Hello My Angel - Sue Brown Page 0,18
He laughed openly at their horrified expressions.
Rick sprang to his feet. “You didn’t!”
“Aw, they look so sweet,” Josh cooed. “I’m going to show the coffee girls.” He waved at the screen with Rick’s wife’s comments on it.
Rick threw himself in the nearest chair. “I’ll get you back. I don’t know how but I’ll get you, Cooper.”
Josh blew him a kiss. “I’ll get you a cup of tea. Maybe you’ll be less cranky.”
Dave flipped him off and walked toward the bathroom. He nearly crashed into Gil. Josh kindly kept the mocking laughter to a minimum.
“Is he always like this?” Max whispered to Cal.
“Josh? Nah, usually he’s worse.”
Josh scored a mental high five.
Everyone around the table was quiet as Max outlined his theory about Chyna. After he’d finished Josh swore he heard the proverbial pin drop. Finally Cal broke the silence.
“You really think she’s using us to further her ambitions?”
“Why not?” Josh said. “We already know she’s got no scruples. She’ll kill to get what she wants and she doesn’t care how she achieves her end goal.”
“But what is her end goal?” Gil asked. “Running the cartel?”
Cal frowned and chewed on his nail. Josh looked at him.
“You’re the only one with direct experience, Cal. What do you think?”
Cal took time to respond. “I think she’s kidding herself if she thinks the cartel will follow her. I know this family. They’d whore out their own grandmother if it made them money.”
“You think they wouldn’t follow a woman?”
“She’d have to be five times as strong and ruthless as them.”
Josh gave him a wry grin. “She’s nearly brought down a British intelligence agency, Cal. I think she qualifies.”
“We need to talk to Jesse about her,” Cal said.
Rick yawned. “Dave and I still have addresses to look at. Josh, is it okay if we head over your way to look at the vets?”
“Sure. I don’t know what you’re going to find.”
Dave shrugged. “It’s still part of the puzzle. Do you want us to pick anything up from your home?”
“Yeah, that would be great. I’ll make a list for me and Cal.”
“Why don’t you go with them?” Cal suggested. “I want to work with Max for the morning. It’ll do you good to get out.”
Josh chewed on the inside of his lip because on the one hand it was a reasonable suggestion and on the other… Josh knew he was being stupid. “Sure,” he said shortly. He looked at Dave. “Ten minutes?”
“Sounds good to us.”
Josh cleared away the remains of breakfast on the table and shoved his notebook in his jacket pocket.
“What’s the matter, Angel?” Cal rumbled in his ear.
“Nothing.” Josh refused to turn around, but he had no choice. Cal pulled him over to one side.
“Talk to me, Angel. Give me more credit. You’re annoyed about something. Tell me what it is.”
“It feels like you’re getting rid of me.”
Cal frowned. “What the hell makes you think that? I thought you’d like a break. I know you weren’t happy to be left behind last night sorting out the office.”
“And now you’re sending me out to pick up clothes. Is that what I’m going to be? A Boy Friday for the team?”
“You’re the handler. Like Jesse or Dominic.”
Josh raised an eyebrow. “You’d send Dominic to fetch your clothes?”
He grunted at Cal’s silence.
“I don’t know what I can do to make it better,” Cal sighed. “Do you want me to go instead? Hell knows I could do with a shower and fresh clothes.”
“Why can’t we go together? Gil can stay here with Max.”
Cal narrowed his eyes. “Is it Max?”
Josh pressed his lips together, refusing to meet his gaze. “No.”
“It is. You’re jealous of Max.”
It was a good thing Cal kept his voice down or Josh would have killed him. “Maybe.”
Cal chuckled but he gathered Josh into his arms. Josh laid his head on Cal’s shoulder and tried not to feel like an idiot.
“I don’t see anyone except you,” Cal whispered.
Josh pressed a kiss into Cal’s collarbone. “Same.” He raised his head and sighed. “I’d love that shower. I’ll go home and get gear for us. You can take a break when I get back.”
Cal kissed Josh, a hard, unrelenting kiss that left them both panting. When he finally raised his head, he said, “If you get uncertain again, you talk to me, okay?” Josh stared at him, half-hard and wanting more than a goddamn kiss, but Cal repeated “okay?” and he obviously expected an answer.
“Okay. I’m sorry for being so needy.”
“We’re all tired and stressed. Go take a long,