never want to stop.
Step back.
He heeded the warning before he wrapped her in his arms and made a spectacle of them both. “I’ll make my call while you go to the bathroom, and then we can get moving.”
She blinked and managed a forced smile. “Be right back.”
“Careful,” he said under his breath, unable to stop himself.
Her expression darkened, but she turned and walked away, a slight spring in her step as if she truly were on vacation with a lover and enjoying herself.
If only.
Ensuring he was far enough from anyone to be overhead, Todd dialed Kurt.
“Hey, boss,” he said when the man answered, trying to keep his tone light so his bearing would match. “You have a minute?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Got a bit of a problem.” Todd explained the situation, leaving out his growing attraction to Lindsey.
“Jesus.” Kurt was silent for several seconds before releasing a worried sigh. “Okay, for starters, I’ll get Valerie on this crooked sheriff. How else can I help? Do you want me to fly out there? Or send one of the guys?”
Todd’s breath loosened. He’d been with Kurt since the man had opened the doors of Steele Security five years ago. Todd had stuck with him out of loyalty to one of the best men he’d ever known, and the sense of family and team he’d found with the Steele crew after leaving the Air Force. He trusted every one of them to watch his back.
“I don’t think there’s anything y’all can do here right now, but I was hoping you’d know someone who can negotiate our surrender once we find Megan.” Time to play it optimistic. “I have an FBI contact in the Salt Lake City office, but I still want a lawyer before I get in touch.”
Wendy might not be happy to hear from him, but she was the closest thing to an ally he had in law enforcement right now.
“Sure thing. Let me make a few calls.”
“Appreciate it, man.” Todd started to run a hand through his hair and stopped at the feel of the sunscreen residue still stuck to the strands, patting it awkwardly instead. “If something goes wrong—”
“It won’t. We’re going to figure out how to protect you.” Kurt cleared his throat. “But as long as your emergency info is up to date…”
“It is.” The boss knew who to call if Todd were injured or worse, and had a letter for his family in the event of “worse.” At least he’d seen everyone right before leaving for Montana, even if Mom thought he was simply using this trip to work through his anger.
Well, in a roundabout way, wasn’t he?
“You sure you don’t want to turn yourselves in now and let the FBI find Lindsey’s friend?” Kurt asked.
“I’d love nothing more, but I don’t think Megan has that kind of time. We’ve already lost nearly a day. If she dies because we put ourselves first, Lindsey will never forgive herself.” Or Todd.
Kurt went quiet, and he could almost hear his boss—his friend—holding back an admonition about Todd’s own guilty conscience. But, thankfully, Kurt didn’t say it. “Call me anytime. I mean it.”
“I know. Thanks.” Todd squeezed the muscles at the base of his neck. “How’s Jason?”
“Impressing everyone at physical therapy with his rapid recovery.”
Todd smirked. “Or his world-famous abs, more likely.” Jason had been a football player and model in college—before joining the Air Force—and there were people who still remembered him from a long-running underwear ad at least a decade old.
“He’s also wondering why his best friend hasn’t contacted him once.”
Fuck. Todd should be the one learning to walk again. “I sent flowers.”
Kurt wielded the silence like a blade.
“Just tell him I asked, would you? I had some shit to work through even before everything went cattywampus yesterday, but I’m coming back.”
“Valerie mentioned that she’d tracked Pete Lassiter to Montana.”
Todd sighed. He couldn’t even be mad at her for spilling the beans. “And I think he and Megan might be in the same place.”
“Christ. You’re going in with a civilian, without backup. Are you sure that’s wise?”
Definitely not, and they both knew it. Unwise, ill-advised, certainly risky, and the only plan he could come up with that had a chance of finding Megan alive. “Last time I took a backup, I nearly got him killed.”
“And yet he’d do it again. Just like you would for him,” Kurt said, his voice hard and uncompromising. “Would you want him to go off half-cocked on his own like this?”
Shame scorched Todd’s chest. “No.”
To his