Ree stretched her arms as she opened her eyes to the sunlight filling the apartment. The clock on the nightstand said it was already eight o’clock. Pilates was in an hour, which gave her time to grab coffee... Hold on. There was no coffee in the place. The kitchen was empty, and they hadn’t gone out for supplies last night.
There was also no one sleeping beside her. Quint had been an early riser in the cabin, too. She’d conked out before he’d made it out of the bathroom last night. Did the man ever sleep? She hadn’t heard him leave, either. But then, she’d always been a heavy sleeper. Came with being a Sheppard, if she could believe her older brother Shane. But then, he’d also said he hadn’t slept since his three-year-old son had been born. With a new baby in the house, she wasn’t sure how he did it.
Throwing the covers off, Ree slipped out of the comfortable bed in the quiet nook of the apartment. It only took a few steps for the rest of the apartment to be in full view, which she saw as a good sign.
Quint was hunkered over his laptop at the breakfast counter. He glanced over at her. “Good morning.”
“It would be a better morning if I’d stopped off at the store for coffee grinds last night,” she said, half teasing as she made her way to the bathroom. After freshening up and changing into yoga pants and a sports bra with a loose shirt over it, she stepped out almost ready to face the world.
Quint held up a mug.
“What is that?” she asked.
“Maybe you should check for yourself,” he said with a smirk.
Ree wasted no time racing over to him. “Coffee? How?”
“I got up early and didn’t want to disturb you, so I ran to the store,” he said before going back to studying his laptop like he wasn’t a hero. “Made a pot and figured you would want a cup when you got up.”
“You are seriously amazing. You know that, right?” she said.
“If you think that’s impressive, I stopped off for bagels, too.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, which made her laugh. This man was one of the best agents she would ever hope to work with, and he had serious food skills. He’d kept her caffeinated and well fed on the last undercover operation, and here he was doing it again.
She moved around to the other side of the counter. The bag was sitting next to a stainless-steel toaster. What the place lacked in space, it made up for in style. All the appliances were top-of-the-line. In some ways, this kitchen was perfect, because she could literally reach every cabinet in any direction by taking a step to her left or to her right. She would never be accused of being chef material, but if she had to cook, this kitchen would make it easy.
“I never want to have to work with another partner again,” she said as she popped a bagel in the toaster. “Did you eat?”
“All done here,” he said.
“What time did you get up?” She glanced at the sink and saw no dirty dishes.
“Five...give or take,” he admitted, taking a sip of coffee. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Was it because of Mystery Guy?” she asked, blowing on her fresh brew before taking a sip, and enjoying the burn on her throat.
“Partially,” he admitted. “I’m also trying to figure out how to get myself a job where I can be close to you at the bar.”
“I highly doubt we’ll get lucky enough for you to get access to the computers like in the last case, despite our cover,” she said.
“I had the same thought. Except most people aren’t great with computers, so maybe we can find an in for me with someone at the bar,” he said. “There has to be a way.”
“If anyone mentions needing help, you know I’ll mention you,” she said. “I have a feeling that I’m going to be busy all night, though. Did you see how hopping the place was on a Sunday night?”
He nodded.
“Imagine what the weekends must be like,” she said.
“You’re starting on a Monday. Maybe that will give you a chance to get your bearings,” he pointed out.
“What about Randy? Does he have cameras in the place?” she asked.
“He only places them in the back office,” Quint stated.
“Can’t he give you a job?” she asked.
“It’ll be suspicious if a husband-and-wife team show up and suddenly both work for him,” Quint said.
“That’s a good point,” she admitted. “Plus, it isn’t like he’s involved. He’s fully cooperating.”
Quint nodded.
Ree scarfed down the bagel almost the minute it popped up. The warm bread was exactly what she needed to power through a Pilates class with Angie. She polished off her coffee and rinsed out the mug. “Do you think I need to take my own towel?”
“They have some down at the gym,” he informed. “I already checked it out for you.”
“Nice. Thank you,” she said, then realized she didn’t have a yoga mat. “Do they, by chance, have mats downstairs?”
“Yours is rolled up by the door,” he said. “I thought you might need one, so I picked one up while I was out. It’s amazing what you can buy at the corner store in downtown Houston when you’re out at a ridiculous time of the morning.”
She laughed.
“I owe you one,” she said. “Make that two considering you bought bagels and three when you consider the coffee... Hold on a minute. Are you trying to butter me up?” She folded her arms across her chest in a playful move. The case was dangerous and she took her work seriously, but these moments of brevity broke up the tension and allowed for breathing room, which was much needed considering cases extended days and sometimes weeks.
“Consider it a thank-you for taking the case,” he said. The look he gave her said he meant it, too. “I wouldn’t want anyone else having my back right now.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, thinking how nice it was to work together. Could they be partners? Or would his past always keep him at arm’s length?
Her answer came a few seconds later when she felt a wall come up between them. He shifted in his seat and redirected his focus to his laptop, and there was nothing she could do to bring him back. He’d experienced a level of hell she could only imagine in blaming himself for the death of his pregnant partner and best friend. Quint had been set to become the baby’s godfather.
Quint had let his partner talk him into holding off on telling their boss about the pregnancy. Apparently, she’d asked for time so she could deliver the news on her own terms. The baby’s father exited the picture after learning about the kid on the way. Then, during a bust with multiple agencies involved, Tessa was killed by friendly fire. Quint couldn’t stop beating himself up. It was clear that he blamed himself, because he’d said Tessa and her baby would be alive right now if he’d stood his ground. Department policy would have had Tessa assigned to desk duty, and Quint would have gone into the bust alone. That was all true. But the part he was missing was that he couldn’t accept the reality that he wasn’t responsible for other people’s choices. Lack of communication between agencies was responsible for Tessa’s death. It was a harsh reality and serious risk when working with other agencies. Mistakes happened when busts were rushed.
Ree glanced at the time. Eight forty-five. Time to head downstairs to Pilates with Angie.
“I’m going down,” she said to Quint. “Are you coming?”
“I’ll be there in a bit,” he said without looking up from his screen.
Ree grabbed the yoga mat and her key before heading downstairs. She figured getting there early would give her a chance to socialize with others in the building. She pressed the elevator button and waited. It came up quickly and by the time the ding sounded, a door opened behind Ree.
“Hey.” Angie’s perky voice shouldn’t have surprised Ree.
She turned and greeted her neighbor.
“Looks like you’re heading to class,” Angie said, holding up her mat. “Same.”
Angie stepped inside the elevator behind Ree and pulled the rubber band from her wrist before using it to tie her hair back. Had she heard Ree’s door close? Had she been listening for it? Angie was either that nosy or that lonely. Firefighter hours could be to blame, considering they worked several days on and a couple of days off. It was probably great for studying but also most likely made for many dinners for one.
The good news was that Angie could end up being a useful source of information. She seemed about as pure as the driven snow, so Ree didn’t worry about Angie being involved in criminal activity. She might, however, have the scoop on the building.
“How’s studying going?” Ree asked.
Angie exhaled in dramatic fashion. “Hard. It’s hard. I took a practice test last night and got nowhere near the score I need.”
“That’s tough, but at least you have a baseline. Did you at least figure out what you needed to focus on?” Ree asked.
“I did, but this is going to be harder than I thought,” Angie said. She held up her yoga mat. “I’ve taken enough of these classes to become a certified teacher.” She laughed. “If the whole ‘law school’ thing doesn’t work out I could have a real career doing this.”
Angie rolled her eyes and Ree laughed. She was going to like taking class together.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the second floor.
“Wow.” Ree glanced around, taking in the massive glass-enclosed space. “Does the gym take up the whole floor?”
“Yes. It’s great, isn’t it?” Angie said.
“I’m impressed.” Ree walked the circle around the elevator bank, noticing a certain black-haired bartender stretching in one corner.
“Follow me,” Angie said. “We’re early. I’ll take you on the tour.”
“You know, I’m feeling a little stiff after sitting in a truck yesterday during the move. Mind if we tour after class?” Ree asked. “I should probably stretch now.”
QUINT PULLED OUT the tackle box and checked the photos again. There was still no sign of Mystery Guy. Whatever niggled at the back of Quint’s mind frustrated him to no end, since the information was so close but just out of reach. Was it a piece of valuable intel? Was it unrelated and something from a past bust? Was it something that could mean the difference between life and death in this case?
He wasn’t so worried about himself, but Ree’s safety came to mind. What if Quint had knowledge that could end up getting her shot but couldn’t access it until it was too late?
After logging in to the agency database, Quint had spent the morning checking through his old case files and came up short. His mind had always been sharp and his memory had been good as gold. The only explanation for the lapse was stress. So he needed to calm the hell down and get a grip or risk putting them both in more danger. Since that was unacceptable, he opened files from two years ago.
Forty-five minutes later, he realized he was going to miss his workout window if he didn’t get changed and downstairs in five minutes. Ree had left the apartment early, but her class was in full swing by now. He’d heard the neighbor’s door close and voices in the hallway. Angie must have been listening for Ree this morning. The woman was persistent. He would give her that much. Or bored. The second was likely considering the fact that her live-in boyfriend was a firefighter. Their schedules were demanding.
Quint figured Ree already realized how much of an asset Angie could be in learning who was who in the building. A smart, bored young person was a good bridge to the goings-on in the building but, damn, Quint was beginning to feel old. His body definitely screamed at him for being over forty and trying to keep the same muscle-punishing workouts. What could he say? It was hard to dial it down when he was used to breaking a good sweat and lifting a certain number when it came to weights.
He changed into something more suitable for the gym, figuring he could get away with an arms-only workout this morning. The injured ankle excuse would keep him from running in public, which had always been his go-to when he needed to clear his mind for a case. Then there was Tessa. His thoughts could go down a dark path there, especially when images of Tessa in his arms, taking her last breaths, assaulted him. She’d said she was sorry, but he didn’t deserve the apology. In fact, it should have been the reverse. Tessa would be alive today if not for him.
Those thoughts got him moving toward the elevator to check on Ree. She was fully capable of doing her job, an equal in every way that counted. And yet he had to confirm she was okay with his own eyes.
The elevator doors opened almost immediately after he pushed the button. Had someone come to the floor while he was getting dressed? No doors had closed to his knowledge. He noted that he had to be close to the kitchen to hear activity in the hallway.
The ride down stopped at almost every floor and the elevator was jammed full by the time he reached number two.
“Excuse me,” he said, navigating his way as people stepped aside and out to allow him to exit. He thanked them before surveying the area. The glass walls and doors made seeing into the gym easy enough.
He took a few steps and froze. Ree was on what looked like a midclass water break standing to the side of the room with Angie and Lola. Lola made eye contact and he did his best to hide his momentary shock. Did she catch him?