“That’s better.You’re so warm.Like a furnace.”
“I’m always like that—never cold even in the middle of winter.My friends make fun of me for wearing shorts in January.”
“That works out well, because I’m always freezing.”
“I’ll keep you warm.”
She pressed her cold feet to his leg, startling him.Then she laughed, warming him from the inside.He’d wondered for a time if she’d ever laugh again.
“You weren’t kidding.”
“Nope.”To make her point, she moved carefully onto her side and put a freezing hand under his T-shirt.
“Do I need to turn up the heat?”
“Nah, I just need you to warm me up.”
He gazed into her pretty brown eyes.“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere for as long as you want me to keep you warm.”
“That’s apt to be a long time.”
“That works for me.”
Sam was readingthe message from Erica Lucas about Harlowe recognizing Offenbach when Gonzo and Freddie came into her office and closed the door.
“What’re we supposed to be doing now that the FBI has taken over our homicide investigations?”Gonzo asked.
“We can support their efforts by digging into Offenbach.Archie’s girlfriend has identified him as the man who kidnapped and assaulted her.I want to know everything there is to know about what he’s about here and outside of work.Let’s do our usual drill with socials, financials, interviews, etc.”
Cruz nodded.“That’s a good idea.I’m sure the Feds are on that, too, but we may find something they don’t due to our proximity to his colleagues.”
“Exactly.In fact, I fully expect you guys will find something they don’t.Let’s get everyone on that, and while we’re at it, look at Ramsey, too.No detail is too small in either case.I want the full rundown of what they’ve been up to while pretending to be law enforcement officers.”
“On it,” Gonzo said, seeming energized to have a new direction.
While he returned to the pit, Cruz hung back.“Are you okay?”
“Yep.How are you?”
“I’m pissed and sick of the crap around here.Like we don’t have enough to deal with outside this place that we have to be fending off this bullshit, too.”
She appreciated that he was swearing on her behalf.“You’re right.It’s ridiculous and should be the least of our concerns.But that’s not the world we live in, unfortunately.”
“I’m not a fan.”
“Nor am I,” she said, smiling.“The best thing we can do to get through this is to keep our heads down and do the job to the best of our ability.That’s how we win.”
He exhaled a deep breath.“You’re right, as usual.”
“Duh.”
“Had to say that, didn’t you?”
“Gotta keep it real around here.I don’t want you going soft on me.”
He glared at her the way she’d known he would.“It’s actually a relief to me that you’re busting my balls.I’ll really worry if that stops.”
“That’ll never stop.It’s one of my purest sources of daily joy.”
