Page 58 of Tabitha

Until silence fills the room.

All eyes latch onto me, various expressions crossing their faces. I shift uncomfortably under the attention, fearing I made a tactical error, and I question the wisdom of telling them the truth.

“You have a secret bunker?” River’s eyes light up like a child on Christmas as he leaves the kitchen without a backward glance, cooking completely forgotten.

Crisis averted.

“We’ve searched the place from top to bottom.” Gage returns to stirring the food, glancing at me curiously. “How did you find it so quickly?”

I tilt my head, setting down the wineglass. “Are you upset that I found the bunker or annoyed that I might have contaminated evidence?”

Gage switches off the burners, removing the pans without speaking. When he turns, he leans his forearms against the counter, his green eyes sharp behind his glasses. “First off, you would never taint evidence. You wouldn’t plant or fabricate evidence, not without being ordered. It would hinder the investigation, and you wouldn’t risk it.”

I stand straighter under his praise, then my shoulders tense, and I wait for him to tear into me. Usually, a person doesn’t give one without the other. “But…”

Something flickers in his eyes, and his face softens. “Did you find anything of interest?”

I nibble on my bottom lip, positive that wasn’t what he was going to say. I’m not used to him being nice. It leaves me flustered, and I shift awkwardly. “Buford is a wily old man. I think he hid information in plain sight. There are dozens of shacks and buildings all over the county I want to check. I suspect we’ll find what we’re searching for in one of them.”

A beat of silence follows. When all the guys turn and glare at me, I have to remind myself to stand my ground. “What?”

“You were going to go off on your own.” Pierce is the first one to speak, sounding more resigned than accusing, yet I can’t get over the impression that I’ve disappointed him in some way.

The accusation makes me feel defensive, and I shrug, not understanding why they’re so pissed. “It’s my job.”

River and Gage exchange a dark look that I can’t decipher, so I turn toward Pierce to translate.

Bast beats him to it. “My men are used to working as a team. Going off alone can get us killed. It’s a risk that we don’t take, not without backup.”

Yearning pierces through me at the way he describes being a part of a team, and I quickly shove that foolishness away. “Sorry, I’m used to working alone on my jobs. I wasn’t aware there were procedures that should be followed.”

The thought of having one or more of the men with me at all times leaves me feeling antsy.

But surprisingly, I don’t find the idea as distasteful as I expected. It actually holds a weird sort of appeal. I fiddle with the bottom of the wineglass, then shrug. “I guess I could learn. If you think it would help the case.”

It’s a concession on my part, so why does my offer feel so awkward?

It’s not like I’m begging to be a part of their stupid team.

I turn away, shaking my head, wishing I never brought it up. “Just forget I said any—”

“Too late!” River says in a sing-song voice, skipping after me. He throws his arms around my shoulder, then spins me until we’re walking back toward the counter. “I claim dibs on being your partner. Now we just need to think of a name for our new squad. I have a few suggestions.”

“Not this again.” Gage groans, turning away to grab the food, while Bast and Pierce start setting the table. He peers at me over his shoulder, smirking a little. “We are HAVOC. The name is more apt now than ever with you on our team.”

Any lingering awkwardness fades at their bantering, and River shoots me a wink. Just as everyone gathers around the table, a boom rocks through the air, the windows rattling and the building shaking under the impact.

Rocky yips, knocking over the kitchen chairs as he scrambles to take cover under the table, the poor puppy reduced to a quivering mass of fur.

I duck, heading for the door, only to have what feels like a herd of elephants stampede over me. I’m taken to the ground, squished under a heavy weight. I turn my head to see all four of the males gathered close, leaving not an inch of me unprotected.

To my shock, Gage reached me first, caging me beneath him.

He threw himself in danger to protect me.

Given what he revealed about his sister, his reaction shouldn’t be surprising.

Maybe I should be annoyed they put themselves in danger to protect me, but it’s actually kind of sweet.

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