Chapter Six

Still wet from his shower, Walker threw on a white T-shirt and jeans. Walking upstream past the late-lunch crowd, he didn’t hold out much hope for this meeting. To avoid the Chads, he set out for the small vegetarian café a couple of blocks from the office.

“Walker Knight?” Surprised by the blond giant who sat at the small table, he took his extended hand and shook it. “Vann Morgan. Not what you expected, huh?”

“I’ve known Eden a long time and you’re not even close,” Walker replied.

Vann gestured for him to take a seat. The table he’d picked sat farthest back from the sidewalk. “I get that a lot.” He chuckled. “Is it the hair?”

“No, the whole Thor-biker vibe is what’s getting me.”

“Would you like something to drink?” A waitress handed them menus.

He’d had no intention of ordering, but he changed his mind once his stomach rumbled. He quickly ran through his options and picked the easiest plant-based dish he could handle. “Can I get a veggie burger and a”—he scanned the beer and found nothing but organic options—“ginger beer, I guess.” Determined to eat healthy for at least one afternoon, he would get a real meal later.

“The same,” Vann said. They handed over their menus and waited for the waitress to leave.

“To save you some time, I’ll tell you that I’m not giving up Ashe,” Walker told him.

“Yeah, I read your file. I didn’t think you would.”

“Ah, that’s right. You’re the head man now.” Walker had nearly forgotten that Vann had inherited the agency. The grandson of the man who’d put the unit together, Eden’s husband appeared too relaxed to have that insane amount of power at his disposal. Of course, none of that meant shit to Walker, since he no longer worked for them.

“J8 burned Eden. I know how you feel. If I were you, I wouldn’t trust us either.”

Once a top agent, now she’d become a liability. She’d been put out to pasture, and for more than four years Eden had landed on the burn list —the worst place for any spy, especially one with kids.

“Then you know how I feel.” Walker never talked about the reason he’d left the agency, and only a very few people knew the actual story. Ashe had brought all of those long-buried memories to the surface.

“Eden wants the lawyer.”

“If your wife can tell me who tried to kill her, then sure.”

“We’re working on it.” Vann reached for the glass of water in front of him and took a drink. “God, that’s awful,” he hissed.

“Tap water in the city sucks.” Walker chuckled. “And no dice on Ashe.”

“How about this…” Vann sat forward in his seat. “I’ll dig into your fiancée’s death. Raven, right? I’ll tell you what I find.”

“And you think that’s going to cut it? I’m supposed to just believe you?” Memories of his past life with Raven flashed in his head. At one time, the Irish sweetie had meant everything to him. He placed the blame on J8. They’d ruined the happily-ever-after dream he’d wanted. The agency claimed someone had killed her, but he didn’t believe them.

“Hey, man, I’m strictly in New York for an environmental convention.” The waitress arrived with their plates. She set their veggie burgers in front of them. “Saving you from having my wife rip your head straight the fuck off is an added bonus.”

While Vann tore into his burger with wolf-type ferocity, Walker noted the savage gleam in his eye. Reassessing his initial impression, he decided the current head honcho of J8 seemed perfect for Eden.

 

* * * *

 

Weather reports claimed an epic storm from the east would hit later in the evening. Around mid-afternoon, a rumble in the sky had shaken the coast. Glad to make it home, Ashe couldn’t get the silly fat suit off fast enough.

As she dumped the tacky monstrosity at the back door, thunder rocked the wood under her feet. She stripped off the rest of her clothes and ran up the stairs. Wind attacked the shutters outside the bedroom windows. Hopping into the shower, she wondered if she’d secured the doors.

As the rain attacked the Cape, water from the shower beat against her skin. She scrubbed the heavy makeup off and worked the suds into her hair.

Somewhere in the house a door slammed shut. Ashe stuck her head out of the shower. “Anybody there?” she asked, that stupid question no assailant answered ever slipping from her mouth. After quickly rinsing the bubbles out of her thick curls, she grabbed a towel off the rack. Other than a few freakishly nosey neighbors, nobody had bothered her. Tiptoeing down the stairs, she stopped at the landing and listened. Other than the soft mewing from the cat she’d stolen, Ashe couldn’t make out anything else.

“Hellooo—”

Someone beat on the front door.

“Sshhh.” A hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her into the corner. She was off her game. She should have heard Walker come into the house. The dark angel towered over her while Ashe’s heart wildly played pinball in her chest.

“Hey, girly, are you okay in there? Do you need any help with the shutters?”

“Tom needs a hobby,” he whispered. “I mean…other than you.”

“Maybe we can catch The Ellen Show to wait out the storm,” the old man hollered through the double doors. “You know, in case it gets worse.”

“I’m guessing Tom’s the scared one,” Walker said.

She couldn’t stop the giggles that attacked her.

“Ssshh,” he warned her, barely choking back a chuckle of his own.

“Okay. Well, if you change your mind, I’ll put the family-sized On-Cor in the oven.” The wood porch creaked under Tom’s feet.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Ashe dissolved into a peal of laughter.

“Crap, that was sad.” The full weight of Walker’s stare remained on her face.

Drop the towel, popped into her head. Even though she was horny beyond belief, the scars on her back that she always hid kept her from performing that provocative act.

Twice he’d encountered her damn near naked and had done nothing. Perhaps he wanted to appear professional, but him being simply not interested seemed closer to the truth. If a thin towel and a crazed thunderstorm didn’t force him to make a move, she’d bet nothing would.

While he dazzled her with his perfect smile, Walker closed the inch of space that stood between them. “Why is there a small, furry mountain lion in the guest bathroom taking a dump?”

Unable to control it, a hard belly laugh shook her whole body. She leaned against the wall to brace herself. “Long story…” She finally petered off, close to tears.

“It’s a good thing I’ve got time.” Walker jerked his thumb toward the chef’s island covered with grocery bags. “Hope you’re hungry.”