Page 48 of No Bones About It

Knowing Kimi was walking willingly into a volatile situation was terrifying. It reminded him far too sharply of Shaggy heading into situations that could literally blow up in her face. She’d led the team into so many places and had saved so many people.

Kimi wanted to do the same. Take down the bad guys and help the dogs.

He let everyone else focus on the overall mission. His was to keep Kimi safe. Brandon was bringing her a burner cell phone with pre-programmed numbers. Garrett had ensured his number was on it.

He’d also talked Troy into making him a panic button. If Kimi pressed it, it would alert several phones, including Garrett, Marcus, Brandon, and Shirisha.

Then he’d suggested she carry one of her scalpels sewn into the lining of her clothes. The FBI had nixed that one in case they needed to pass through a metal detector.

He paced the cottage while Kimi got herself prepared. The fight was scheduled for eleven in the evening, but the invitation to meet Chuck was for nine-thirty. Apparently, people needed time to study the dogsand their paperwork and statistics. The entire thing made Garrett’s skin itchy, and his stomach roil.

Olaf whined from where he sat on his dog bed in the kitchen, and Garrett forced out a few deep breaths before coming to squat down by the dog. “Sorry, Olaf. You’re picking up on my stress. It’s not about you. I’m worrying about Kimi and what’s going to happen tonight. I’ll be better once it’s over.”

“Me too.” Kimi’s voice had him turning and his jaw dropping.

Kimi was a gorgeous woman. She didn’t wear makeup, and she usually wore jeans and t-shirts with flannel shirts over the top. He loved that look, loved the way they fit her personality and her job. There were no pretensions with Kimi.

Tonight, she wore a silky emerald green tank top that dipped in the front. Low enough to tease while not really showing anything. Her black pants were of the same smooth material. The black jacket she shrugged on was more silk, more sexy.

Sleek, glittery earrings and a matching necklace added to the rich aura. Her hair was sleek and loose. Normally, she wore it in a ponytail, but this reminded him of the way her hair looked when spread out on his pillow.

Her makeup was subtle but changed the impression of her face. Changed the angles of her eyes, made her face rounder, lips poutier. She was Kimi, but nothisKimi. He wanted his Kimi back. “I’ve never taken you on a date.”

Kimi’s eyes widened as she laughed. “Where did that come from?”

Garrett shrugged, unable to process his feelings. He certainly didn’t want to mention that he wanted her face bare and her sexy jeans back on. She needed confidence. “With you all dressed up and fancy, it made me realize I’ve never taken you anywhere fancy.”

Her smile widened. “That’s because I’m not a fancy person, and I’m not a huge fan of getting dressed up.”

“Still, one day, I’m going to arrange a fancy date for us.” Someplace out of town, in an expensive restaurant with slow and sexy dancing followed by a luxurious hotel room.

She rolled her eyes while she laughed. “No need, cowboy. I’m plenty happy with the dates we’ve had.”

Which had him grinning. Not many people would include working with traumatized animals as a date, but they both did.

Maybe now was the right time to tell her he loved her.

A knock on the door and Olaf’s happy bark had him squashing that idea. He waved for Nina and Heath to come on in.

Nina grinned as she entered. “Hey, Olaf. How’s my guy?” Then she dropped to the floor to pet him. The pit bull was slow to trust people, but the teen had won him over easily.

“Thanks for hanging out with the animals for a while.”

Heath grinned, but it was Nina who answered. “It’s going to be fun. We’ll make sure they all get fed and settled for the night for you. And if Olaf wants to have a sleepover with Animosh, he can do that too.”

Then Nina looked up and saw how Kimi was dressed. The girl’s eyes widened, and her head tilted. “Whoa. You look so different. Nice, but different. I thought you guys were helping Marcus with something.”

They hadn’t shared the details with Nina, but he sensed she knew more than anyone had said.

Kimi smiled. “We are. I have to dress like this to do my part. Can’t wait to get back in my jeans.”

Nina nodded. “I bet. Life’s more fun when you don’t have to worry about getting dirty.”

Garrett smiled. “You got that right.”

Kimi ran through the instructions for all the animals again, and then they headed outside. Nina threw a stick for Olaf, who still didn’t understand the game of fetch. Still, he followed the girl and tried to make her smile.

Heath kept his voice low. “You make sure you’re safe out there tonight. After everyone here is settled, the guys and I will head out. I know the FBI is going in first but we’ll be your personal backup.”

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