Page 55 of Hidden Attraction

Chase’s jaw flexed. He hadn’t wanted to think the commander had sold them out, but in this line of work,trustwas something you earned every damn day.

“Times and terminal logs show exactly when the tampering went down,” Dante continued. “We’re sending the files now, but bottom line—you need to get back to that base. Whoever was assigned to that flight maintenance at the time? That’s your saboteur.”

Chase heard the faint squeak of the floorboards from Alyssa’s footsteps outside the bedroom. His body went taut, instinctively alert even though he knew it was her and they were safe.

“Copy that,” he said into the phone. “We’re moving.”

“Good.” Dante paused.

“What else you got?”

“The spyware on Kennedy’s PC was there before the time of the attack.”

“I figured as much. What’s going on there? Anything I need briefed on?”

Dante grunted. “Same as usual. Digging up dirt, flipping over rocks. Waiting for orders. You’re not missing out on anything here. But hey…be careful. Someone willing to crash a bird full of good men? They’re not gonna play fair.”

The line went dead.

Chase dropped the phone onto the bed, grabbed his shirt, and headed toward the kitchen where Alyssa stood sipping a cup of tea, her hair still messy from sleep but her eyes sharp.

“What was the call about?”

He knew very well that she read his expression without much effort.

“About the chopper crash. We’re going to the base. Now.”

Something flickered between them—unspoken, heavier than before—and for a second he almost reached for her. Almost. But he didn’t. Couldn’t.

There was work, then there was pleasure.

Mission first.

Always.

He found another scooter to rent within a few blocks of the safehouse. The ride to base was unremarkable, Alyssa staying still and silent behind him. Only the occasional tightening of her arms around his waist told him that she was thinking about what they were about to face.

Chase kept scanning the roads, prepared to reach for his weapon tucked in his waistband.

By the time the base gates rose into view, the desert sun was a hammer overhead, baking the asphalt and glaring hotly.

They flashed their clearance at the gate and were waved through, the guards barely sparing a second glance. Another benefit of knowing how to blend into the background.

Chase spotted the base commander near the ops building, barking orders at a pair of MPs. The man turned as they approached, his expression guarded.

“Sir,” Chase greeted, coming to a stop in front of him.

The commander’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Didn’t expect you back so soon.”

Chase didn’t waste time. “We know you weren’t part of the sabotage.”

The commander’s brows lifted, and he folded his arms. “This isn’t the place for that discussion.” Without another word, he performed a sharp turn and walked to the entrance, his strides long and his legs stiff.

Chase traded a look with Alyssa. A worry line settled between her black brows, but she didn’t speak as they followed Thorne inside.

The hallways were busy at this time of day, with the bustle of people performing their daily tasks assigned to them.

He closed the door behind them and turned, arms folded again in that defensive stance. “Let’s pick up where we left off, shall we? You were investigating me in connection to Echo team’s helicopter crash?”

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