was letting Claire and Cooper have some private time.
Neil really needed to get over the fact that Cooper was having sex with Claire.
A noise behind him had him turning in his chair.
“Please tell me you’re not spying on Claire.”
Gwen walked into his office, a knowing smile on her face.
“I’m not spying on Claire.”
Her laughter filled the room as she sat in his lap and blocked his view of his computer. “You’re a bad liar.”
He grinned. “I used to be really good at it.”
The love of his life, his wife, the mother of his children, placed her lips to his forehead. “Why are you worried?”
He removed the glasses he only wore at home and tossed them on his desk. “She was on the case. A key element to how Mykonos went down. Olivia was shot while talking to Leo. I pulled Claire as soon as I realized there was a bigger threat.”
“But you still worry . . .”
Neil squeezed his fingers resting on Gwen’s thigh. “I do.”
“Are you doing everything you can?”
“Yes.”
“Then breathe.”
As if Gwen had the power to flip his switch, Neil found a deep breath and pushed his head into her shoulder.
Every day he was thankful for this woman . . .
The landline on his desk rang.
He ignored it.
Gwen twisted in his arms. “It’s a German number.”
Neil’s hand shot out, put the receiver to his ear. “Hello.”
“A woman matching your description visited today.”
Neil leaned in closer to Gwen. Something, anything, in the form of a lead made him smile.
“What was she looking for?”
The line clicked several times.
“Files that very few know exist. And information about a former classmate she may have had a recent encounter with. Perhaps to thank them for giving her something to remember them by.”
The line went dead.
Olivia is in Germany.
“What is it?” Gwen asked as she took the phone from his fingertips and set it back on the charger.
“That was Charlie at Richter. We have a break.”
“Brilliant.”
He reached for the phone. “I need Claire back in the office . . .”
Gwen snatched the phone out of his hands. “Leave those kids alone. Calling Claire back to the office every time you assume they’re having sex isn’t going to stop them.”
“That is not—”
“What did Charlie tell you?”
“Olivia was at Richter. She wanted access to the files we acquired. To find the person who shot her.”
“Then she knows who did it.”
Neil gently removed the phone from Gwen’s hand. “And since the majority of the files are in German . . . and Claire reads German . . .”
Gwen’s long fingers wrapped around the phone again, slid it away. “Jax reads German. Sasha reads German.”
It was his turn to take the phone.
Gwen held on to it this time.
“But Claire—”
“Is going home after a long day and can help look in the morning.”
A ping on his computer told him that Claire and Cooper had arrived in Tarzana. A quick glance showed him that Jax was still at the office.
Neil loved his smart wife but was sometimes annoyed at how well she knew him. “Fine, I’ll call Sasha.”
Gwen always smiled and sat taller when she got her way. She released the phone. “And Jax . . . I’m sure she won’t mind putting in a few extra hours to start the search.” Gwen removed herself from his lap and rubbed the nonexistent wrinkles from her pants. “Jax is leaving to visit her family soon, right?”
“Next week.”
Gwen leaned down, her lips requesting his. Her kiss was brief, but promising. “Then you might want to start getting used to the idea that Claire and Cooper will have the house all to themselves for a spell.”
She turned to walk away, and Neil delivered a playful pat to her butt.
Gwen jumped, looked over her shoulder. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
Twenty years with the woman, and she could still make him hard with just her words.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The after-school programs at the youth centers meant working late. Fitz was driving him back to the office when Neil called.
“Hey,” Leo answered. Adrenaline zipped up his back anytime Neil reached out.
“Are you in a position to talk?”
Leo glanced at Fitz. “Not really.”
“Call me when you can.”
Oh, no, no, no. “Wait. Tell me.”
Neil paused. “She’s alive. We have a lead.”
That adrenaline swelled and washed over him in relief. “Happy hour sounds great. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.” He ended the call and tried not to smile as brightly as he felt.
“I like happy hour. Where are we going?” Fitz asked.