“So soon?” Elena looked disappointed. “It’s not eventen.”
“I’m an early riser, so this is late for me.” Mia gave Elena another hug. “It’s great to see youagain.”
“It’s good to see you, too. Thanks for coming. I’ll get yourcoat.”
Mia thanked her hosts, accepting hugs from Elena’s mother and a kiss on her cheek from Elena’sfather.
“Thank you so much for what you did for ourdaughter.”
When Elena returned with Mia’s coat, Joaquin took it and helped Mia into it. “I’ll walk you to yourcar.”
She was about to tell him there was no need for that, but the look in his eyes said that would be pointless. “Goodnight, Elena. Welcomehome.”
Joaquin grabbed his jacket and followed her outside, and for a time they walked without speaking. He broke the silence. “Thanks again for coming tonight. I know it meant a lot toElena.”
“I try to stay in touch with all of my soldiers. Well, they’re not really my soldiers, notanymore.”
“Like AndrewMeyer.”
“Yes.” Mia’s moodplummeted.
“I’m really sorry about your friend—and the newsarticle.”
“You just have a job to do. Nothing personal, right?” Mia clicked the fob on her keychain, unlocking her car door, her headlightsflashing.
Was she being unfair to Joaquin? Itwashis job. And shewasa person of interest—at least at the moment. The police would clearher.
He opened the door for her. “I hope you get good newssoon.”
“Thanks.” She stood there for a moment, caught between anger and attraction. “Thanks for the dance lesson,too.”
“My pleasure.” He waited for her to climb in and shut herdoor.
As she drove down the street, she saw in the rearview mirror that he was still standing there, watchingher.
3
Joaquin got to work Monday morning to find Sophie Alton-Hunter, one of the I-Team’s best reporters, at her desk in tears, Alex Carmichael sitting beside her, trying to comfort her, the two of them speakingquietly.
Matt Harker met Joaquin at his desk. “I think the Christmas party might have turned Carmichael into a humanbeing.”
“Yeah?” That was a strangethought.
Then again, ithadbeen one hell of aparty.
Sophie had been struggling since then, and no one who’d been there could blame her. The terrorist leader—thathijueputaMoreno—had held a pistol to her head, threatening to kill her unless her husband turned himself over to his men to be murdered. Marc Hunter, a SWAT officer and certified badass, had put down his weapon and given himself up to save herlife.
“It’s going to be okay, Sophie. You’ll beokay.”
“I love you, Hunt. I am so proud of the man you are. Chase and Addy are going to grow up so proud of theirfather.”
“You’re everything tome.”
Joaquin didn’t think he would ever forget Sophie and Marc saying goodbye to each other before Moreno’s men dragged Hunter away—or the shattered expression on Sophie’s face at the gunshot that hadfollowed.
A person didn’t just get over something likethat.
Joaquin put his camera bag down and booted up his computer, then made his way over to Sophie’s desk. He bent down beside her. “Hey, are youokay?”