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“Fucking hell,” he griped under his breath. Two hands slid beneath my shoulders and lifted, easily helping me clear the center console that was currently acting like Mt. Everest in my climb to the passenger seat.

Car horns blared behind us, followed by cars whipping around, clearly pissed that we weren’t moving at the green light, but Slade ignored it all, helping me maneuver my long legs through the narrow gap until I dropped ungracefully into the seat with a huff, hair tangled and tossed in front of my face.

“I meant for you to open the back door, take the two steps to the front door, and hop in like a sane person, Rain.”

“We were driving,” I grumbled.

“No, we were at a complete stop at a red light.”

“Which almost immediately turned green. I saved myself from becoming roadkill.”

Whispering a string of curses under his breath, Slade reached over my far shoulder and yanked the seat belt down, stretching it across my chest and clicking the latch into place.

“You don’t have to be mad about it,” I stated. “You wanted me in the front seat. Now I’m here.”

“Rain,” he sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck with his head tilted back, eyes closed.

“And I’m open on food, but not another smoothie. I need real sustenance.”

He grunted some response that I couldn’t understand and pressed on the gas, shooting us through the now-yellow light.

“Anything you’re allergic to?”

“Nope.”

“Seafood or burgers?”

“Both sit-down?” I questioned.

“Yep.”

“And these are real food places? They’re not blending these food options into some disgusting mixture—”

“It was one fruit smoothie with protein powder,” Slade nearly yelled. “You act like I was trying to poison you.”

“No, that would be me, remember?” His eyes cut my way. “Kidding.”

“Seafood or burgers.”

“Burgers. Or maybe seafood. No, definitely burgers. Though fish tacos—”

“Executive decision. Burgers.”

I shot him a smile. “Exactly what I wanted.”

Burgers, french fries, and alone time with my longtime crush.

Not sure what I did recently to be so lucky to have the past two days with Slade and Jameson in my life, but I sure as hell would make every moment count. Even if one for sure didn’t see me the way I wanted him to, it didn’t matter. I would still enjoy every second of their attention, lock it away in my memories for future nights when I went back to my regularly scheduled routine.

Though, after spending so much time with them, that normal routine seemed twice as lonely as it felt before.

14

JAMESON

The rolling wheels twitched as I shifted my weight in Rain’s chair, hyperfocused on the pictures lining the wall. My frustration had mounted with every scene we investigated today. It was clear, based on the premeditated locations and lack of evidence, that this unsub hunted the victims, planned the crimes down to the last detail.

Butwhywas the question I still couldn’t answer.