Page 12 of Burning Justice (Chasing Fire: Alaska #6)

She sounded tired. He wanted to make sure she got sleep tonight, as they’d no doubt get deployed to fight a fire first thing in the morning. But that was the besotted guy talking. Not the operator on a mission.

Even the team guy with a woman he was protecting would ensure they all got enough rest. But that kind of guy wasn’t the one who’d passed up becoming a smokejumper when he’d wanted to—because he knew he could do it. And that he’d like it.

No, the guy who’d stuck with the hotshots again this season had done it for more than just to be around so she was protected.

Saxon folded his arms across his chest. “Talk.”

“I’m not involved with the militia.” Raine sniffed. “I have nothing to do with them or anything they’re doing.”

“But you know them,” Kane said.

Sanchez shifted. As attuned to her as Kane was, he could tell she wanted to ask a question. But she wouldn’t want her friend to think she was targeting her, going on the offensive. Burning their friendship for the sake of the mission.

Raine said, “I wanted to help. That’s all. I didn’t have to take you there tonight, and I was risking plenty bringing you there to look for your father.”

Saxon said, “Why would you believe he was there?”

“Look.” Raine brushed hair back from her face. “I didn’t know if he was there. I just…I didn’t want to go by myself, okay?”

Sanchez said, “You could’ve just told me you wanted a wingman. Or a bodyguard.”

“I know you guys are all about your mission. You don’t need to get involved in mine.”

Kane frowned.

“What mission?” Saxon asked.

Raine shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“You can trust us.” Sanchez eased closer to Kane, standing beside him, shoulder to shoulder.

He wanted to take her hand.

But like everything about their relationship, it wasn’t the time.

“Don’t worry about it,” Raine said. “You guys are, like…saving the world and stuff.”

“We’ll help you as well, if we can. You should know that.” Saxon had that warm tone the ladies liked, but Raine didn’t seem to respond to it.

She just sniffed. “I went to the party to ask my grandfather a question. I got an answer. It isn’t good, but why would I have expected something different?” She shrugged. “Go figure. So now you know. This is my life.” She waved her arms, encompassing the tall pines on both sides of the highway.

No cars. Nothing but an empty road. The scent of fire on the breeze. An orange glow on the mountain to the north, and the sun almost to the horizon even though it was after midnight.

“What did you go there to ask him?” Kane knew Saxon wasn’t going to let this go until he had an answer.

Raine looked away, shaking her head.

Sanchez said, “You know we’re the good guys. You think we’re too busy to help you, but we know how to multitask. You’ve seen it.”

“I’ve been living it for months,” Raine said, the edge of a smile on her lips. She glanced at Sanchez. “Every fire we go fight, you guys are looking for Sanchez’s dad. Or looking for bad guys to fight. Searching for intel. Trying to save the world.”

“Hiding.” Kane had caught the edge of something in her tone and wondered if he could draw it out of her. “Laying low up here in the backcountry. Pretending we aren’t who we really are, because if anyone found out, then we wouldn’t get to do what we need to do.”

Raine said, “I need to fight fire. I know it isn’t enough for you guys. It’s just a distraction. But this is what I love. It’s who I am.”

Kane nodded. “We get it. No one is going to mess this up for you. But we need to know why you went to that party.”

It hadn’t been simply to wish her grandfather a happy birthday.

Nor did Kane believe she had anything to do with what was happening.

Raine swiped at her cheeks. “I needed to talk to his second-in-command. My grandfather’s lieutenant.”

Sounded like they were military. Or Mafia.

“I needed to know who killed my father.”

Sanchez flinched. “Someone killed your dad?”

Kane reached over and grabbed her hand, holding on to it so she had an anchor. She needed the Lord to be her firm foundation. But if Kane could help, then that had to be part of why God had put him in her life.

Raine said, “He wasn’t even a good guy. He never treated my mom right, and she hated him until the day she died. But he was my father.” Her voice broke. Raine cleared her throat. “My grandfather isn’t going to be around much longer. When he’s gone, I won’t have anyone.”

“I’m so sorry.” Sanchez gave Raine a hug.

When she stepped back, Kane said, “Did you find out who killed him?”

Raine nodded. “But it won’t do me any good. Even if my grandfather said I should tell him where to find the guy so he can kill him. It isn’t going to bring my father back. And having him in my life never did me any good anyway.”

Kane said, “I know what it’s like to love someone but not like them. Loyalty is loyalty. But it still breaks your heart.”

Sanchez glanced at him.

No, he’d never told her about his mom and dad. In fact, there were a lot of things he hadn’t told her. After all, it wasn’t like she needed to know when none of it was pertinent to the mission at hand.

But the longer things went on, the more he found himself wanting to tell her.

Wanting to show her who he was.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. But I know it’s not as important as what you’re doing,” Raine said. “Can we go back to base now?”

Kane looked at Saxon.

The guy didn’t seem appeased but moved for the driver’s door. “Let’s go.”

Raine got in behind him.

Kane held the door for Sanchez. She stopped before getting in, holding him with that steady gaze. The one that made him want to tell her everything.

“Maybe you can share that story sometime.”

Kane said, “Maybe.” Far as he could see, they were a little preoccupied with finding a canister and stopping a terror attack. “Elias is here.”

She nodded. “That means they needed the big guns. Someone to get this done.”

“Agreed.” He nodded. “Now all we have to do is figure out how to stop it without anyone getting caught in the crossfire.”

Sanchez lifted up on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks, Kane.”

She slid into the seat, and he shut the door. For the moment he was alone on the highway, he allowed himself a smile. Just that one acknowledgment that, for a split second, he’d had it all.

Everything he wanted.

But duty always came first. The mission, and Sanchez’s search for her father, would always be a higher priority for both of them.

Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be, and God wanted to teach him how to let go.

How to let the Lord be in control of the future.

“Just don’t make it a painful lesson.”

Kane wasn’t sure his heart could take much more.