Explosive Attraction - By Lena Diaz Page 0,41

what they were talking about before she’d gotten distracted. “I’m sorry, what?”

Nick grinned. “Never mind. I was just testing a theory, don’t really have the time anyway. When you see Rafe again, tell him I have to leave earlier than I’d expected, an undercover op. He can leave the car at my house. Another DEA guy will grab it and check it back in. I’ve already got something flashier and a whole lot faster for this assignment.”

“You mean the car we borrowed isn’t yours?” she asked as he rose from his chair.

“Heck no. I was driving it as part of my job. I’m a four-wheel-drive truck kind of guy, like Rafe. Only I’m too smart to ever let him drive my truck.” He pressed a kiss against her cheek, lingering longer than seemed appropriate. “Take care, darlin’. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.” He winked and headed toward the exit.

Smiling at his outrageous behavior, Darby rubbed her cheek. When she looked back toward Buresh’s office, Rafe was staring at her. His jaw was clenched tight. For a moment, Darby wondered if he was angry at her for some reason. But then he turned back toward Buresh.

* * *

RAFE CROSSED HIS ARMS and leaned back in his chair. He shouldn’t be surprised that Darby had fallen for Nick’s charms. Most women did, nothing new there. What was new was that it bothered him, even more than having to sit through Buresh’s scolding.

“What’s it going to take, guys?” Buresh asked. “What’s it going to take to repair this rift between the two of you?” Now that his anger was spent, his face was no longer flushed. It was pale and drawn. He definitely shouldn’t have left the hospital so quickly after what he’d been through.

Jake’s face mirrored the same guilt Rafe was feeling. Rafe stood and crossed to the desk. “Captain, don’t you worry about Jake and me. We don’t have to be friends to work together.”

“Maybe not.” He scrubbed his hands across the stubble on his jaw and let out a long breath. “I give up, for now. I’m going home.” He pointed a finger at Jake. “You need to go home, too. Think really hard about what happened today. The sheriff’s office will have someone over here first thing in the morning to interview you and start their investigation into the shooting. I want this to go smoothly and fast so you can get back to work. And don’t forget to check in with the shrink. Understood?”

Jake gave him a tight nod. “Understood.”

“And, you,” Buresh said, swiveling in his chair to point at Rafe. “I want a full report sitting on my desk when I get here in the morning, including an ID on the dead guy, with a complete background. I want to know why he chose those particular victims, and how he chose them. I want this bomber case wrapped tight and done with so we can get this place back to normal.” He glanced past Rafe, looking through the glass into the squad room. “And escort Dr. Steele home, or to the hospital to see her friend, wherever she wants to go. I’m too tired to ask her more questions right now.”

Buresh stood and grabbed the suit jacket off the back of his chair. His hands shook as he shrugged it on.

“If you want to take a few more days, I can cover things here,” Rafe said.

Jake glanced at him, a look of resentment on his face. He was normally the captain’s go-to guy when the captain was out of the office. But it wasn’t as if Jake could fill in when he was on administrative leave.

“We’ll see how I feel in the morning,” Buresh said. “I might have you drop that report off at my house if I don’t make it in. I’ll let you know.” He sighed heavily. “I’ve got to work with Officer Daniels’s widow to plan the funeral.”

Daniels, the officer who’d been killed at the hospital. This would be the first funeral Rafe had attended since... He shied away from that thought.

Jake followed close on Buresh’s heels out of the office, not giving Rafe a chance to talk to him.

Rafe let out a frustrated breath and strode toward the desk where Darby was sitting. Her green eyes shined out of her pale face, reminding him again of a porcelain doll. And yet, she’d fought like a pit bull to save her friend today. Rafe might not care for the kind of work