Page 30 of Burning Justice

Sanchez left her door open. “Is there a reason we couldn’t do this back at the base?”

She sounded tired. He wanted to make sure she got sleep tonight, as they’d no doubt get deployed to fight a fire first thing in the morning. But that was the besotted guy talking. Not the operator on a mission.

Even the team guy with a woman he was protecting would ensure they all got enough rest. But that kind of guy wasn’t the one who’d passed up becoming a smokejumper when he’d wanted to—because he knew he could do it. And that he’d like it.

No, the guy who’d stuck with the hotshots again this season had done it for more than just to be around so she was protected.

Saxon folded his arms across his chest. “Talk.”

“I’m not involved with the militia.” Raine sniffed. “I have nothing to do with them or anything they’re doing.”

“But you know them,” Kane said.

Sanchez shifted. As attuned to her as Kane was, he could tell she wanted to ask a question. But she wouldn’t want her friend to think she was targeting her, going on the offensive. Burning their friendship for the sake of the mission.

Raine said, “I wanted to help. That’s all. I didn’t have to take you there tonight, and I was risking plenty bringing you there to look for your father.”

Saxon said, “Why would you believe he was there?”

“Look.” Raine brushed hair back from her face. “I didn’t know if he was there. I just…I didn’t want to go by myself, okay?”

Sanchez said, “You could’ve just told me you wanted a wingman. Or a bodyguard.”

“I know you guys are all about your mission. You don’t need to get involved in mine.”

Kane frowned.

“What mission?” Saxon asked.

Raine shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“You can trust us.” Sanchez eased closer to Kane, standing beside him, shoulder to shoulder.

He wanted to take her hand.

But like everything about their relationship, it wasn’t the time.

“Don’t worry about it,” Raine said. “You guys are, like…saving the world and stuff.”

“We’ll help you as well, if we can. You should know that.” Saxon had that warm tone the ladies liked, but Raine didn’t seem to respond to it.

She just sniffed. “I went to the party to ask my grandfather a question. I got an answer. It isn’t good, but why would I have expected something different?” She shrugged. “Go figure. So now you know. This is my life.” She waved her arms, encompassing the tall pines on both sides of the highway.

No cars. Nothing but an empty road. The scent of fire on the breeze. An orange glow on the mountain to the north, and the sun almost to the horizon even though it was after midnight.

“What did you go there to ask him?” Kane knew Saxon wasn’t going to let this go until he had an answer.

Raine looked away, shaking her head.

Sanchez said, “You know we’re the good guys. You think we’re too busy to help you, but we know how to multitask. You’ve seen it.”

“I’ve been living it for months,” Raine said, the edge of a smile on her lips. She glanced at Sanchez. “Every fire we go fight, you guys are looking for Sanchez’s dad. Or looking for bad guys to fight. Searching for intel. Trying to save the world.”

“Hiding.” Kane had caught the edge of something in her tone and wondered if he could draw it out of her. “Laying low up here in the backcountry. Pretending we aren’t who we really are, because if anyone found out, then we wouldn’t get to do what we need to do.”

Raine said, “I need to fight fire. I know it isn’t enough for you guys. It’s just a distraction. But this is what I love. It’s who I am.”

Kane nodded. “We get it. No one is going to mess this up for you. But we need to know why you went to that party.”

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