Page 13 of Burning Justice

Maria slung her arm around Mack’s shoulders and tugged him over in a side hug. “Something to text your girl.”

He laughed, but it sounded nervous.

“Maybe later though. When the urge to barf goes away.”

“How’d you know?” He looked up at her, all dark eyes and dark hair. The kid was adorable but would never have made it in the world of international intrigue she’d lived in. Or in the military with his brother and the other Trouble Boys.

“I remember well enough my first few firefights. And I didn’t have a team to back me up.”

Raine said, “Did anyone see who it was on that chopper?”

Maria glanced around. Grizz just shook his head. Behind the burly mountain man, Mitch spoke into the radio, gesturing with one arm.

“I didn’t. Not sure about Hammer.”

“He jumped the berm and ran toward it.” Mack shivered. “Maybe he saw something.”

Grizz lifted his chin. “How about you guys?”

“No sign of my dad in the cabin, but he was there. Kane was grazed but he said he’s fine.” She shrugged, as if it was no big deal. That was how Kane acted about it, so why couldn’t she? “We should get to the fire. Aren’t we supposed to put it out before it can jump the highway?”

She was ready to get this show on the road and all that. Do this teamwork thing she hadn’t signed up for…while the guys shut her out and didn’t let her help them.

Grizz snagged her elbow. “Not so fast, Sanchez. We need to talk.”

She bit her lip where no one would see it.

He tugged her away from the rest of them, back the way they’d all come. “I’m sorry you didn’t find your father.”

She cleared her throat. “It’s been fifteen years. Why would today be the day I got him back?”

“I know what it’s like to lose people.”

She wanted to shrug, but a thing like that wasn’t something you brushed off.

“I know what it’s like to wish you could’ve done more. But all you can do is the next right thing—while you pray that no one else gets hurt before this thing is over.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m not here because I need help. I’m here because the world is in danger, and I’m the one who gets tasked with stopping the threat.”

She managed to turn away before any tears spilled down her cheeks, then found her pack, tucking the book away but keeping Kane’s gun handy.

Maria slung her pack on. “Let’s go fight this fire.”

“Dude, she is so mad at you.” Grizz glanced over. “What did you do?”

Kane winced. “You don’t want to know.”

His side smarted, but it really was only a graze. The problem? Having Sanchez look at it—which would’ve been nice, actually—would’ve led to her seeing all the scars on his back. She knew they were there, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to see them when he was hurt.

“Yeah, I do want to know.”

Kane said, “It’s complicated.”

Grizz chuckled. “Pretty sure I said that to Dani. What I meant was that I didn’t want to talk about it. Turned out she was right about everything. Not that she didn’t have to change. We both did. God had us do the work to take those steps toward each other. Which might mean swallowing your pride and letting her in.”

Kane just kept walking. Ignoring how his pack sat pretty much over the wound on his side. The pain reminded him of the risk inherent in all of this—and also, that he was alive.

“Thanks for the tip.”

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