Decker laughed.
“I guess that’s why people call him Rile.”
“Good point,” said Decker. “Most of the time, I don’t pay much attention to the code names these agencies seem to think are necessary.”
“Both Edge and Grinder are pretty obvious because of their last names, but I’ll admit I was curious about Rile.”
“Now you know,” Decker snarled, which made me laugh.
“Why are we back here?” I asked when he pulled into the garage.
“Because this morning took more out of you than you think it did. And I’m hungry.”
When he came around to my side of the truck and opened my door, I hesitated before getting out. “Why else are we here, Decker?”
He put his hands on my waist and lifted me from the truck, but he didn’t set me on my feet. “Couple of reasons,” he said, capturing my lips with his. “That’s one.”
“And the other?”
“I’ve got some research of my own to do.”
Decker slid me down his body and kissed me again once my feet were on the garage floor. “Come on, baby,” he said, pulling me toward the door to the house. “After we eat, let’s see if we can figure out where ol’ Adler disappeared to.”
Once inside, I washed my hands and then opened the refrigerator. We’d brought so much food back with us from Bluebell Creek, there was plenty to choose from.
While Decker went into the office, I made a charcuterie board with different kinds of cheeses, raspberries, grapes, chunks of pineapple, and dry salami. I turned the oven to warm, wrapped a baguette in a damp towel, and stuck it in for a few minutes.
“Wow,” said Decker when he joined me in the kitchen. “That looks great.”
He got out two plates and set them on the counter along with napkins. When I sat in the stool, he kissed me. “Thank you, Mila.”
I smiled. “You’re welcome, Decker.”
“I can’t decide what I want more, lunch or to keep doing this.” When he kissed me again, I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“This,” I murmured, kissing him back.
He cupped my cheek with his hand and looked into my eyes. “I want you to know how brave I think you are, Mila. I know I don’t have any right to say this, but I’m proud of you.”
“That means a lot to me, Decker.”
He picked up a piece of pineapple and took a bite. “I have a question for you,” he said after he’d taken a seat.
More questions? I braced myself. “Go ahead.”
“How much of this do you want to be involved in?”
“By this, do you mean the work you and your partners are doing?”
Decker put a piece of cheese and salami on a warm slice of bread, took a bite, and then nodded.
“As much as you’ll let me be.” It might be easier if I’d said I didn’t want to be involved in any of it, but Sybil was my sister. I owed it to her to do whatever I could to help figure who killed her and why.
“Are you sure? I warned you that it can get rough.”
“I don’t have anything else to hide, Decker. I told you my biggest fear, and that’s wheth
er or not my father killed the man who attacked me.”