Chapter 38

Avery slumpedin the diner’s vinyl booth, the cracked and peeling surface sticking uncomfortably to her skin. The air was thick with the greasy aroma of frying bacon and the acrid scent of burnt coffee, a combination that made her stomach churn. She rubbed her eyes, the gritty sensation behind her lids making it feel like someone had taken a belt sander to her corneas. She and Mason had been holed up in this dingy little spot down the street from the secret gambling den for the past three hours, waiting for Paul to emerge with any new dirt on Ryan.

By now, she’d had enough sitting. Enough stress over Ryan’s betrayal. And enough wrangling with herself over her growing feelings for Mason.

The sooner they got the evidence on Rain Bay, the sooner he and his team would jet back to their fantastical lives. And she could get on with repairing her own.

The waitress, a middle-aged woman with a face that looked like a road map of late nights and early mornings, sauntered over to their table, her shoes squeaking on the linoleum floor. She carried a pot of coffee that smelled more like a tire fire than a morning pick-me-up.

“Refill, honey?” she asked, her voice raspy from years of smoking.

Avery pushed her empty mug away, the ceramic scraping against the laminate tabletop. “No thanks. I think I’ve had enough.”

Mason raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching like he was trying not to laugh. “You? Turning down coffee? Who are you and what have you done with Avery?”

She shot him a glare, but she was too tired to put any real heat behind it. She felt like she’d been run over by a truck, then backed over for good measure.

Ryan Goshiro, the man she’d looked up to for years, the man she’d thought was as straight as an arrow, was––at best––living in the center of gray.

Her world had been flipped upside down, and she was struggling to find her footing.

The FBI had always been her north star, the thing that kept her on the straight and narrow. She’d followed in her father’s footsteps, determined to uphold his legacy of justice and honor. But now, with Ryan’s betrayal …

Where did she go from here?

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the sight of Paul slinking across the busy street toward them, shoulders slouched. He looked like he’d just lost his last penny and his favorite dog.

But as soon as he entered the diner and slipped into the booth next to Mason, his demeanor changed. He broke into a grin that could have powered a small city, his eyes sparkling like he’d just won the lottery.

“Your boy’s story checks out. He tops the list of legendary losers,” he announced. Then he raised his hands, feigning a bow. “You’re welcome.”

Mason snorted, rolling his eyes so hard Avery thought they might pop out of his head. “Careful, little brother. Your head’ll get too big for those skinny legs to carry.”

The warning didn’t dim Paul’s enjoyment in the slightest. “Right. Because I wouldn’t want to take credit for being so excellent.”

Mason lifted his mug to his lips. “At least you think so.”

She couldn’t help but grin at their antics. It was a welcome distraction from the dumpster fire that was her life at the moment.

But the levity was short-lived. Mason turned to her. “He says he wants to help, so I say we use Goshiro exactly the way he used you.”

Exactly. “Whether he assists our investigation or not, he’s on the hook for major felonies. If he was even tangentially involved in those murders …”

Mason nodded, but there was a gentleness in his eyes. “Agreed. But his part in this can be sorted later. Let’s knock Rain Bay down first. Goshiro’s earned whatever comes his way.”

Too true. She’d have to let go of the anger, for now, at least.

Once they took down Stenberg and his operation, Ryan would face his own music. And she’d move on. Somehow.

Paul waved the waitress over. “Hey, beautiful. I’m starving. What’s good here?”

Their waitress sauntered to their table, pad in hand. “Are you serious?”

“Uh …” Paul floundered, whether because the woman appeared unfazed by his charm or because of her pointed honesty.

Mason caught her attention. “He’ll have the two-egg breakfast. Eggs over hard, bacon extra crisp.”

For some reason, Mason’s order seemed to catch Paul off guard. “You remembered,” he said finally.

“Why wouldn’t I? You ordered that every time we ate out growing up. Literally,” he added to Avery. “Every. Time.”

Paul clasped his hands together behind his head. “Still do. Nice to know you care.”

Mason pretended surprise. “Care? It’s more like one of those ear worms. Never been able to get it out of my head.”

Paul wasn’t buying it. The more Mason protested, the harder he grinned.

If there was one thing she’d learned about the former SEAL over the past few days, it was that he had the integrity of a Boy Scout and the emotional range of a teaspoon. Traits that were uncomfortably close to her own.

Which wouldn’t make for a good match. They were too alike, too stubborn, and too set in their ways. And besides, their lives were as different as night and day. He was a man of action and adventure, jetting around the globe on a moment’s notice.

She was firmly rooted at the Bureau, bound by rules and regulations. And red tape. So much red tape.

It was for the best, she told herself. They’d close this case, and then they’d go their separate ways. Back to their diverse lives.

But as she studied his rugged profile in the dim light of the diner, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. What if, in another life, things had been different? What if they’d met under different circumstances, in a different time and place?

She shook her head, pushing the thought away like a pesky fly. There was no use dwelling on what-ifs and might-have-beens.

Right now, she had a scumbag to catch and a fellow agent’s career to crater.

She slipped her phone out of her purse. “I say we meet with Ryan ASAP.”

“Copy that. Set it up somewhere public. I want to see him coming from a mile away.”

No kidding. Never again would she trust so blindly. She thought for a second, and texted a time and location. “We’ll meet him in two hours at a city park on the Sound. He’ll have to walk in a half a mile to the beach. We’ll get there first and see him coming.”

This time.