Page 2 of Angel's Share

“He nailed it!”

“Y’all did great tonight. Go celebrate with the team. I’ll meet you back at the hotel later.”

“You know you’re always welcome,” Jamie said, snagging his hand. “Everyone is!”

“I’d love to, but I’m headed to the port with Mel and Danny.”

Jamie’s smile dimmed, his fingers tightening around Aidan’s. “What’s going on?”

“Cargo theft.” Aidan kept his own smile in place, unwilling to dampen this win for his husband. “Just want to be sure it gets into the right hands.”

“Matty K?”

Aidan nodded, then flashed his free hand, fingers wide. “And Jazz Hands.”

“Good call.” Chuckling, Jamie pulled Aidan in for a quick but firm kiss. “Ring me if you need anything. And be careful.”

“Always.”

TWO

Aidan snaked his rented Outback through the Port of Long Beach, following Danny’s and Mel’s directions past the shipping terminal with its giant red cranes and through the seemingly endless container terminal, until they finally turned into the Talley Enterprises yard. “How do you keep all the ports straight?” he asked as he pulled in front of the modular office structure. “And where our yard is in each?”

“Muscle memory,” Danny answered with a wink. “And generally making sure our yard is in the same directional quadrant at each port.”

“You picked that up from Dad.”

“I did!”

“There’s also an app for that,” Mel whispered conspiratorially, flashing her phone screen in his direction, before she followed Danny out of the car.

Aidan was glad to see the stress they’d both carried when leaving the arena had been somewhat eased by whatever texts and emails they’d been working through on the car ride over. Hopefully, the angry client was satisfied that they were giving the matter the attention it deserved, including Bureau assistance from Aidan and the other two agents waiting for them outside the office.

Aidan approached the black-haired agent first, arms open wide. “Happy holidays, Matty K!” He ignored the other agent’s rolling dark eyes and yanked him into a hug. “We keep running into each other like this, and a certain ASAC we both know and love is gonna get jealous.” Before landing in Southern California, Agent Matthew Kim had been partnered with Aidan’s ASAC and Jamie’s best friend, Cameron Byrne, when they’d both been assigned to Boston.

Agent Rick Lorton was no stranger either, previously reporting to Aidan in San Francisco. “Rick, it’s been too long,” Aidan said, hand outstretched to the field agent who used to moonlight as a cover model for romance novels to pay his Bay Area bills. Aidan didn’t ask if his current salary was enough to cover LA rent; he wasn’t Rick’s boss any longer. “Wish it were under better circumstances. You both remember Mel and my brother Danny.”

“What can you tell us?” Danny asked once the introductions were over.

“Truck driver had the cargo loaded,” Rick said. “Left the truck running while he hopped out to take a leak in the office.”

Danny wiped a hand down his face. “There are no less than a dozen ‘Avoid Cargo Theft’ signs on the way in here, and he does that?”

“Said there were plenty of people around,” Matt replied. “Even some kids visiting the port on a school trip.”

“Any of whom could be the thief,” Mel said. “Video?”

“As soon as we can wrest it from LBPD.”

“It’s our video.”

Rick held up a hand. “The detective on this case, Berat Namal, is former LAPD commercial crimes. Works for Long Beach now. He’s severely overworked but well-versed in cargo theft. He’s cooperated on all our cases together.”

“He’s also the only one still giving me the time of day on that jewel thief cold case,” Matt said. “I’d like to stay in his good graces in case it ever gets hot again.”

“Fair enough,” Aidan said. “We don’t mean to cause waves.” Matt failed to stifle his laugh. “Got something to say, Matty K?”

“Not as long as you stop using that nickname.”

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