“You had Mann dogging me every step of the way, and I let him.” He grimaced as two techs lifted him onto a gurney. “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot him.”
Thomas overheard the exchange, and gave Malachi a thumbs-up.
Harris chuckled. “You knew all along?”
“Of course I knew, but it was your case. I was being courteous.” One of the EMTs instructed everyone to get out of the way, but Mia held onto Malachi’s hand. Harris kept pace as he was wheeled toward the ambulance. “We’ll expect payment for services rendered by closing today. If you have any questions, you can take them up with Josie.”
Harris grinned. “You know the government doesn’t move that fast cutting checks.”
Thomas jogged up then and Malachi halted the EMTs from lifting him into the back. “Thanks, man,” Mann said, and they exchanged a fist bump. “You saved my life.”
“Anytime,” Malachi told him.
“You need anything…” He thumped his own chest. “I’m here for you.”
Malachi fought through the searing heat in his leg and the nausea starting in his gut. “Come to mention it, I do have a personality quiz I need you to fill out for my psych class.”
Thomas looked amused. He wiped blood from his chin and nodded reluctantly. “That wasn’t quite what I was thinking, but okay, throw in a bottle of gin and I’m in.”
“AMASS work?” At the man’s nod, he told him, “You got it.”
Mia attempted to climb in with him. The medic informed her she’d have to drive separately. She glared at the guy. “I’m going with him.”
There was fire in her eyes, but Malachi grabbed her hand. “Go with Harris and the others. Get your sister. She needs you more than I do right now.”
Mia climbed in anyway and kissed him. “Thank you,” she whispered against his lips.
Then she jumped down and was gone.
Twenty-Five
Four days later
Mia’s hearthad stopped when she’d seen Malachi go over the trunk of the limo and land on the ground. She’d had nightmares since then about the ordeal, but her therapist had assured her that was normal. Her subconscious was working through her fear that Malachi had ended up dead, even though he hadn’t.
Thomas had convinced Cooper to allow her to go on the raid and retrieve her sister. The Komosu were holding her at one of their pet supply warehouses. Not only was she rescued, the FBI also confiscated billions of dollars in illegal weapons and the means the Komosu used for laundering the profits made from selling them. The safe held USBs and other incriminating evidence for the chop shop. A two-for-one, Ronnie had called it.
Hugging Amber had been the happiest day of her life. Outside of a few bruises, she was okay. The two of them had rarely been separated since the moment Mia defied Director Dupé’s orders to wait until the medics had checked Amber and declared her healthy before she rushed to her sister’s side.
“Are you going to marry him?” Amber now asked as Mia carried Ladybug up the stairs to the second floor of the university library. The dog had a new vest, her papers tucked neatly inside the pocket.
Mia pinned the phone between her ear and shoulder. She shifted the dog, tucked under one arm, and attempted not to drop the books she’d shoved into her messenger bag, weighing down her other. “That’s rushing it, don’t you think? We haven’t even had a proper date, yet.”
Her sister laughed. “What you have goes way deeper than dating. I saw the way he looked at you when I met him at the hospital.” She was back at work—life went on—but had confessed to Mia she was having trouble sleeping, and when she did, she had nightmares. “That boy is a goner. Life is short, MiMi. Better grab him while you can. He’s a keeper, and you deserve a hero in your life.”
The thought made her warm all over. “I gotta run. I’m at the library. Quiet space and all that.”
“Nice try. Hang up on me and I’ll cancel your ride home.”
Mia sighed softly. “Are you threatening me?”
“Damn right, I am. Malachi passes all my tests with flying colors. In fact, I’m going to give him a key to the city as soon as his doctor releases him. It will be a big event—all the media outlets will be there, and I’ll make sure he’s properly thanked by the whole city. Maybe he’ll pass Dad’s yardstick then.”
If anyone could placate their father, who believed no man was worthy of his daughters, it might be Malachi. “You ran a background check on him, didn’t you?”
“What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t look out for you? I know everything about him, including the kind of socks he buys and his favorite brand of toilet paper. I had to make sure he’s good enough for you, and wouldn’t leave you high and dry.”
Mia smiled. She hit the landing and took a left. “He’s more than good enough.”
