Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

Kenzie pulled her fifth box of the morning from the wall, set it on the card table, and removed the top just as the doorbell rang.

She hurried from the room and checked the side window next to the front door.

Cole.

When she opened the door, he glowered at her. "You didn't think to call and tell me that someone attacked you last night?"

"Good morning to you too." She stepped back and he entered.

"Forget the good morning stuff. You got attacked last night."

"I did." She led him into the den and took a seat on the couch.

He dropped onto the opposite end, his scowl deepening by the second.

"I'm fine. I fought him off with the help of a neighbor's yell."

He closed his eyes for a second, rubbed a hand down his face, and let out a low breath like he was searching for patience. "All right. I get it. I'm glad you're okay. Why wouldn't you call me?"

She stood and paced to the mantel and back to the sofa. When she returned to the mantel, she spun. "I would have, but it shook me. Bad." She pressed a palm to her temple. "I just wanted to process it. Butte was back so I felt like I could sleep. If you'd come over, it just would have added stress to the whole matter." He flinched and she sighed. "And that didn't come out right. You wouldn't have added stress, but me having to talk about it and relive it and—"

She wouldn't have slept much because he would have insisted on staying and she just couldn't have dealt with his presence last night. But she wasn't saying that .

"And what?"

"Nothing." She waved a hand in dismissal. "Never mind. I'm just still ... rattled, I guess." She cleared her throat. "I ... uh ... left one detail out of the police report that I need to tell you."

He frowned. "Okay."

"He spoke to me before my neighbor scared him off. I asked him what he wanted, and he said, and I quote, ‘You gone. Quit the team or die.'"

Cole's scowl fell away. He raised a brow and leaned back. "Whoa."

"Yeah. So, who wants me off the team so bad that they'd threaten to kill me?" She pressed a hand to her side. Gently. "Attack me in a market? Break into my house and shoot at me?"

"I have someone in mind, but I ... don't want to admit it."

She raised a brow at him. "Butler?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

She nodded and pressed her fingers to her lips, thinking. "Then I want proof it's him. Irrefutable proof."

His eyes narrowed. "How do you propose to get that?"

"I don't know. Follow him, I guess. I've still got a few days off, thanks to my attack, to figure this out. I'm going to use them for that."

"What about your training for the triathlon?"

"Really?" She pointed to her side, then her head. "You think that's even a priority right now?"

"No. Sorry. You're right. But if it is Butler, I don't want to see you get in over your head." He hesitated. "I'll help you."

She raised a brow. "Why? I can handle him. I've handled him for the last six months."

"No," he said. "This is different. If he's really able to bring himself to commit murder, then it's not a fair fight. You need someone to watch your back."

As much as she wanted to protest, the pain in her side and the ache in her head said that wasn't the best option. "Okay. Fine." She didn't have the bandwidth to think through all the ramifications of spying on one of their own, but if he was a potential killer, then all the team rules and codes went out the window. "When do we start?"

He sighed and looked at his phone. "Today. He asked for the morning off. Said he had a family thing he needed to take care of."

"What if he does?"

"What if he doesn't?"

"All right. Fine. The team is down to basically nothing. Who have you got responding to calls?"

"I've alerted the second string. They know they're on standby. If we get a call, I'll go. Magic Man was on today anyway. Cowboy and Greene both said they're ready to get back to work."

She frowned. "Not sure Greene has the green light from his doctor yet." She smirked. "See what I did there?"

"Not funny."

"It was. Kinda."

"Not even a little."

"Hm. Fine. Can you fill me in on what Sherry had to say?"

For the next few minutes, Kenzie listened. With each passing word, her heart sank and a desperate need flared to know why the information was covered up and by who. "How do we find out if Hamilton is still alive?" she finally asked.

"I don't know. I don't even know if we should. He sent the information to right a wrong but didn't send the name of the person responsible, which means he's scared of the backlash that could come from it."

"His family."

"Yeah."

"But they're all under the radar, right? I mean, you looked for him and couldn't find any of them even with your various resources."

He nodded. "Any luck with Tabitha?"

"No, actually, I haven't heard back from her. Let me shoot her a text and see where she is on that."

"You mean you actually remember how to do that?"

She wrinkled her nose at him but refrained from sticking her tongue out. "Talk about someone who's not funny."

"Sure I am."

"Only in your own mind."

"Rude."

She snickered, then sobered, but was glad they were back to being sparring ... what? Friends? Coworkers? Well, whatever it was, she was glad the awkwardness seemed to be gone. She sent the text to Tabitha. "I'm just going to get ready and then we can tail Butler."

"I'll find his location." He pulled his work phone from his pocket.

"You're going to track his work phone? That seems..." Wrong. A breach of trust. But ... necessary.

He raised a brow at her. "I don't like it either, but if he's the one doing this, I'll do whatever I have to do to stop him."

She nodded. "I know."

"And if it's not him, I'll apologize."

"Then give me fifteen minutes and we can go."

Kenzie was ready in twelve, but she paused to check her wound one more time and was satisfied that it seemed to be healing well. No sign of infection and no busted stitches from her violent encounter. She examined her eyes in the mirror. Any sign of her inward turmoil? Nope.

Good. She was ready to go. Maybe. Deep breath. Let it out slow.

Now she was ready.

Maybe.

"Ugh!" She spun from the mirror and marched out of her bedroom and down the hall to find Cole still on the couch in the den, head back against the cushion, eyes closed. She paused while the breath whooshed from her lungs and she simply watched him. And for one magical moment, she let the past and all of her suppressed feelings wash over her. Then she grabbed them and stuffed them back into the little emotional box labeled "Cole—Do Not Open" and cleared her throat.

He blinked, then rubbed his face. "Sorry, it's been a while since I've had a good night's sleep."

"It's okay. Glad my couch is comfortable enough for a catnap."

He rose. "It was, and now I feel good as new."

"You find Butler?"

"Yep. He's at Freedom Franks and Burgers."

"Oh, I love that place. I haven't eaten yet. I want a freedom frank."

"For breakfast?"

She looked at her phone. "For an early lunch." She waved to the door. "After you. I'll arm the system."

COLE HEARD KENZIE'S PHONE ping just as they turned into the parking lot of the restaurant. He chose a spot at the back when he spotted Butler's truck near the entrance. "I'm going to slip in through the kitchen and see if I can spot him in the dining room without him seeing me," he told Kenzie. "Want to try and do the same from the front?"

"Yep." She started for the door.

"Hey, Kenz?"

She turned, eyebrows raised. "Yes?"

"Keep your phone handy, I might need to text you."

"It's always handy." But she patted it in her back pocket, checking to make sure it was there, and he smirked before heading to the back entrance.

He'd been in the restaurant numerous times and was even on a first-name basis with the owner. The team often came here to unwind after a stressful day. Or even a not-so-stressful one. So it wasn't surprising that Butler would choose this restaurant to meet someone for a meal.

Cole slipped into the kitchen and found Mrs. Polly at the stove like always. She turned, sweat beading on her smooth dark forehead. "Cole?"

"Hey. Sorry. Just taking a little shortcut. I need to look into the dining room and check on something without that something seeing me."

She frowned and placed her hands on her slender hips. "Okay. Go on." He never failed to wonder how someone could own a restaurant and cook like her and still weigh a hundred and thirty at a max.

He walked to the door that would take him from the kitchen into the dining area. A waitress balancing a tray filled with steaming burgers, fried chicken, and the famous freedom hot dogs swept past him. The aromas lingered behind her, and his stomach growled.

Once she was through, he caught the door before it could swing shut and peered out into the room. The tables were full, with customers in the waiting area just inside the front door. Butler sat in the second booth to the left of the hostess station. Opposite him was another man, but his back was to Cole. He texted Kenzie.

You see them? You recognize the guy he's with?

Three little dots appeared.

No, and I can't move without him seeing me.

All right, how about that early lunch?

What? You're serious?

We're here all the time. You go on in and grab a table. I'll head back and make an entrance in the front door to meet you.

Um ... okay. So we're just having lunch and we just happen to run into Butler and his buddy. Do I have that right?

You're brilliant.

Okie doke, heading in.

He whipped back through the kitchen and stepped through the front door just in time to see Kenzie being led to a table. He followed, glancing left at Butler's table, and finally got a glimpse of the other guy.

And whoa. Oscar Woodruff?

He slid into the booth, still unnoticed by either man deep in conversation. Serious conversation. "To the exclusion of all else" kind of conversation.

"Wonder what that's all about?" Kenzie murmured.

"It's like you read my mind."

"It's not so hard to do sometimes."

The waitress took their drink order and left. He glanced at Kenzie. "You flashed your badge at the hostess to get bumped to the front of the line, didn't you?"

"Guilty. Told her we were watching someone. Someone who was not dangerous or a threat in any way, just someone we were keeping an eye on. She was thrilled to help."

"Someone who wants to help a cop? That's refreshing."

"Her father's a cop."

He smiled.

"What?" she asked.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You're like best friends with her from the time it takes to walk from the hostess station to the table."

"Not best friends exactly. She just volunteered the information when I told her what I needed."

"Everyone talks to you." He eyed her. "Why is that?"

She slid a glance at Butler's table, then reconnected with him. "Not everyone."

"Yeah."

"You see who he's with."

"I do."

"I thought he quit law enforcement for personal reasons a few months ago."

"Yeah." Cole rubbed his jaw. "He did, but he's coming back. It was more of a sabbatical than a quit."

"Oh, okay, I'm glad to hear that." She narrowed her eyes at him. "What is it? Tell me."

"You know how I said the SWAT position was between you and another guy?"

"Yes."

"Oscar Woodruff is the other guy."