Page 35 of Burning Justice

Mack groaned.

Grizz sat up front with Mitch. Raine tucked into the row right behind them.

Maria climbed on the bus last, her hair damp at the hairline and whisps plastered to her face. Tired, but the good kind that meant you’d done a long day of good work. The kind that saved lives, even if it only felt like digging a trench.

For a second he thought she wasn’t going to sit near him, but she came over and took the seat behind his.

Kane turned and put his back to the wall, his legs on the seat.

Saxon did the same across the aisle, facing him, but looked at Maria. “You good?”

She leaned back on the seat and closed her eyes. “So tired.”

Kane smiled. “I dunno. I could go for a run when we get back.”

Saxon grinned. “Four miles. No, let’s go for six.”

Kane chuckled.

She and Mack both groaned. Mack said, “My feet hurt just thinking about it.”

Maria opened her eyes and pinned Kane with a stare. “You aren’t really going to go on a run, are you?”

“Am I a smokejumper?” If she didn’t go, it wasn’t happening.

Saxon said, “Whatever that means.”

But it didn’t need to make sense to the rest of them. It only mattered to her.

She said, “I’m afraid I have a date.”

Kane stiffened. When had she made time to—“A date?”

“Yes, with a pizza and my pajamas.”

Saxon laughed under his breath.

“Right,” Kane said. “Pizza sounds good.”

“I’d invite you, but I’m probably going to eat half a slice and then fall asleep.”

He returned her smile. “Fair enough.”

Saxon turned to the window, where the land arced up away from the road so that it seemed to crest like a wave above their heads.

Mack looked like he’d already fallen asleep.

Kane turned in his seat to face her. Not as close as he wanted to be—like outside the office this morning. But he’d settle for this.

He knew he’d pushed it a little. He wanted to get under her skin, so why hold back? But it didn’t help either of them focus on what they were here to do. “How are you doing?”

She leaned forward, pressed her forehead against the seat, and turned her head so he could see her cheek. So she could say “I can’t stop thinking about him” and only he would hear it. “Whether he’s scared. If he’s running for his life, or if they’ve got him locked down so he can’t go anywhere.”

“I know what that feels like.” Kane shut his mouth. Why had he said that?

She scrambled his brain—especially when she was this close.

“I’ve been praying for him,” he said, trying to change the subject away from him knowing what fear felt like.