Savvy sighed. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, except…” She let her shoulders droop, all that exhaustion finally taking a toll. “We’ve got a serious problem. A group of men showed up at the bar. And they were more interested in shooting rounds than buying them.”
“Are you sure they were people we need to be concerned about?”
Riven laughed, though, none of this was funny. “He said he had a message fromHerrera, so yeah, pretty damn sure I need to worry about them. About this. And they weren’t alone. Had backup, boats, you name it. I’m only alive because McGuire and…” she paused, looked over at Patch, “his teammates jumped in. Helped out.”
Savvy grunted. “I know Patch is sitting there, pretending he’s not, which isn’t important right now. This… Shit.”
“I think we’re way pastshit.” Riven stood, paced the length of the outdated kitchen, then back. “I don’t understand. I haven’t left this damn town. Have only used the secure line you set up to poke around. I don’t know how they found me.”
“The cartel has people everywhere. We knew there was always a chance you’d be spotted, though, it must have been somewhere close. I’ll pull all the camera feeds from the Cypress Cove. Chances are, someone spotted you there, and if they did, I’ll have them on video.”
Savvy paused, another eerie silence filling the room. “I don’t suppose there’s been any other developments since your last report?”
“Only one. I’ve heard chatter that, due to all the hurricane activity along the eastern coast, Herrera’s pushing his sensitive traffic up through New Orleans. If that’s true, his logistic man,El Martillo,willbe relocated nearby to supervise.” She inhaled. “Wait. Now that I think of it, there’s been way more boat traffic through the marina this past week. If any of those are part of Herrera’s operation…”
“That would explain how you were spotted.” A tapping sound echoed over the line, as if Savvy was rapping her fingers on a desk. “What are the chances his guy used one of their shell corporation credit cards?”
Riven smiled. “I’d say pretty damn good. No reason to think anyone around here would have those connections, be able to trace them back.”
A chair scraped back, Savvy’s footsteps coming through next. “Give me several hours to scour the footage, see what I can find. I’ll have Hale give me a hand since he’s already a part of this. I’ll call you back on this phone once I’ve got some news.”
Riven froze, her gaze jumping to McGuire. “So, I’m just supposed to what? Stay with McGuire?”
Savvy snorted. “Despite how scruffy I’m sure he looks and the ever-present depressing funk that exudes from every pore, there’s a reason I put you there. You can trust him, his team, and if he hasn’t lost his edge because of all the heat and humidity, he’s exactly who you need in your corner.”
McGuire grunted, palmed the phone and shifted it closer. “First, I’m not scruffy, nor do I have some kind of funk oozing out of me. The facial hair’s a choice. Second, I’m as sharp as ever, and you damn well know it. And third, while I’m thrilled you two seem to have hatched a plan, I’m still waiting on what the actual fuck is going on?”
He stood, raked a hand through his hair, tousling it about his head in a way that only made the man hotter. Took away any hint of boyish charm and replaced it with a hard-edged wounded warrior vibe that sent shivers down Riven’s back.
He kicked at his chair. “You know how tenuous our position is here. Why on earth would you plant a federal agent — one who’s obviously balls deep in some serious shit — on my doorstep without telling me? And yeah, she’s definitely one of the alphabet agencies.”
Savvy exhaled over the line. “The simple answer? Because you told me to.”
McGuire scoffed. “Come, again?”
“I believe your exact words were… Find her. Keep her safe.”
McGuire scrunched up his face, looked at the phone as if Savvy was the one having a stroke, before his eyes widened, his gaze slowly shifting to Riven. He didn’t say anything, just that intense gaze locked on hers.
Savvy sighed. “I assume your silence means it’s all making sense, now. I’ll leave you two to hash it out, just… Don’t be an ass, and for god’s sake, keep her safe. She’s our link to Langley, and the only one who might be able to give you all your lives back.”
The line disconnected, the weight of Savvy’s words hanging in the air like the humidity — thick, unyielding. Riven shifted on her feet, unsure if she should sit or grab some air on the porch. Maybe take her chances with the damn gators, instead.
Patch rose beside her, hands shoved into his pockets, eyes narrowed. He looked at McGuire, some kind of silent message passing between them before he cleared his throat. “I’ll be in the other room, trying to blend in with the ugly-ass furniture.”
He pushed past them, footsteps hushed against the well-worn wood floors.
McGuire waited until one of the cushions squeaked against Patch’s weight before scrubbing his hand down his face, looking sexy and terrifying all at the same time. “You’re Cinder.”
She swallowed, the heat exponentially hotter than a second ago, then hitched out one hip. “I guess that means you’re jackass.”
“Not exactly the pet name I was hoping for.”
“If the shoe fits…”
He chuckled. “Savvy never told me… I mean, I’d hoped you’d… Shit.”