Page 84 of Red Hunt

Once up at the lodge, Milli and the girls made a big fuss about the puzzle Stevie had finished before making themselves at home in the living room, and I headed down to the war room.

On the surface, this life was exactly what I wanted. Deep down, I was trapped in my very own version of purgatory: having her so close but not being able to touch her.

Us not talking.

My definition of Hell.

“Hey, what did the doc say?” Peaches slapped my back, then handed me a bottle of water from the fridge. “That bad? Does she need surgery?”

Goofy stood up from his desk and joined our little huddle. “I can call Niki, tell her to take care of Milli.”

I shook my head and smiled. “Everything’s fine and healing nicely.”

Peaches exhaled and Goofy nodded.

Lucas, who had been joining us most days, especially with Sharon hanging out with Milli a lot, turned around in his chair, his look incredulous. “Then why doesn’t your voice, or now that I look at it, your ugly face, reflect that fact? You look like someone’s dying and your voice sounds all…choked up.”

I scratched my neck, then took my sweet time unscrewing the bottle of water and taking a couple of sips.

I watched Carter, the only one not scrutinizing me. But only because he was on the phone. Probably talking to one of his old-friends-who-owed-him-a-favor from a never-ending list. Well, all of those old friends who had a connection to or worked for one law enforcement agency or another. Carter really took networking to another level.

Lucas just crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited, his eyes not leaving my face. But what could I say? That I was afraid Milli didn’t want me? That I couldn’t imagine a life without her? All true. Was this how my mother had felt when my father had left her? This all-encompassing agony? This bleak outlook for the future?

“You won’t know if she’ll have you until you lay it all out,” Lucas said.

I nearly choked on my water. How the fuck did he know that’s what was bothering me? I looked around, and Goofy and Peaches nodded, as well.

Hell, did anybody not see right through me?

“I never knew you as a coward, Max. How ’bout you don’t start being one now,” Lucas said, his face grim.

I looked down at my shoes, then up at my friends. They were right. Not talking about the elephant in the room had never been my style. Cowardly waiting for someone else to take the first step wasn’t either. So where did that leave me?

“Guys, I need an SOG meeting first, and afterward, can you all leave and get the women out of this house for the rest of the day?”

Lucas smiled, nodded, and powered down his unit. “I guess this is a partners thing, so I’ll go up, hang out with the women and Stevie for a while.” He slapped my back on his way out the door.

I nodded a silent thank you at him, then looked at Goofy who was already signaling Carter to wrap up his phone call.

Peaches opened the fridge and pulled two more bottles of water out and set them at our makeshift conference table.

We had the official debrief of the incidents at the auction. Richard had been furious with Belinda and Milli. And had even forced Belinda to take a two-week vacation—one of the reasons why she was hanging out with Milli so much. And that had given her time to push Milli to make me suffer.

“What’s on your mind, Max?” Carter had finished his phone call and had settled down at the head of the conference table.

I walked over and took a seat, as did Peaches and Goofy.

“I propose we hire Belinda and Milli to be part of SOG.”

Carter’s eyebrows shot up right before Peaches groaned and Goofy snickered—the whole gamut of reactions to my proposal.

“Why?” Carter looked open to the idea. Interested. Now I just had to plead my case.

“Milli is a whiz at the computer. Both Belinda and she are part of the Greyhounds, so they know their way around all the darknet stuff. Milli’s a fighter and a lot stronger than she thinks she is. I think a bit of formal self-defense training would do her good. But she’s highly motivated, both are very capable, and having women on the team would be an asset for us.”

“Even if she chooses to end things with you?” Carter said.

My stomach plummeted.

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