agents aboard for backup. I’ll let you walk on and buckle him in, if you like.”
“How are you and I getting back?”
“Military chopper.” Engler smiled slightly. “O’Dell’s private stock. You’re getting the royal treatment.”
“O’Dell’s little joke, giving me the royal treatment to my own firing squad.” Meg mustered up a rough smile. She looked at Rafe for a moment, then walked across and held out her hand. “Well, Mr. Blackhorse, it’s been…instructional. I won’t say it’s been a pleasure, exactly, but I appreciate your help. And I’m sorry about your…arrangement with the other party. Give him my regrets, will you?”
To her surprise, Rafe actually smiled. His hand folded around hers, warm and incredibly gentle. “It has been a pleasure, Special Agent Mary Margaret Kavanagh. Like I said, you’re one of a kind.”
“CIR Specialist Mary Margaret Kavanagh,” Meg said with a sigh. “And I meant what I said about appreciating your help, even if it wasn’t exactly what you intended. I’ll keep all your advice in mind. In case I ever need it again. You ought to think about billing O’Dell for your in-field training services.”
His fingers tightened slightly, encasing hers in gentle warmth. “You take care of yourself, Agent Kavanagh.”
Then he drew his hand from hers slowly, letting his fingers linger on hers for a moment before releasing them completely.
She nodded again, then just smiled and gathered up her suitcase, glancing around the room to make sure she had everything. Carlson was helping Reggie get his things together in the other room, and she could hear them squabbling already.
She walked outside with Engler, taking a deep breath of night air.
“Hey. You. Engler.”
Rafe’s voice caught Engler just as he was opening the door of his rental car for Meg. He stiffened and Meg saw his hand move fractionally toward his weapon.
She looked around sharply. Rafe was just standing there, tall and calm-eyed in the moonlight, hands loose at his sides.
Engler turned slowly. “What?”
“Tell O’Dell she did just fine out here. Handled herself better than most men I’ve seen with twice the training.”
Engler looked as surprised as Meg felt. She stared at Rafe in amazement.
“She stayed one step ahead of me for almost a week, and when I did catch up to her, she drew down on me like an old-timer, cool as water. Tell him that.”
“Yeah, okay.” Engler looked at Meg with renewed respect. “I’ll tell him that.”
Rafe nodded, then touched his forehead in a lazy salute, his eyes holding Meg’s. “S’long, Irish.”
“I…yeah…” she stammered, feeling suddenly flustered for no reason. His gaze was as warmly intimate as a caress, as though they’d been sharing a lot more than barbed threats half the night, and she sensed more than saw Engler look at her curiously. “I, um…so…long.”
“Well, if that doesn’t beat everything.” Carlson had joined them in time to hear the whole exchange and was standing there with his mouth open, watching Rafe stride away. “Meg, you just got a five-star recommendation from a legend! Man, wait’ll O’Dell hears about this!”
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