Page 120 of Ruthless Cross

Maybe it was just as well. He had a ton of work to do to wrap up the case.

But, somehow, he didn't think work would take his mind off Callie. There was too much he still wanted to say to her. Everything felt upended, and he didn't like it.

A small voice inside his head reminded him that he was usually the one who left before the other person was ready, but that didn't make him feel any better.

When he arrived at his building, he pulled into the underground lot, and then headed upstairs.

He was surprised to see Beckett in his office. The ex-Army Ranger was seated in front of his computer, looking decidedly weary, his dark eyes bloodshot, his cheeks scruffy, and his skin pale. He'd been out of touch for almost a week and while Flynn appreciated his dedication to work and his undercover assignment, now he was worried. "You look like shit," he said.

"I feel that way, too," Beck replied. "I've been up for seventy-two hours straight, but it was worth it. We caught the traffickers on Highway 5 outside of Sacramento. Ten young women are now back with their families."

"Good work." He knew how hard Beck and Jax had been working on bringing down a trafficking ring that operated between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. "I didn't realize you and Jax were that close."

"We caught a break. Jax is tying up the loose ends. He'll be back later today." Beck sat back in his chair. "I hear there's been a lot of excitement around here."

"I filled him in," Savannah interjected as she came into the office holding a mug of coffee in one hand and a protein bar in the other. "Not the part about you and Callie, but, you know, the rest of it," she added with a mischievous smile.

Beck raised an eyebrow. "Now that sounds like the part I'm most interested in, Flynn."

"Nothing to say," he replied tersely, kind of wishing there was something to say, which was unusual for him. "I need to get down to the hospital. I just wanted to check in here first. I've been a little out of touch the last few days."

"We're still operating like a well-oiled machine," Savannah said. "Bree and Wyatt are meeting with someone at Vector Air. One of Wyatt's buddies from Novastar is now at Vector and wants to talk to him about a potential problem with a Chinese investor. Caitlyn is still in DC with her family. I'm not sure what Diego is up to, but Lucas is digging into Marcus Vitelli's life to see if we can fill in some of the blanks. By the way, Damon asked that you check in at his office after you see Marcus, and I'd like to tag along to your interview with Vitelli, if you don't mind."

"Absolutely. Get some sleep, Beck."

"I plan on it," Beck replied. "I'll catch up with you later."

As they headed down to the garage, Savannah said, "Sorry, Flynn."

"What are you apologizing for?" he asked, as he flipped the locks on his SUV.

"That crack about Callie. I knew I'd struck a nerve when you got all serious. You never get quiet like that—not about women anyway."

He got into the car, thinking about her comment. "It's fine. I'm just tired."

"For what it's worth, I like her."

He gave her a smile. "I like her, too."

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I have no idea. I've always flown solo. It's what I do best. I also have no idea what she wants."

"Maybe you should find out."

"Maybe." But as he drove onto the freeway, he started thinking that Callie leaving without a word had already told him all he needed to know. "By the way, thanks for keeping things running at the office. I appreciate your support and your backup."

"No problem. That's what we do for each other. One of these days, I'll need your backup, and you'll be there for me."

"I will."

"Callie told me about your dad showing up. That must have been something."

"I can't even describe how it felt to see him again, to talk to him. It almost seems surreal to me."

"He came out of the dark to help you. That's something."

"It doesn't make up for everything he did. But it is something. And he did help me find Callie. He was the one who figured out where she was being held."

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