surprise while I raised a brow at him. “Has the decision been made, then? We’re back on active duty?”
“No decision yet.” Ice flashed in his eyes as he glared at me. “But you two have a duty, and we need you.”
I hesitated for only a moment before I gave him my answer. “Of course, sir. Happy to help.”
“Same here,” my friend said at my side. His entire posture had changed, his spine straight and his shoulders broad again.
As for me, I suddenly felt like someone had handed my life back to me. Every nerve in my body sparked, and my senses seemed to sharpen. It was like things had been fuzzy after our last mission, and now that we were being sent on another, everything was coming back into sharp focus.
My heartbeat even slowed despite the adrenaline coursing through my system. There was nothing like receiving these orders, but in the back of my mind, I knew it was irregular to be sent out when we’d been specifically told we’d been grounded.
Nothing in the lieutenant’s hard stare gave any indication of something being amiss, though. Except for the pallor of his skin, he looked as serious and determined as ever.
Hell, maybe he wasn’t even pale. He hadn’t been on suspension, after all. It was entirely possible I’d just been spending too much time on the beach.
Golden skin might just have become the new normal for me. Who knew?
The lieutenant held my gaze for another moment before he gave me a sharp nod. “There’s a plane waiting for you on the tarmac. Suit up, boys. It’s time to get your heads back in the game.”
Eden grinned wide, snapping his fingers to his forehead and waiting for me to do the same before we left the office. Once it was just the two of us striding down the hallway, he turned to me without breaking step.
“I guess this means we’re back, baby.” He lifted his hand for a high-five.
I slapped his palm, but something about this still didn’t feel right to me.
Going on a mission and the sense of purpose was every bit as fucking awesome as always, but there was a pricking in my gut I kept coming back to. However much I was seesawing between exhilaration and trepidation, I knew the lieutenant had been right about one thing.
We were about to board a plane. I needed to get my head in the game.
Eden and I both kept go-bags ready. It took us no more than a few minutes to collect them before we were off to the tarmac.
With black bags slung over our shoulders, we approached the waiting plane. The lieutenant was there waiting for us, aviator sunglasses covering his eyes.
He pressed a thick finger to my chest when we came to a standstill in front of him. “You’re in charge, Dobbs. I’ll debrief you once you’re in the air.”
My eyes narrowed of their own accord behind my own sunglasses, but I looked him in the part of his eyes I could see and nodded.
Come hell or high water, I’d keep this team safe. Just like I always did. Once we got back, I’d figure out what the hell my gut was feeling so damn uncomfortable about.
Chapter 18
Sofia
Lincoln was being uncharacteristically quiet today. In fact, the last time I’d heard anything from him had been over twenty-four hours ago.
We’d gone for another long walk on the beach after midnight and had only ended up crawling into bed at some godforsaken hour of the morning. As had become usual, he’d dropped me off near my dad’s house and had texted when he’d gotten home.
After that, I hadn’t heard a word. I’d briefly wondered if he was hitting the brakes because of how much time we’d spent together after the failed attempt at attending a beach party but had decided it wasn’t that.
Lincoln was the one who had initiated contact first after that, and after I’d reciprocated, we had fallen into an easy rhythm. I wanted to believe that we knew each other well enough by now that if he had decided to slam on the brakes, he’d have told me.
The only thing that made sense was that he’d gotten caught up in something else, which I was totally fine with. One of my main goals this summer had been to spend some time with my father after his retirement, and I hadn’t done nearly enough of that so far.
It wasn’t only because I’d been spending so much time with Lincoln and