Chapter Three

Three days later

Link

Just after dark, Link stood in the belly of the destroyed restaurant in a small town only a few miles west of a much larger city.

Ignoring the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, he gazed around at the carnage beneath the big industrial lights the local sheriff had put out. It was too late to really do anything, but he and his team had wanted to get a feel for the place before tomorrow. Plus, Detective Wall was waiting for them.

Black, charred remains of a once vibrant eatery lay in ruins. The site was one of the worst he’d ever investigated. The blast had taken out the entrance as well as the main part of the dining area—the kitchen had taken less of the blast but was still in shambles. Eight people were dead and seven others were seriously wounded.

His own failure weighed heavily on him. Not only had he not apprehended Bob Scabb in Nevada, but the guy had crossed back into California a day ago and disappeared—Link had lost his trail.

He frowned at the name flashing on his phone and answered it.

“Auntie?”

“Hi, Link,” Eagle’s Aunt Mary said.

Link stepped outside, clutching the phone. Was something wrong with Eagle?

“What’s wrong?”

“Why? Does something need to be wrong to call you?” she scolded him, and he smirked. While he’d moved out of her house, he still considered her family. He kicked himself for not checking in with her for the past few weeks.

“No, ma’am. You can call me anytime.”

“Good. Now, I want you to stop by and pick up some cookies to take to the men.”

He frowned. “I’m on a job.”

“I suspected that, silly.” She giggled. “When you’re done.”

Link loved her laugh; it always made him smile. “How about I call when I’m finished and arrange a time?”

“That sounds perfect. Have you talked to Eagle?”

“No.”

She sighed. “You need to make up with him. I hate that I’m the reason you two broke up.”

“You’re not,” he assured her.

“You know… there are things that I haven’t shared with you. That would clear up a lot…” Her voice trailed off.

“It’s okay, Auntie,” he murmured, because he suspected she wanted to tell him about Eagle, but it wasn’t her place. “It’s Eagle’s job.”

“Oh! I was talking about m—”

“Hello!” A cop spotted Link and walked toward him.

“Auntie, I’ve got to go. Everything will be okay,” he soothed her, and when she hesitantly said goodbye, he ended the call.

“FBI,” Link said, lifting the badge and letting the guy read it.

Dave had provided all four members of his newly created team with federal ID badges in order to make their job a bit easier when dealing with law enforcement inside and outside of the states Pegasus normally worked. Link had to admit having a badge thus far had been a time saver.

“Agent Beckett, I’ve been expecting you all week.” There was a touch of annoyance in the older guy’s gruff voice. “I’m Detective Wall.”

Wall was short with graying hair and a mustache to match. Link would put the guy in his late fifties. He hunkered down in his trench coat as protection against the slight drizzle.

A frown spread across Wall’s forehead and worry lines creased his broad face when Link didn’t respond. The cop nervously pulled a hand over his mustache before releasing a heavy sigh. “I’m relieved you’re finally here.”

“The suspect is jumping back and forth across state lines,” Link said, reminding the detective as such it was now a federal case.

“Of course, of course, you’ll be taking over,” Wall said hurriedly, continuously nodding.

“I have three more associates joining me.” Link had left Owen, Creed, and Jordan at the hotel. He’d been too antsy to stay still and had left them an hour ago eating burgers they’d had delivered to the hotel. His team had to eat, he had to remember that.

“Um…” Wall looked confused. “There’s one agent already here.”

“Where?” Link shot his gaze around but spotted none of his team.

“In the kitchen,” Wall stated and hurried through the rubble to push open a swinging door.

Link stopped in the doorway, stunned.

“Is he not with you?” Wall asked.

“Yeah, he’s with me. Please contact the owners. I need to ask them a few questions,” Link told Wall and scowled at Eagle before urging the detective back through the door. When it swung shut on Wall, Link spun around.

“What?” Eagle smirked and stuffed what looked to be a bite of pastry into his mouth.

“Are you eating week-old crime scene food?” Link glared.

“So what if I am?”

“Are you?” Link blinked.

“Nope. The cops brought donuts.”

Exasperated, Link stalked closer to the tall, muscled hunk and glared up at him.

“You need me.” Eagle cocked his head and his hair just brushed his shoulders.

“Like a hole in my head.”

Eagle gave Link a wide smile.

He scowled deeper. “Don’t get cute.”

“But you like my cuteness.” Eagle stuffed more of what looked to be glazed apple fritter into his mouth.

Cuteness was not a word Link would ever use to describe Declan Weller. A hot god maybe, or a rugged hunk with steel gray eyes, shaggy hair, and closely cropped beard and mustache that covered a square jaw—oh, and the muscles that corded and rippled for miles. Jeans hung low on trim hips and the black t-shirt Eagle wore looked as if it had been poured on. The man stood at least six feet five inches tall, towering over his own six feet, and outweighed him by a good seventy pounds.

“Link?”

“Yeah?” His eyes snapped upward.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?”

Link silently fumed. “Where’d you get that?” He pointed to the ID badge hanging on a chain around the former Green Beret’s neck.

“This?” Eagle lifted the FBI badge while showing off that damned smile. “Dave gave it to me.”

Great. Why the hell would Dave do that when he’d explicitly said not to involve Eagle?

“We’re doing fine. You don’t need to be here,” Link rasped.

Eagle settled those smoky gray eyes on him, and it took everything in Link’s power to not twitch at the man’s all-too-seeing gaze.

“There’s no place I’d rather be.”

“Screw you,” Link hissed and spun around. He smacked the swinging door open and almost hit Jordan in the face.

“Whoa…” Jordan dodged back.

“Sorry,” Link sighed and walked past Jordan into the other room.

Jordan entered the kitchen and the door swung closed.

“What was that about?” Link heard Jordan ask.

“He doesn’t like me,” Eagle said.

“Nah.” Jordan laughed. “He likes you.”

Now you’re turning into an eavesdropper.Link gazed heavenward and then pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Why are you standing out here?”

Jumping, he opened his eyes and grimaced at Owen. “Because the kitchen is suddenly overcrowded.”

“He’s here then?”

Link squinted at the operative. “Did you know Eagle was coming?”

“Not until I got a text from him about thirty minutes ago.”

Link gnashed his teeth. It figured that Eagle would text Owen and not him. Have you really slowed down enough to talk to him? He ignored the voice of reason in his head. Eagle wasn’t one to talk very much, but on that day several months ago when he had moved out of Eagle’s aunt’s house, the man had said plenty using only a few words.

“It’s none of your business. So just butt out!”

Not only did the words cut Link, but the closed-off face and tone of Eagle’s voice let him know exactly where he stood.

“You’re right,” he sneered, taking defense in anger, and slammed out of the house.

Those were the last words of a personal nature they had spoken to each other. Oh sure, they talked about the job and shit, but never again had they talked about the elephant in the room.

Now? Link was done. He didn’t want to hear another fucking personal thing from the man.

He didn’t care if Eagle was here.

He was done wasting his time.