starts it up. Though George is gone, I see that the car seat is still buckled in the back. My heart gives a little pang at the thought.

No. I won't dwell on the misery the man is sure to be going through. I'm focused on the job. Grayson needs me to find these assholes and arrest them. Then, he can get Georgie back home where he belongs.

Grayson

Both hands are firmly planted on the wheel as we drive down the freeway. Thankfully, most of the traffic has dissipated since it's around noon. We're making good time.

After eating her donut and teasing me with the carrot—oddly arousing, by the way—Maggie starts making calls. She sounds so professional on the phone, but I'm still finding it hard not to picture her in those Spiderman pajamas. I wonder if she had to special order them? I mean, stores don't typically have adult sizes for such childish clothing.

A grin tugs at the corners of my mouth when she finally hangs up her last call. She tosses the phone onto the floor and huffs out a long breath. "You know, I hate doing that. You owe me."

"For doing your job?" I tease. She shoves at my bicep with a grin.

"Yes. It was awful. Don't make me do it again." She leans her head back on the seat and rubs at her temples like she just solved world hunger. "Harry says the Navy isn’t happy, but they’ll let us on. They also say there’s no way a gang member got onto their base."

"Really? Greg's contact seemed very sure." I'm not sure how he got the information, but it's the FBI. I'll trust their judgment in this regard. Finding people is something they excel at, getting them into prison, not so much. They followed our family around for years before I finally gave them what they needed. If Maggie was in charge, she probably would have had me booked a decade sooner.

"They said there’s a safe zone. No personal watercraft can get within a couple of miles of the island. They'd be shot on sight."

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