Risky Love (Dirty Hacker 2)

Ryder stiffened next to him, dragging Rowan out of his thoughts. He focused back on Alex, spotting the shift in her. She sat in a little closer to her monitor, her leg bouncing a mile a minute. He went to take a step forward. Ryder grabbed him and pulled him back, silently shaking his head.

Wait, his firm gaze told Rowan.

So, he did.

Rowan crossed his arms and stared at the back of Alex’s head, knowing she was onto something and feeling the impulse to act. To do something. To do his job and catch the killer.

A minute later, she hit enter on her keyboard and said, “I’ve got him.”

No one moved or said a word. Except for Jeff, he cursed under his breath and stretched, obviously displeased she got a hit first. Rowan realized they’d done this a thousand times before now, and they knew to wait for her to acknowledge them. Rowan wanted to know that too. What made her tick. Christ, what even made her happy.

Alex finally turned around, her eyes bright and alert on Rowan, even if she had to be tired. “Lewis has a storage unit. One that he does not want people to know he has. He buried the storage unit’s existence, along with invoices and such, in an encrypted file. It wasn’t easy for me to get into.” She turned back to her monitor, and soon on the big screens on the wall was an image of the storage units.

Rowan studied the location. “But Mia said she was held underground.” Even as he said it, he realized an obvious truth. “Maybe he’s dug into a sewer system there.”

Alex nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”

Ryder stepped up next to Jeff and said, “Find out everything about that storage unit. I’ll gather the team.” To Rowan and Alex, he said, “You two need a break. Go get something to eat.”

Alex rose, and even Rowan noticed the way she kept her fingers on the table to keep herself steady.

Before she could object, Rowan interjected, “He’s right. We need a break to breathe and refuel.”

Ryder nodded at Rowan, then said to Alex, “I won’t send a team in there unaware. Not up against Lewis, who has every type of security device imaginable at his fingertips. We need to get a good look at this location. I’ll call you when we’re ready to move in.”

Alex resigned herself with a sigh. “All right, a few hours will be good for us.” She pointed at Ryder. “Do not make a move without us.”

Ryder smiled. “I wouldn’t dare think of it.”

“Good,” she said to him. Then she pointed at Jeff. “And you owe me twenty bucks. I expect that when I come back.”

Jeff cursed again and grumbled something incoherent.

Rowan might have laughed if he hadn’t gotten stuck on one thing she said. Do not make a move without us. Not me, but us.

She turned to Rowan and gave him a smile that damn near melted his bones. “Ready, Hawke?”

For what was the question. “I’m always ready, McCoy.”

Her breath hitched at whatever crossed his expression, and her cheeks flushed with color all the way down to her chest.

Rowan took her hand and led her toward the door.

“Get food,” Ryder called after them, voice amused. “Don’t forget that part.”

CHAPTER 7

An hour and a half later, Rowan held the door open for Alex as they left the restaurant, where she’d introduced him to the Joe’s Special. The well-known dish was a staple in San Francisco, consisting of spinach, onions, mushrooms, ground beef, and eggs, and she figured she needed to show him a little of her hometown’s cuisine, like he’d shown her New York City’s crème brûlée danish a few days ago. The bright day caused her to squint as she glanced down at her phone. No text from Ryder. She considered going back to headquarters, but with the sun warming her face and the laughter around her, she knew she needed all this for a little longer. Probably why Ryder sent them out. Too much time in the darkness could suffocate a soul, and everyone needed a break to clear their head, including her. “Where to now?” she asked, turning back to Rowan.

He watched her with those intense eyes of his. “Show me the place that’s most important to you here.”

She nibbled her lip, studying him while the streetcar whizzed by. Maybe he wanted to know more about her, and she realized she wanted that too. Well, minus her home and the command center, there was only one place that meant anything to her in this city. Her childhood home had been bulldozed years back and was now where an apartment building stood. But there was one other place. Her place. Not saying a word, she took his hand and hailed a taxi.

When the taxi stopped next to them, she got in first and called out the address.

As Rowan slipped into the seat next to her, he asked, “Going to tell me where we’re going?”

She shook her head. “You’ll see.”