Page 6 of Deadly Sins

“You don’t have to solve this on your own. You know that, right? Home electronics aren’t my thing, but spycraft. That’s my jam. I got this.”

No. He didn’t.

She was more grateful for his company than he’d ever know, but she couldn’t allow him to help. That would mean showing him the blackness in her soul.

4

Fenn watched Kate work,her brow furrowed in concentration. The hangar was filled with the sound of metal on metal, the occasional frustrated exclamation from Kate punctuating the air. Fenn leaned against the workbench, his arms crossed, trying to piece together the bits of information she had shared.

But Kate being special ops trained, there weren’t enough crumbs to work with. Yet.

“So, what’s the plan?” he asked, his voice casual.

Kate didn’t look up from her work. “The plan is to remove this part and order a new one.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I got that part. I mean, what’s the plan for dealing with this warning you got?”

She shrugged, her focus still on the task at hand. “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.”

He pushed off the workbench, moving closer to her. “Come on, Kate. This had to come from somewhere. There are only, what, like twelve people in Endurance? It can’t be that hard to figure out who’s behind it.”

She finally looked up, her expression guarded. “It’s not that simple. Just let me handle it, okay?”

He bit back a frustrated sigh. She’d answered a few of his questions, but only enough to make it seem like she was cooperating. The big stuff remained hidden.

She handed him a rag, gesturing to the grease on the floor. “Here, why don’t you clean that up?”

He took the rag, his jaw clenching. It was becoming increasingly obvious that she had no intention of letting him help, not really.

He moved to clean the grease, his mind racing. If Kate wasn’t going to let him in on her plans, he’d just have to conduct his own investigation.

He had spent his entire life being underestimated, people assuming he was nothing more than a pretty face with a quick wit. But he was sharp, observant, and he knew how to get information.

He glanced at Kate, who was now struggling with a particularly stubborn bolt. She was so focused on her task, so determined to handle everything on her own. She probably wouldn’t even notice if he slipped away.

He tossed the rag aside, straightening up. “I’m gonna go grab us some coffee. You want anything else?”

She waved him off, not even looking up. “No, I’m good. Thanks.”

He headed for the door. The bitter cold hit him like a slap in the face as he stepped outside, the wind whipping at his clothes. He pulled his coat tighter around him, his breath forming clouds in the air. He wasn’t a sailor, but he could feel the air pressure dropping. Storm coming.

He plunged out into the dark, sticking to the pools of light shooting down from the outside lights on the buildings. The area was quiet, the icy streets deserted but for a clump of snowmobiles parked in a ragged line near the door to theFrostbite, the combination diner/tavern, AKA the only place to eat in town.

He made his way over, his mind already working on a plan. He’d start with the locals, see if anyone had noticed anything unusual in the past few days. In a place this small, someone was bound to have seen something.

As he pushed open the door, the warm air and the smell of coffee enveloped him. The cozy, rustic atmosphere might have been inviting to most, but Fenn saw it for what it was—a potential gold mine of information, a place where loose lips and lowered inhibitions could lead to the answers he sought.

Aiden Dupuis, the bartender they saw most days during their week here, stood behind the bar. Light glistened off his thick, black hair as he polished glasses. An excellent place to start. Aiden was young and smart and very talkative. And, if Fenn’s intuition was on-track, the guy had military experience. Maybe special ops. Something about the man’s size and quiet confidence seemed familiar.

If they were back in Redemption Creek, Dupuis was the kind of guy Fenn might enjoy hanging out with.

Dupuis looked up, his eyebrows raising in recognition. “Back for more chili?”

Fenn pressed a hand to his stomach. “No can do. Not until dinner, anyway. I could do with a couple coffees to go, though.”

Dupuis nodded and grabbed the pot. “Heard you guys had some trouble with your plane.”

Fenn grinned, leaning against the counter. “Broken strut. Just the ice gods having their fun. We’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

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