Page 40 of Ace

"Sounds good. Call me back if you need me."

"Thanks, man," I tell him before hanging up.

I completely understand how frustrated Cora is about all of this. I'm accustomed to going days and days during an investigation with no leads or answers, and I'm annoyed as hell that there seems to be nothing viable pointing to the whereabouts of her sister.

"Hey," I say when my next call connects.

"That tone tells me you haven't found anything," Kincaid says.

"Nothing," I say, feeling a little guilty that I spent the night drinking champagne and talking to Cora rather than working. "Max suggested getting Blackbridge involved, but I don't know if that's such a great idea."

There's a beat of silence, and it makes me wonder how Kincaid is trying to formulate his response so it leads me in the direction he wants me to go without insisting on it. The man has always been very persuasive.

"I know for a fact he doesn't always operate within legal means for obtaining his information."

"He's very good at what he does," Kincaid interjects.

"If we got information that leads somewhere and then it'scalled into question during trial—"

"You've got to stop thinking like ICE and worrying about court cases," he says. "Our goal is to bring people home. We can't go into a case worrying about what happens a year after. Cerberus has always focused on the person needing our help not the indictment of the bad guy."

I know exactly what he's saying. I also know it isn't my call to allow anyone to be sacrificed in order for us to get a horrible person off the streets, but trying to make a good case while also rescuing those that need help is just as important so further victims aren't created.

"This isn't South America," I argue. "We don't get to just do a raid on a property and kill everyone involved. We have to answer to someone. That's why this branch of Cerberus had to be different if we are going to stay in operation."

"I like your use of we," he says. "You've always been Cerberus, Eddie."

"Slip of the tongue," I mutter.

"Breakfast hasn't gotten here yet?"

I lift my eyes as Cora walks into the room.

"Who's that?" Kincaid asks, and like someone doing something wrong, I get nervous.

"No one. I'll call you later."

I hang up the phone but not before his chuckle makes it through the line.

I can only imagine what the man thinks is going on here, and it wouldn't lean toward the innocuous night Cora and I had last night.

I don't know why I opted to hang up rather than explain what happened last night, but I know without a doubt, he'll give me shit about it the next time we speak.

"I've got to go,"I tell her, sitting back on the sofa and pulling on my shoes.

"Breakfast is on the way," she argues.

"This wasn't a social call," I remind her. "I've already wasted enough time."

I feel like a complete asshole when I look up at her and watch her face fall before she schools it back into something that would pass the scrutiny of the press. The woman is a pro at not letting her emotions show, and I can't help but wonder what that toll takes on her mind.

But her issues aren't my issues with the exception of the case I'm working in connection to Sadie Preston.

"I need you to promise me that you'll stay away from Daydreamer's Spa," I say as I stand.

"I'm not leaving town," she counters.

"I'm not asking you to leave town," I say, doing my best to ignore the zing of current that runs through me with knowing she'll be close. "But you can't run around town trying to insert yourself into the investigation either. I can't focus on finding Sadie if I have to worry about you."

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