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“Yeah. I have an idea of where it will take place this time,” I said. “But they’re still skittish, so we’ll have to verify once I get the information.”

“Noted.”

Daniel relaxed in his seat. “Thanks, Charlie.”

The police chief chuckled. “You guys always manage to get yourselves into trouble. I suppose it’s just my good luck that you manage to get yourselves out of it again too. And help me put away some bad guys while you’re at it.”

The fairly public arrest of a local wealthy man who’d nearly killed Grant and his fiancée had brought attention to Charlie and the entire Garnet Bend police force, small as they were. That attention was part of the reason he was able to set up the operation we were asking for in the first place.

“We’ll keep kicking trouble’s ass as long as it keeps looking for us,” Liam said with a grin.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. “Hopefully that’s tomorrow.”

Meaning, please don’t let this be another cry of wolf.

Daniel was right. I did want coffee.

* * *

I breathed in the sharp cold air as I stood near my truck, waiting for the signal that everything was ready to go.

Fiddling with my earpiece, I looked up at the sky. Unlike the last time we’d been here, it was clear. The stars were so close I could reach out and touch them.

“You realize that every time you touch that earpiece the rest of us hear it?” Liam asked.

I laughed once, softly. “Sorry.”

He was in a van farther down the road with Kate, in case we really did need her to go in. It was my goal to make sure that didn’t happen. I didn’t want her anywhere near Max or anyone who thought they could use her as a pawn. Not while I was here and could help it.

“ETA?” I asked quietly. If someone drove by and saw me, I didn’t want them to see me talking. In one hand, I had a lit cigarette. An alibi and an excuse. I wasn’t actually smoking it.

“Probably five more minutes,” Liam said. “Teams on the far side are getting into place.”

I wasn’t on the comms of the bigger teams so I wouldn’t get distracted or react to something unexpected in my ear. Even with our level of training, you didn’t mess with instinct and surprise. Not when it could give you away.

The only people I could hear were Liam and Kate.

“You okay?”

Liam knew I wasn’t talking to him.

Kate’s laugh was like fire in my blood. I could probably melt the snow with the heat she gave me. “I’m fine. By the way, you weren’t wrong. Garfield and Salem love your curtains.”

I swore under my breath.

“Had to rescue them a couple of times this afternoon.”

“They think they’re superheroes,” I muttered.

Her smile was audible. “Completely adorably superheroes.”

“If this is what the two of you sound like when you’re flirting, then I’m going to vomit from the cuteness,” Liam said.

“It’s not,” Kate said without hesitation.

It was my turn to laugh, though I tried to suppress it.

“Okay.” Liam’s voice was in operation mode. “They’re ready. Anytime you are.”