Page 61 of Chaos has a Name (An FBI Romance/Thriller #66)

The Showdown

At The Not-So-Okay Corral

Wednesday

Early Evening

When she finally made it down to the now-quiet living room, she found the Native woman sitting there. Rayna was flipping through the journal that she’d gotten from her father earlier that afternoon.

As soon as Elizabeth made an appearance, Muriel moved so she could put herself between them. The woman was being wary, and Elizabeth got that.

Only, she wasn’t worried about the Chief of Police. She’d been with Ethan at the FBI when she’d been abducted. This was the ONLY Native, beside family, that she was trusting at this point.

There was no doubt to Elizabeth that Rayna was a decent person.

She could tell.

The second she realized Elizabeth was there, Rayna had a concern on her face for her well-being.

“I’m good, Muriel,” she said to the Archangel. “I’ve got this. Where’s Christopher?” she asked.

The woman jerked her head toward the kitchen.

“He’s making you something hot to eat. Doctor Leonard asked that I keep an eye on you until he can join you,” she admitted.

Well, that worked for her.

The last thing she ate today was that morning when they’d flown in. Security had picked up breakfast to eat on the go.

Oh, wait.

No.

She poached a cookie in the breakroom at the FBI building.

Did a cookie count?

Surely, she’d burned those calories off by now.

Elizabeth ran on angst and caffeine, but to be honest, her belly was grumbling.

The tank was nearly empty.

Moving past her security, Elizabeth headed toward Rayna.

“Sorry for the delay,” she offered. “I had some things to work through.”

Rayna was worried.

The woman had been abducted, and had to find her way out of the mess alone. That had to be incredibly terrifying.

“Are you good?” she asked. “Because I’m worried for you.”

Yeah, she was worried for her, too, but because this was the rodeo she had to wrangle, she’d fake it until she could make it.

“I am. Just a little woozy from the head shot,” she said, pointing at the stitches so this woman had no idea that she was chickening out.

It wasn’t easy being brave all of the time.

Unfortunately.

“I’m sorry that you got hurt,” she admitted. Rayna felt bad about judging the woman when she first met her.

It was clear she had been wrong.

The woman was badass. She’d gotten stitches at home and not in a hospital. That couldn’t have been fun.

“I hope you feel better.”

Oh, she would.

Eventually.

“For now, though, I’m going to go talk to Wyler. How about this? When I get back in, I’ll spring you. See what you can find in the book, but then, you’re off duty for the night.”

She lifted a brow.

Uh, what was this?

Rayna felt like the brush-off was happening, and she’d not done anything to deserve that. She hoped Elizabeth wasn’t going to hold a grudge against the Natives NOT doing this bullshit on the rez.

So, she was honest.

“That sounds like you’re trying to nicely say ‘fuck off’.”

Elizabeth laughed.

“I was giving you an out so you could maybe pick up some dinner, and woo a certain Archangel. He’s the one in the tree babysitting my father-in-law.”

That’s when she got it.

Ohhhhh.

Well, that was a different kettle of fish, now wasn’t it? Rayna wouldn’t mind babysitting Caspian. All she needed to do now was figure out HOW to make that happen.

The man had hauled ass pretty fast to get away from her earlier. That had been a big flashing stop sign for Rayna that he was NOT interested.

Not in her, anyway.

“Oh, do you know something I don’t know? Because I didn’t think he was interested. He was giving me the ‘back off’ vibes.”

Yeah, that sounded like Uriel. The man was super sweet, gentle, and a good soul. He only looked tough. Elizabeth had been fortunate to get to know him, and see that other side.

He was more than he appeared.

An enigma, yes.

Standoffish, yes.

But he had a damn good reason.

She nodded.

“I do know plenty about him, and I’m more than willing to share. I’m not blowing you off, Rayna. I’m helping a girl out.”

Well, then, she wanted all of the help that she could get. If Elizabeth was sure her advances would be received well…then, she’d take the advice.

“Spill the details,” she said. “I’m out of ways to get him to see I’m interested, other than flashing him my tits, and still, I’m not sure he’d get it.”

Elizabeth actually laughed.

The woman was very sweet, but spicy at the same time. She liked that in the people she surrounded herself with daily.

It made it interesting.

Look at Ian.

He was a sarcastic well of snippiness, and she loved every second of it.

Then, there was Gene, who made her realize that she was just like him.

Crazy.

Because Elizabeth believed the woman wouldn’t hurt Caspian, she helped her out.

“Well, to begin with, I know that he’s a diehard Vegan. So, if you’re going to try the ‘I know a way to a man’s heart and it’s through his stomach’ route, don’t do it with a steak or venison.”

Yeah, Ethan had mentioned. Still, she was making mental notes as Elizabeth hooked a girl up. Rayna never would have suspected that a man that fit, built, and bulky didn’t eat Bambi.

Hell!

She’d stop eating Bambi for the right guy. Was it so hard to find a decent guy who didn’t stomp all over people’s feelings?

Elizabeth continued.

“I know that he’s super shy and intimidated by women that he thinks are attractive. It comes off as being icy and cold, but he’s just protecting himself.”

Rayna listened.

“Well, he was pretty icy before.”

She let her in on the secret.

“With Caspian, the chillier he is, the more he’s fighting to keep distance between someone, so he doesn’t get hurt. Let’s just say life hasn’t been kind.”

She lifted a brow.

“What’s that mean?” she asked, worried about the man now.

Elizabeth shook her head.

“I can’t share that. Those stories are Caspian’s to tell, and he’ll let you in if you are the right woman. If he shares, you’re good. Then, he’s chosen to be open and less secret for a reason. He likes the person a lot.”

She was getting some good information, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious.

Rayna was.

Elizabeth looked at her watch, the Rolex that she’d have to use since her smart watch with MATE on board was damaged.

“I know he’s going off duty to the RV that’s not that far away to get some downtime after I release him. He’ll likely work out, and a guy is hungry after exercise.”

She got what she was throwing down.

Hell.

She’d take that and run with it.

“So, basically, maybe I should go find some Vegan takeout, knock on the door, and talk to the man?”

Elizabeth shrugged.

“I mean, a birdy told me that he’s attracted to you. If you want to sit here with me all night and babysit my stitches, and that’s your kink, okay.”

She laughed.

“That is TOTALLY NOT my kink,” she admitted.

“Before I make a spectacle of myself, is he available? Caspian said he was single, but…I didn’t get the interested vibe.

He ran from me to escape and hasn’t been in since I got here, and I know he saw me.

Are you sure he’s not dating anyone on the DL?

I don’t plan on being a second option or the mistress. ”

With Caspian?

That was funny.

The man was afraid of one woman at a time. There was no way he could juggle multiple ones.

She explained.

“Know how many people know his real name? Including me?”

Rayna waited.

“Only four people. Trust me when I say that he’s interested if he gave you his real name. Make a move, and give him space to work it out in his head. It takes him a while to work up to action. He had a tough life growing up.”

Oh, well, as a Native, so had she. If that was the case, she was willing to give him a little leeway.

“What kind of tough are we talking? I asked him where he was from, and it was very general.”

It was clear Uriel had been trying to make that connection. He really just protected himself out of necessity.

Honestly, Rayna knew more than most people.

To her knowledge, only her and Ivan knew about his childhood—only because he did the background check for employment, and she had been there when he told her.

“His father was in the military, and he moved the family around all of the time. He’s at the Pentagon now, and Caspian doesn’t talk to him much. His father was never there for him or his brothers when they were growing up. They don’t exactly have a good relationship.”

She got it.

So Daddy issues.

Oh, well, she had them too—as in her daddy was always up in her business.

Elizabeth clued her in.

ONLY because it was rare for Uriel to be attracted to someone. Mostly, he was all about the job, and watching her kids.

When her dog appeared, she bent down to let him give her kisses.

The whole time, Rayna watched as the big German Shepherd danced around her in excitement to see her, and Elizabeth didn’t mind getting doggy drool on her.

You could tell a lot about a person if a dog liked them, and Rayna was a dog person herself.

“Sorry. He’s a big floof,” she admitted, when the dog went to his back and she scratched his belly. “I have a pack of German Shepherds at home. This one’s the only one who knows not to wander off on the reservation, right, Kanje?” she asked.

The dog barked, and then stared at Rayna like he was trying to figure out if she was a danger to Elizabeth or not.

“Well, I’m a dog person,” she said. “He’s beautiful.”

Elizabeth covered the dog’s ears.

“Not in front of him. Then, he gets all ego-y and tries to be the boss,” she said, joking around.

That amused Rayna.

Elizabeth needed to get this done, and stalling so she could avoid Wyler and the talk wasn’t on the agenda for tonight.

“If Cas looks standoffish, back off, and he’ll figure it out. Once he sees you’re DEFINITELY interested, he’ll build up the courage to take the next step. He’s a slow mover when it comes to women. No one likes rejection.”

She got it.

As someone who was the aggressor most of the time, she’d taken plenty of rejection when she’d thought a person was decent and they’d blindsided her.

Rayna considered it.