Chapter Ninety-Five

After an hour on the road, Colton was still surprised he’d been allowed to come along. Over the last week, Angel had made a few attempts to change the plan, but he’d won every argument.

Not that it was much of an argument. He could see the struggle behind her blue eyes. She wanted him with her. She just didn’t want him in danger. But she couldn’t have one without the other.

In the end, he’d made the decision for her. He just hoped it didn’t end in disaster for either of them.

He knew she was a trained U.S. Deputy Marshal. He knew she could put down a man twice her size. He knew she was a good shot. He was proof that it didn’t matter how big you were when the other person had a gun.

But his heart knew how much he loved her, and how badly he would break if something happened to her.

He reached across the console and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He would keep her safe, even if he had to die doing it.

“Thank you for coming with me,” Angel said, her voice so low he thought he might have imagined it.

He had no choice but to take his eyes off the road to check to see if she was joking, or if he was having auditory hallucinations. Maybe his body wasn’t processing all the adrenaline properly.

“Please don’t say shocking things when I’m driving,” he joked, just in case.

“I mean it.” She looked almost embarrassed. It was adorable.

He shook his head in surprise. “Yes, I could tell how happy you would be to have me along all those times you told me I couldn’t come with you.”

She scowled over at him. “Are you going to let me thank you or not?”

“No. I’m going to thank you, instead.” He glanced over again to see if he’d surprised her.

He had.

“What for?”

“For letting me come with you. For not making me stay at home worrying about you.” He didn’t know how he would have survived that.

She shrugged it off. “Okay.”

“Can I ask you a favor?” he said a few minutes later.

“You can ask.” It didn’t mean she would oblige.

“Please call for backup.” It was a long shot, but he had to try.

From the beginning, she’d insisted on going alone. As much as he didn’t like it, he understood why she might not have wanted to take him. But she’d been reluctant to ask anyone else to help, either.

Despite her claim that it was her own mess so she should fix it, he was certain part of her reluctance was sheer stubbornness and a need to prove she was capable—to herself and everyone else. Colton knew her well, but he couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t moving past that to do the right thing.

She was brilliant. It wasn’t like her to take unnecessary risks. Going in with no backup was a huge risk. The two of them could easily be outnumbered, and this whole plan and their lives would be at stake.

She didn’t even pretend to think about it. “I’m sorry. I can’t ask the team.”

“It would be the smart thing. The safe thing. You don’t have to do everything alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have you.”

She did have him. Did he have her?

“We don’t know how many others this Redgamer3 is bringing with him,” he pointed out.

“I don’t know who I can trust.”

What? This was new. “Not even Dane and Thorne?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Dane has an injury, and I can’t ask Thorne.”

“Why not? You said he was like a father to you. If my father was alive, and I called and asked him to come, he’d be sitting in the back seat right now eating all of our Twizzlers.” He smiled at the thought.

“Thorne’s already done enough for me. I can’t ask him for anything else.”

Ah. So, not about trust.

While Colton wasn’t a father himself, the fathers he knew didn’t put limits on what was asked of them when it came to their children.

He didn’t push her. That wouldn’t get him anywhere. She’d made up her mind, and he should just feel lucky she’d given in and let him come along.

They were silent for a few more miles.

“Would you be interested in joining Task Force Phoenix?” she asked out of nowhere.

His jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. “Are you trying to get me to drive off the road?”

“No.” She laughed. “I’m just thinking you were with the DEA, and there’s no reason why you couldn’t switch agencies, right? We’re down a man since Garrett left. We could use someone dependable.”

All this time, he’d believed he only had one path—hiding. He’d wanted her to come with him into WITSEC. He hadn’t thought about the other way around—going with her.

But…it made perfect sense.

He could see how it might be possible to have everything. He could have her, and a life with excitement, meaning, and purpose.