Cold Spite (Cold Justice: Most Wanted #5)

Chapter 46

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

C as was on the gun range when his cell vibrated in his pocket. He set down his long gun and moved away to call Killion back.

“How soon can you get to Dulles?”

Cas looked up at the lights of a commercial aircraft as it cruised high overhead leaving chem trails in the dawn sky. “Why?”

“Delilah is booked on a flight to SeaTac in two hours.”

“Dammit.” Emotions rushed through Cas. “Give me a second to collect my weapon, and fill me in as I head back to the compound.”

Cas gained a grim satisfaction from being the last person on board the flight which Killion had had held for him. He’d grabbed a go-bag from work, rushed out of the HRT compound, and borrowed a work vehicle, saying he had to go to Washington for the case. He hadn’t specified which Washington. The fact he’d lied to his bosses, his friends, sent a burning fire of regret through his system.

Hopefully, they never found out. If they did, he might lose his job. He would definitely be disciplined .

And still he couldn’t regret his decision as he slid in beside this woman who never stopped challenging him. “Going somewhere?”

Her lips thinned. “Killion called you.”

The words lit a fuse inside him. “The question is why didn’t you?”

Her eyes sparked with anger, but she kept her voice to a quiet murmur as the cabin crew prepared for takeoff. “I’m a trained professional going to talk to a witness. And we both know the danger is currently in Louisiana.”

Cas glanced at the young woman in the window seat who wore earbuds and had her eyes closed as she leaned against the fuselage.

He kept his voice so low Delilah had to lean toward him to hear. “We don’t know for sure that’s where it is. And,” he interrupted as she opened her mouth to argue, “it seems obvious to me that he isn’t working alone. What did Trainer say when you told him where you were going?”

“He told me he requested that local agents go talk to the ex, but even if they speak to her today, they don’t know what we know. Only the taskforce does, and I don’t think they’re even totally on board that Scanlon is the killer.” She held his gaze, her rich brown eyes earnest. “Trainer cut me off before I could tell him about the kid.”

“So you took it upon yourself?—”

“I already lost my best friend and a dear colleague,” she shot back quietly. “I can’t risk an innocent child dying too.”

“What about your career? Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

Her stare turned stoney. “My career is pretty much the only thing I have left in my life that I value, but I’m not sacrificing a seven-year-old girl for it.”

Her words sliced deep. No. She wouldn’t. Her bravery was one of the reasons he loved her, it was her recklessness that kept him up at night.

“Look, I know it doesn’t make total sense to be the one who talks to her, but no one else seems to be taking the danger seriously.” She softened her tone. Touched his leg. “I appreciate the backup. I’m surprised your bosses allowed you to go so far from base.”

Cas grunted as he pulled out his laptop as they’d reached cruising altitude. “I’m going to dive deeper into those background files Yael sent. Killion arranged a car for us at the other end.”

“He’s a good person.”

“Don’t tell anyone. He’ll be mad if we ruin his image.”

She smiled, and he felt something inside him ease. There was every chance being with Delilah when he should have been at Quantico would cost him his career, the reason he’d told himself he was leaving her five years ago.

And yet, there was no other choice he could make under the circumstances and nowhere he’d rather be.