Page 5 of Harboring Shantae

"Uh ... hey, Trista." Panther looked around the nearly empty plane. "Whatcha doing here?"

Trista didn't technically work for Wes. She didn't work for anyone but herself, really. Although her job lined up directly with what his team did. Bravo Team rescued individuals from human trafficking, and Trista helped them re-acclimate back into their lives.

"Thought I would hitch a ride and spend some time seeing the sights since the hubby was headed out. Not to mention there are several donors I wouldn't mind schmoozing while I'm taking in the sights."

Panther took in Trista's relaxed posture and easy smile, not buying what she was selling the least bit. There was a reason he avoided his team leader's wife. Nothing was what it seemed with her.

He had nothing against her personally. Trista was outspoken, opinionated, and downright funny when she was harassing the other members of his team. But that was exactly why he avoided her. Panther didn't want her sights focused on him. He liked his quiet life, and Trista was everything but that.

Add in that she saw too much, and he had every reason to stay far off her radar.

"That sounds productive."

Considering almost all of Trista's business relied heavily on donations, her excuse was completely plausible. Maybe he lucked out and Trista was just along for the ride. He kept that at the forefront of his mind as he took his seat at the other end of the plane.

"You know, I won't bite." Trista smiled. "And I promise to only talk a little bit."

He didn't believe a word she said. And later, when he had a chance to reflect, he would realize his error when he switched seats. Maybe if he would've stayed where he was, Trista wouldn't have gotten under his skin so much.

Alas, he moved seats, and only five minutes into the air, Trista was already grilling him.

"Who's waiting for you in D.C.?"

He bit back on his molars. He was under no illusion that people didn't know about his letters. His team knew, so there was a good chance Trista was aware. If not from Falcon, then likely Blue mentioned it at some point.

"A friend."

Yes, it was a cryptic answer. No, he didn't think it would stop her from digging deeper. But a man could hope.

"I'm not your enemy, Panther. I know you like to keep things close to the vest, but there's nothing wrong with leaning on your team every now and then. And I've been known to be a good listener and even a friend. You might be surprised how good it feels to broaden your horizons in that department."

He had someone to lean on. Someone he told everything to. Every secret. Every wish. Then, a year ago, she stopped talking to him despite his numerous attempts. Panther wasn't too eager to try and fill that role again. It had been hard enough the first time. The only reason he had done so was because of the anonymity. An in-person friend was not something he was looking for.

"I'll take that into consideration."

He ignored Trista for the rest of the flight, something he would likely get shit about when his team leader heard about it.

Panther didn't hang around to find out once the plane taxied to the private hangar his boss rented. He would worry later about the amount of money his boss was dropping for him. Right now he had a physical address courtesy of Ray, and a woman he needed answers from.

Chapter 3

Shantaekickedherheelsoff before the front door could slam behind her. On a good day, she disliked her job. On a day when every one of her co-workers wanted to stop and congratulate her on her engagement, she hated it.

It reached the point that if one more person had asked about the engagement ring—you know the one she didn't want—then she would be forced to hire her employer for representation. It didn't matter that they didn't practice criminal law. Over a dozen times, she wanted to scream that there would be no ring because there wasn't going to be a wedding.

Of course, that's not what she said because her employer was her father's best friend, and until she had a plan in place, there was no reason to ruffle more feathers. So instead, she smiled and came up with some lame excuse that it wasn't ready yet, but her family was too excited not to share the news. It was complete horseshit, and if anyone bothered to pay her the slightest bit of attention, they would've known that. She did a shit job hiding the scowl and pain in her eyes.

No one noticed though, because like every other part of her life, her job was full of fake people. They weren't congratulating her because they were happy for her. They did it so they could learn the latest piece of gossip.

It was with that solemn thought that Shantae stripped out of her skirt and blouse, and pulled on a pair of baggy sweatpants and an oversized shirt. She was forced to hide the bruises around her wrist at work with a long blouse but she refused to do the same in her own home. It was too hot and no one would be seeing the shame she endured. Besides, she needed the reminder. Every glance further cemented her need to find a way out of her predicament. She needed to plan but first she needed to shake her bad mood.

A glass of wine, Thai food, and trashy television were the only things that could possibly make the night any better.

Or maybe a letter, but considering she checked the P.O. Box before coming home and found it empty, there was no chance of that.

Shantae was just about to order her food when her doorbell rang. She let out a frustrated growl. She just wanted to be left alone. Was that too much to ask?

If it was her parents, they wouldn't stop until she answered. Then they would complain, once again, about how awful of a daughter she was for not giving them a key.In case of an emergency, was their excuse, but she knew better. It was just another way to try and control her. Not giving them a key was the only rebellion she ever allowed herself.