Were they talking about him? Hutch started to ask but then Kyle reared back and popped him right on the nose. Pain flared, and Hutch felt a momentary nausea as he cradled his nose.
“That’s for getting me arrested, you asshole. And for not trusting me. You lied to me,” Kyle said. “The only reason I’m staying on this assignment is for Noelle. And we’re not friends again.”
Hutch saw the moment Noelle started to reach for him and then pulled back.
“Can we get through this? I’d like to get some rest.” Noelle looked to Kyle like he was going to save her.
“I’ll make sure you get home after this is over,” Kyle promised. “I could use some rest myself.”
She thought Kyle would escort her home and leave him out in the cold? Well, she was wrong. He watched as Kyle led her into the conference room, his mind turning ruthless.
“Don’t kill him,” Tag said, looking down at his nose. “It’s not even broken.”
It was good to know someone didn’t underestimate him.
“Damn, what happened?” Mitchell Bradford walked in the door. “Fuck. That had to be Kyle. He’s psychotic, you know. There’s something wrong with him. From what I can tell he started at least two fights and then told me how fun his night had been.”
“Yeah, the kid’s got issues,” Tag agreed.
“Is this still my op?” Hutch asked.
Tag frowned. “Man, she’s pissed. I don’t know that you want this op anymore.”
“I want it.” And he wanted her.
“All right. How do you want to play this?” Tag asked.
Mitch groaned. “I don’t need to hear this, do I? Because if it involves holding a woman against her will, then I should go back to the dungeon. You know that place where illegal stuff doesn’t happen?”
“You should definitely go.” Because Hutch had no plans to let Noelle ditch him tonight.
Or ever.
* * * *
Noelle had to force herself to sit across from the woman who’d been her first real friend in Dallas. She figured if she could get through that last meeting with Hutch, she could handle one more liar.
“I need you to understand that I never thought you were truly involved in what I believe Jessica Layne is doing.” Cara leaned forward. She sat beside Chris, and Noelle had to admit they made an attractive couple.
“Were you lying about knowing him from before?” Noelle asked the question, the words feeling numb in her mouth. That was a problem because she couldn’t seem to make herself feel anything. She’d watched Kyle hit Hutch and emotion had swelled inside her, and then it had gone out like a flame snuffed.
Maybe she had lied and Hutch had broken her.
Cara stared at her like she didn’t want to answer the question at all. “We were engaged two years ago. I left DPD to join the FBI, and we broke up shortly after that. This assignment was the first time we’d seen each other in a while.”
“Noelle, we never meant to hurt you.” Chris was out of the suit he wore for his cover job. He wore jeans and a T-shirt, his dark hair slicked back. “You unfortunately got caught in the middle of a long-term covert investigation. What happened tonight was not something we were aware of or we would have found a way to shut it down. No one on our team wanted you arrested.”
“Yeah, well, your team needs to do better because we made you the first day we walked in the door.” Kyle settled in beside her.
If that punch had been any indication, Kyle hadn’t been in on Hutch’s plans either. She’d wanted so much to go to Hutch. When he’d wrapped his arms around her, she’d wanted nothing more than to hug him and cry against his shoulder. The impulse had been right there to believe everything he said and let him handle it all.
She couldn’t because letting him handle it had cost her everything.
Why had he downloaded her work?
“You didn’t make anyone.” MaeBe looked up from her laptop. “I did. I remembered you from a conference about a year ago.”
Cara turned his way. “And you didn’t remember the young woman with purple hair and a nose ring?”
Chris shrugged. “She looks like every techie in our department, to tell you the truth. Or CSI. I won’t even go into the women who work in the morgue.”
MaeBe frowned. “I take exception to your attack on my individuality.” She focused her gaze on Noelle. “Are you all right?”