Page 56 of Critical Doubt

"True."

"Why don't you sit down?"

He moved over to the table and took the chair across from her, leaving his sandwich untouched, as he thought about the terrible news she'd delivered right before he'd flipped out, right before she'd distracted him with a kiss. It was amazing how quickly she'd driven everything else out of his head. "Where did they find Todd?" he asked.

"I don't know. I didn't even ask Abby. She was really upset."

"I'm sure she's devastated."

He felt a wave of anger and sadness run through him. "I knew it was coming, but I just hoped…"

"So did I," she said, meeting his gaze. "We're going to find out what happened, Ryker. And now, more than ever, we need to go to DC and warn the other two guys that they could be in danger."

He nodded. "I still have their numbers. I can text them both now."

She stopped him as he pulled out his phone. "You can't use your phone from here, remember?"

"Right."

"You can use my burner phone."

"I don't know their numbers off the top of my head."

"We'll talk to them tomorrow."

"I hope that's not too late," he said grimly. "I might have let Paul and Todd down, but I won't make the same mistake with Hank and Mason. I have to save the rest of my team, even if it's the last thing I do."

"Let's not make it the last thing. And let's do it together."

"This isn't your fight, Savannah."

"Yes, it is. You're in it for the guys; I'm in it for Abby. If Paul was killed, I need to get justice for her and for Tyler and also for Paul. Plus, you need me. I have resources you don't have. I know you don't like to have help, but you're getting mine, whether you want it or not. Otherwise, we'll both be chasing down the same guys separately and that won't be efficient. You understand the benefit of a team, a partnership. Don't try to shut me out." She picked up a fry and popped it into her mouth. "And you should really eat. We may have some long days ahead of us."

He wanted to tell her he didn't need her help, but he did, and not just because she was an agent. She somehow brought him peace when no one else could. But she could be in danger if she stayed with him, and he didn't trust himself to be able to protect her. On the other hand, she could probably protect herself.

He picked up his turkey sandwich. He wasn't really hungry, but he needed to eat. He needed to be ready for whatever was coming next, and he was quite certain there was something else coming. He just hoped they could figure out what that something was before someone else got hurt.

"I love room service," Savannah said, a short time later, as she finished the last bite of pie, which he had insisted she take. "I don't know why, but it always feels so decadent to have someone deliver food to your room. Of course, my father would say that having room service is about as lazy as anyone can get."

"Well, he's not here, so you don't have to feel guilty."

"Oh, I don't. I feel great." Her expression suddenly shifted. "Now, I feel guilty for saying I feel great after what we learned about Todd."

"You shouldn't. I know you care. In fact, you probably care too much about someone you didn't know that well."

"I didn't know Todd well, but I know how important he was to Abby and Paul, especially Paul. And I was close to Paul. He and Abby started going out our senior year in high school. They were crazy about each other. I wasn't super happy about it at first. I felt like I was losing my best friend to him, but he became a big brother to me, and if it hadn't been for the two of them, I think I might have completely lost it in high school. I was so angry all the time. I hated the pageants by then. Josie was always pissed off at me. My aunt was on me about everything: my skincare, my knowledge of world events, my ability to speak in front of a crowd... You have no idea how much work goes into winning a beauty pageant."

"I really don't. I thought you just had to look good in a bathing suit."

"Even that takes work. And then there were the mind games that I was supposed to play with my fellow competitors. Josie was far better at that part than I was. Anyway, Abby and Paul were what I considered my normal friends. I also liked the way they were together. They had passion, but they were also best friends. I wanted that, too."

"Who was your first love?" he asked curiously.

"Steven Montgomery. He was tall, blond, and the high school quarterback."

"I'm not surprised you got the quarterback."

"I didn't really get him. He was the one who cheated on me."

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