Page 20 of Play the Game

I reached across the table. She pressed cool fingers to my wrist and watched the seconds tick past on her watch.

“Your heart rate is elevated. How are you feeling?”

Stupid. Careless. About to get caught. “I’m fine. I did have an extra cup of coffee this morning, since Jensen and I got up so early to drive back here.”

“Is that all?”

“I’m also dealing with a lot, filling in for Penn, training Kat.”

“Hmm.” She narrowed her eyes. “When you finish your workout this afternoon, add an extra thirty-minute run. It will help manage your stress and your blood pressure.”

“Will do. Is that why you came by?”

She clasped her hands on the table in front of her. “No. As I was saying, about Jensen… Everyone loves him, and I know he’s your best friend. But he’s also a wild card.”

I nodded. “A cowboy.”

“Yes, one that’s usually wrangled by Penn when they go out to set up tech surveillance like you’ll need to do in the next few days.”

I bristled. “You don’t think I can do this job.”

“Iknowyou can do it.”

That surprised me.

“But you might have to be tougher than you want to be sometimes,” she continued. “So, make things easier on yourself when you can.”

I didn’t know if Bond was being intentionally vague or if I was exceptionally slow to pick up her clues after too little sleep. “Meaning?”

“Meaning Jensen’s not the only IT specialist we have, and he would tell you himself, Alder can set up surveillance tech while he monitors the feeds from HQ.”

There was a small pang in my heart at the thought of going back out into the field without Jason. Despite the weirdness between us, I’d been looking forward to more time alone with him. Then again, because of our new circumstances, I’d also been dreading it.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” I said.

Bond nodded as she pushed back her chair and stood. “As logistics lead, TJ will ask for your opinion about assignments. You know your options. Do what you think is best for the team and for your own career. Remember, X is watching.”

I appreciated her warning, but I never forgot that everyone was watching. None of them were worried about my logistics skill set. All of them were second-guessing my leadership capabilities. After Bond left the room, I put my head down on the conference table. I needed a few more hours of sleep, a stiff drink, and a heart-to-heart with my best friend. But before I could have any of those, I had to decide what I was going to recommend to TJ.

* * *

Jason

On Wednesday afternoon,I knocked on the door of the medical bay. I’d put off this reckoning long enough. It was time to face Tam’s boss, staunchest defender, and closest friend, next to me. Somehow, I thought clearing the air with him was an important step to normalizing things with her. I’d come bearing some of Penn’s favorites that I’d whipped up in the kitchen because I’m not an idiot.

He grunted from the other side of the door.

I took it as an invitation and slowly entered the room. “You up for a visitor and maybe some lunch?”

“Jensen, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Or at least your food is. Jesus, that smells amazing. I take it Bond isn’t in the building.”

I shook my head. “Your jailer is officially on a lunch date with her boyfriend, so you have maybe an hour.” I positioned the rolling tray over the bed and set down a kitchen tray with a covered plate on it. I lifted the silver lid.

Penn’s eyes went wide. “Is that a bacon double cheeseburger?”

“Homemade,” I said, “down to spicing the meat and forming the patties myself.”

“And fries. They look like sweet potatoes, not white ones, but I’m so damn sick of Bond’s special healing diet, I don’t even care.” He bit into the burger, and his eyes rolled back a little.

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