Page 122 of Last Chance
Brody’s gaze flicked back to the photos. “How long ago were these posted?”
“Two months.”
A soft whistle. “Has Janie seen these?”
“Not yet.”
“I’m curious what she’ll make of the pictures.” He studied Sawyer’s face. “You haven’t slept?”
“No time.”
“Make time. You’ll only get about three hours as it is. Go, Chapman. That’s an order.”
He scowled, but shut down his laptop. Much as he hated to admit it, the short nights of sleep were catching up with him. “Won’t you need help overnight?”
“Jesse will be here in an hour. Logan will stay until Jesse arrives. Go, Sawyer.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sawyer took the stairs two at a time, peered into Janie’s room to make sure she was all right, then got ready for bed. Minutes later, he stretched out on top of the quilt on his bed and dropped into sleep.
An internal alarm woke Sawyer a few minutes before 4:00 and admitted to himself he felt more alert. Hopefully, Janie would be safe soon and the team could rest before Brent sent them out again for another mission.
He splashed cold water on his face and changed clothes. Ready for another day, Sawyer grabbed his laptop and Go bag, and walked into the hall, glancing at Janie’s room. The door was closed, indicating she was awake and preparing for the early morning trek to the shop.
Wishing he could persuade her to avoid the shop wouldn’t change her mind about going. Although Janie had cooperated with his requests to keep her safe, in this one thing, she was immovable. Sawyer didn’t blame her. Natural Bliss was her livelihood, and her staff couldn’t handle everything by themselves long term.
While he admired her work ethic, trouble was coming, and soon. Short of kidnapping Janie and spiriting her away to a deserted island, his only recourse was to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. He prayed the worst wouldn’t have deadly consequences.
Sawyer walked downstairs to the kitchen.
Brody turned and studied him for a moment. He gave a brief nod. “You look better.” He handed Sawyer a mug filled with coffee. “Janie sleep okay?”
“She didn’t leave her room during the night.” If she had, Sawyer would have awakened immediately. “Everything okay overnight?”
“No excitement unless you count a coyote stalking a cat through the neighborhood.”
“Quiet is good.”
“Won’t last. Something’s coming.”
“Yeah.” He booted up his laptop to bring up the picture of Maria with Mystery Man. When the photos loaded, Sawyer studied the photo array he’d cobbled together from images on Maria’s social media pages.
Who was this man? He wasn’t an expert on emotions, but he’d become good at reading people’s expressions while on the job as a cop. Maria Moran wasn’t exchanging pleasantries with a family member or a friend. She loved this man. What did that mean for David?
Nothing good. He wasn’t a fan of Janie’s brother, but he didn’t wish him trouble in his marriage either.
Sawyer left the photos up on the screen and rose to prepare tea for his soon-to-be wife. The thought stole his breath. As soon as Janie was safe, he’d shop for her engagement ring. No way would he deploy again without a ring on her finger, so every man recognized she was taken. He wanted a spectacular engagement ring and wedding band. She deserved the best.
He filled a large mug with water, then searched the tea cabinet for a flavor Janie might enjoy. Sawyer spotted a box of chamomile honey tea. Something soothing and a little sweet to start her day right.
After dumping two bags of tea in the water, he nuked it and found a large travel mug with a lid. When the heating cycle finished, Sawyer set the tea aside to steep. Light footsteps on the stairs heralded Janie’s approach.
She walked into the kitchen and straight into Sawyer’s arms. “Good morning,” she murmured.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He kissed her, mindful of his team leader watching them. “Sleep okay?”
Janie shrugged. “I woke frequently, worrying about David. Have either of you heard how he’s doing?”