Page 50 of Target Acquired

The kid’s sarcasm made Cole smile.

Text me when the cops are there and have him in custody. They’ll get there before I can.

10-4.

He and Kenzie walked into the waiting room. The team was there. All except Butler and Buzz. At least Buzz had an excuse.

Greene nodded. “Looking good there, King.”

“Thank you.” She scratched Otis’s ears and the dog leaned against her leg. She glanced at Cole. “At least someone doesn’t mind my gender.”

Her words were low, for his ears only. He felt quite sure he shouldn’t reassure her that he was more than happy with her gender and pressed his lips together to keep the words from slipping out.

Cowboy stood and sauntered over to stand in front of her. “You stitch yourself up?”

She laughed. “No, not this time.”

“This time?” Cowboy looked intrigued, and Cole couldn’t say he blamed him.

“Hey, Kenzie,” Lainie called from the desk. “I have one more paper that needs your signature.”

“Be right back,” Kenzie said and walked over to Lainie.

Butler chose that moment to step through the sliding glass doors.

“Took you long enough,” Cole said.

“What happened?”

“Someone tried to kill King.” Just saying the words burned a path along his tongue.

“No kidding. She okay?”

“She is.”

A smirk pulled at Butler’s lips. “Huh. How about that? I just wanted her off the team. Sounds like someone else wants her off the planet.”

Cole scowled. “Not appropriate, man.”

The others also turned looks of disapproval on their fellow teammate. Behind him, he heard a soft sigh. Kenzie. He turned just as she hid the flash of hurt, but the hard set of her jaw said she was angry too. “Sorry, Kenzie, he didn’t mean that.”

Her anger focused on him. “Don’t apologize for him. That’s not your job.” To the others, she said, “Thanks for coming, guys, but I’m fine.”

Butler looked like he wanted to say something, then snapped his lips shut and cleared his throat. “Um, I gotta go. Rest up, King,” he muttered.

Cole took a deep breath to get himself under control. He couldn’t go after the man and punch him no matter how much he might want to. That wasn’t the way to handle this.

Butler left and the others shuffled out behind him. Cole turned to look at Kenzie, and the haunted look that flashed for a brief second in her eyes made him want to wrap her in his arms. Again.

Figuring that wouldn’t go over well and would be interpreted as another pity cuddle, he curled his fingers into tight fists and released the breath he’d been holding. “Kenzie—” His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket to glance at it. “It’s Micah again,” he said. “The guy left before the cops could get him.”

“Scared him off.”

“Yeah. I’m going to tell him to keep watching the area and let me know if he comes back, but to be careful and definitely don’t approach him or be caught alone with him.” He finished the text and received Micah’s agreement.

Kenzie rubbed a hand over her lips and sighed. “You think he’s behind it?” she asked. “Butler? Could he want me off the team so bad that he’d hire someone to actually put us all in danger to get rid of me? Or am I giving myself too much credit?”

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