Page 32 of Burning Justice

How to let the Lord be in control of the future.

“Just don’t make it a painful lesson.”

Kane wasn’t sure his heart could take much more.

Seven

Maria sat on the side of the bed, lacing up her boots. She’d had about half an hour of sleep between their operation last night, wondering about her father, and looking at the computer.

She’d loaded the files from Robert Howards’s computer onto her laptop as soon as they got back to the base, but knowing he was Raine’s grandfather put a different spin on it. She’d never undertaken a mission where the target was someone she knew—or their relative.

Her dad wasn’t a target—as much as some at the CIA wanted to believe otherwise. He was a victim.

“Ready?” Kane stood in the doorway.

“Did the smokejumpers leave already? I heard the plane take off.” She finished lacing her other boot.

“That was them. Hammer is covering for Logan since he’s still in the hospital, but the doctor cleared Orion, so he’s good to go. Orion is back on the team as of today.”

She stood. “I sent Jamie an email, but unless she wants to distract herself from what’s happening, she might not look at it. What’s the latest with Logan?”

“Still undergoing tests.” Kane backed up from the doorway, and she came out, her pack over her shoulder. “Ridge, my cousin in Last Chance County, said Bryce is on his way up here. He’s Logan’s twin.”

He didn’t often talk about his cousin—unless they were alone. “Ridge works on the same vehicle as Bryce at the fire department, right?”

Kane nodded, looking a little pleased. Because she’d remembered?

“It’s not that hard to keep from forgetting details. It’s not a spy thing.”

Kane smiled, about to say something. But that was the gateway to things getting personal, which was the last thing either of them needed.

“We’re late.” Maria waved for him to go ahead. “Let’s go.”

Raine walked out of her room and hurried past them, looking like she’d had about as much sleep as Maria.

Kane and Maria followed her through the living area of the women’s cabin, out onto the porch.

The runway lay east to west, at a slight angle, in front of them. Mess hall and hangars on the far side. Office to the right. RV parking to the left.

She dug the note from her pocket and handed it over as they crossed the grass to the office.

Kane unfolded it and read, “‘I’m sorry. I’m going to fix everything.’”

“It’s his handwriting.” She had the book from that cabin yesterday. “I know it is.”

She wasn’t going to look at the compassion—the pity—on Kane’s face. She didn’t want to see it. Not when everyone who learned what had happened to her felt that way. Until they decided they agreed with the assessment that her dad had somehow planned the attack that’d killed her mother and left Maria orphaned, for all intents and purposes.

“Between that note and the computer files I had to wade through…”

“You didn’t get much sleep.”

But she didn’t want to talk about that. “Why didn’t you take Logan’s place on the smokejumper team? I know you can do it.”

He glanced over. “I love skydiving.”

“So why not sign up for it? Saxon would still be on the hotshot team with me. And besides, I don’t actually need babysitters.” He’d buy that, right? She didn’t like the idea that she’d held him back.

That he’d chosen to give up what he loved because of her.

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