“We’re close,” Ellis murmured. “Thanks entirely to you.” He turned to Dutch. “We’d be even closer if you hadn’t been so goddamn trigger happy.”
“Good to see you too, Ellis. How are you feeling? Did the hospital psych ward release you, or did you leave against medical advice?”
“The rumors surrounding my condition were greatly exaggerated. By design.”
“Good to see you, Malin,” said Copeland, who continued inside when Striker motioned him by.
Ranger Messick, Diesel Jacks, and Monk Perrin got out of the same vehicle Striker had. Ranger didn’t look as though he’d been shot the day before either.
“Who else are we waiting for?” asked Striker.
“Mantis and Alegria are right behind us,” Ranger answered.
Malin felt her heart go into her throat. She was already intimidated by the people who were assembled inside, most of whom were considered legends in the intelligence business—Doc Butler, Razor Sharp, and Gunner Godet were thought to be the most effective special forces operatives in the world. But Alegria Mondreau intimidated her more than all the rest combined.
“Would you like to go inside now?” Dutch asked.
“Why? Would you prefer to talk to her alone?”
“Malin…”
“What?”
“I’m asking if you’d like to go inside with me.”
“They’re your closest friends, and you aren’t going to greet them? How odd.” Was he ashamed of her? Did he want them to think his relationship with her was purely professional?
“Come here.” Dutch pulled her next to him and put his arm around her waist.
“There he is,” she heard Mantis Cassman say while holding the SUV door open for Alegria.
The woman was even more beautiful than Malin remembered. Her exit from the vehicle was a lesson in grace. Rather than walking toward her, she appeared to be floating. Damn French. Malin had never liked them.
“It’s nice to see you,” Alegria said directly to her after she and Dutch had hugged.
“And you,” Malin responded while thinking she’d prefer to see a rattlesnake over the woman standing in front of her.
She looked over at Dutch, who was in a serious-looking conversation with Mantis.
“If you’ll excuse me, I was just about to go inside.”
“I’ll join you,” said Alegria in her perfectly irritating, exaggerated French accent.
Once they were inside, Malin made a beeline for Burns, hoping Alegria wouldn’t follow.
“You’ve had some time to think,” murmured Burns when she approached.
Malin looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was in hearing distance. “You’re suggesting I dig deeper into the money trail.”
Burns nodded and smiled.
Malin followed his line of sight which brought her in direct eye contact with Kellen McTiernan.
“There you are,” said Dutch, walking up to join them. “I thought you might like to say hello to Mantis.”
“I can later. I wanted the chance to talk to Burns.”
When Malin turned back around, Burns was nowhere to be seen. “That’s weird,” she muttered. “He was just here.”