Page 59 of The Fixer

Reyna took a long sip of her beer, then arched a brow at Jake. “So, Jake, what’s the deal? You’re actually letting yourself relax for once?”

Jake leaned back, his arm draped casually over the back of the booth. “Don’t get used to it,” he said dryly. “But even I know when to let off some steam.”

“About damn time,” Reyna muttered, though her tone was laced with amusement.

Daniels chuckled, his gaze flicking between Reyna and Jake. “You two ever stop bickering, or is this just your default setting?”

Reyna smiled, lifting her glass in a mock toast. “Keeps things interesting.”

Lyndsey watched the exchange with a faint smile, then turned her attention to Daniels. “So, Daniels, is it true you’re the one who kept Jake out of trouble back in the day?”

Daniels laughed, shaking his head. “Other way around, actually. Jake’s the reason I’m still here to tell the tale. Guy’s a pain in the ass, but he’s damn good at what he does.”

“Thanks for the glowing endorsement,” Jake said dryly, though there was a hint of warmth in his tone.

Reyna leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. “Speaking of endorsements, Daniels, when are you going to stop dancing around the obvious and admit you’ve got a thing for me?”

Daniels nearly choked on his beer, his ears turning a faint shade of red. “Excuse me?”

Reyna’s grin was wicked. “You heard me. All those lingering looks, the convenient excuses to hang around Cerberus... you’re not exactly subtle.”

Jake’s laugh rumbled low in his chest, and he raised his glass in mock salute. “About time someone called him out.”

Daniels shot Jake a glare but recovered quickly, his tone dry. “And here I thought FBI agents were supposed to be the interrogators.”

“I’m a woman of many talents,” Reyna quipped, taking another sip of her beer.

Lyndsey couldn’t help but laugh, the stress of the past few days eased slightly. Jake’s hand brushed hers under the table, a subtle but grounding gesture that sent warmth coursing through her.

The waitress returned with their food, and for a while, the conversation shifted to lighter topics. But the undercurrent of danger remained, unspoken but ever-present. As they finished their meal, Jake leaned toward Lyndsey, his voice low.

“You doing okay?” he asked, his dark eyes searching hers.

She nodded, her smile faint but genuine. “Better, thanks to this.” She gestured to the group, the camaraderie that had formed despite the danger.

Jake’s lips curved into a small smile, and he squeezed her hand lightly. “Good. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, Lyndsey.”

Before she could respond, Jake’s phone buzzed on the table, cutting through the moment. He picked it up, his expression darkening as he read the message.

“What is it?” Lyndsey asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Jake glanced at her, then at the others. “Lang just made his next move.”

The table fell silent; whatever peace they’d found in this brief reprieve was gone, replaced by the cold reality of whatever lay ahead.

They finished their burgers, paid the bill, and headed back to Cerberus. The entire team was gathering in the war room. The monitors flickered with surveillance footage, their feeds displaying Lang’s associates scrambling in the wake of the public revelations. Lang himself had gone to ground, but the team knew it was only a matter of time before he struck back.

Jake leaned against the edge of the table, his arms crossed and his dark eyes fixed on the screen that showed Lang’s last known location. He could feel Lyndsey’s presence beside him, her quiet steadfastness a calming force despite the disorder swirling around them.

“Lang’s desperate,” Reyna said, her tone sharp as she scrolled through the latest intel on her tablet. “He’s cornered, which makes him even more dangerous. If he’s going to make a move, it’ll be soon.”

“He won’t go quietly,” Daniels added from across the table, his broad shoulders tense. “Men like him never do.”

Lyndsey’s eyes flicked to Jake. “What if he comes after the research again? Or worse… the people tied to it?”

Jake’s jaw tightened as he met her gaze. “Then we stop him before he gets the chance.”

Reyna’s eyes narrowed as an alert popped up on her screen. “Looks like we’ve got movement. A private jet registered to one of Lang’s shell companies just landed at a small airstrip outside the city.”

---