Page 41 of Raven’s Claw (Raven’s Cliff #2)
Chapter Twenty
Three weeks later…
“Kash. Brother, I swear, if you keep pacing, you’re gonna wear a groove in the hangar floor.”
Kash looked over at Chase. His buddy was too calm when Kash felt as if his entire world was about to shoot off on some new tangent. “They’re late.”
Chase laughed. “Greer only called five minutes ago. Said something about grabbing us all coffee. Relax. They’ll be here.”
“This is the third time the CIA has asked Jordan for a meeting. It’s hard to relax.”
Zain wandered over. “Of course, the CIA’s interested. Jordan’s, hands down, one of the best operatives I’ve ever met. Every agency wants her to sign up. That doesn’t mean she will.”
Kash simply nodded. While she’d assured him she wasn’t interested in reviving Ember, a part of him wondered if she’d be happy staying outside the fray.
He hadn’t lasted more than a few weeks after moving to Raven’s Cliff before the quiet had gotten to him and he’d signed up to become part of Raven’s Watch.
He couldn’t fault her if she wasn’t cut out for civilian life, either.
The fact that they were still unsure if their tumbles in the sheets had resulted in any longer-lasting outcomes only added to the stress.
It had been too early in the hospital for the doctors to know if she was pregnant, and they’d been doing their best to let it be until she could find out for sure.
He wouldn’t lie. The prospect excited him when he wasn’t completely terrified by it.
He barely felt as if he’d mastered taking care of himself, let alone a kid.
His ability to keep Nyx alive and mostly well gave him a glimmer of hope.
And there was the part where he wanted to spend the next fifty years with Jordan. Still…
Zain sighed and clapped him on the back. “Relax. Jordan’s happy here.”
“It’s not about being happy. It’s about having adrenaline wired into her DNA.”
“There’re other ways she can embrace that without being an assassin.”
“Technically, I wasn’t an assassin in the truest sense, but…”
Kash snapped his head around, breath stalling as Jordan stood in the doorway, looking sexier than ever in jeans and one of his hoodies — her hair up in some kind of messy bun.
Zain laughed beside him. “Breathe.”
Kash batted his hand off his arm. “I…”
“We know.”
“Jackass.” He walked over to Jordan, nodding at Greer as she handed out coffee cups to everyone. “Where’s your sling?”
She scoffed. “I tossed it.”
“The doctor said you needed to wear it for a month.”
“Well, the doctor hasn’t done rehab with Zain. He’s merciless and relentless. I already have seventy-five percent mobility back. Another two weeks, and I’ll be good as new.”
Zain moved over and bumped shoulders with her. “Don’t put this back on me. You were the one who wanted to regain everything overnight. I merely helped.”
“Which is why, I don’t need the sling.”
Kash shook his head. This wasn’t a fight he’d win, and he had more pressing questions. “Well? What did they offer you this time? More money? A house on the hill?” He leaned in. “The heads of those who’ve wronged you?”
She smiled, and his heart flipped over. “I already have those. And it was more along the lines of my own unit. Something about heading up a task force.”
Shit.
He forced a smile. “Sounds pretty hardcore.”
She snorted. “Please. In all the time you’ve known me, do I seem like the type who plays well with others?”
“Maybe not with most people, but you’ve taken to our team pretty well.”
“That’s because your team’s crazy matches mine.”
“Pretty sure it’s your team, too, now. And is that your subtle way of saying you turned them down?”
“It wasn’t subtle. And of course, I turned them down.” She sighed, looking unusually lost. “I’ve had enough missions to last a lifetime. Besides, I got a better offer.”
He froze, staring at her, over to Greer, his buddies, then back. He tried to swallow, coughed, then inched closer. “A better offer?”
“God, you should see your face. I should have led with that.”
“Jordan.”
“Kash.”
He huffed. “Are you trying to give me an aneurism so Chase has something to do?”
“Maybe, just a little.” She laughed when he crossed his arms and stared at her. “Fine. Remember how Greer’s been having a hard time finding anyone she trusts to give her a hand at the station?”
A dull roar sounded in his head, and he had to give himself a physical shake just to get everything working. “Wait. Are you saying that you’re gonna be a deputy? Right here in Raven’s Cliff?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Of course not. I just…” He stared at her, nothing quite forming on his tongue right. “I thought…”
She sighed and moved in close, tracing her finger along his chest. “I promised you I wouldn’t run. I can’t keep that promise and move to DC or spend most of my time overseas. I like it here.” She paused, tilting her head to the side. “Actually, that’s a lie.”
She tiptoed up — got a breath away. “I love it here. Almost as much as I love you. If you’re cool with me having absolutely no reason to ever leave?”
He kissed her. Right there in the middle of the hangar. His team and Greer standing there, watching. Nyx trying to squeeze between them. Jordan didn’t seem to care, either, as she slid her fingers through his hair and tugged him closer. All but climbed him in an effort to get closer.
He rested his forehead on hers once they finally came up for air, drinking in the scent of her. A mix of roses and his cologne. An aroma that definitely smelled like home.
She smiled against his chin. “I assume that means you’re good with my decision?”
“More than good. I… Wait.” He eased back giving her a once-over. “Does this mean you’re going to be legally armed? All the time?”
“Hell, yeah.” She looked over at his buddies. “So, you boys better toe the line because I definitely have handcuffs. No fur included, purple or otherwise.”
Kash glanced over at Greer. “Is that wise? Giving her a weapon.”
Greer shrugged. “It’s not like she’ll be pulling it on me.” She nodded. “Though, we did talk about restraint and curbing some of those ninja moves.”
Jordan rolled her eyes. “Vault over counters and guys a few times, and you’re labelled. I am capable of being discreet.”
“Luckily, discreet isn’t really necessary most of the time.” Greer smiled. “Something tells me Raven’s Cliff is gonna be a whole lot safer.”
Chase ambled over. “No shit. Does this mean she’ll have to go through some kind of police academy? Because I might need to stock up on supplies if she’ll be hanging around a bunch of ambitious guys who are bound to piss her off.”
Jordan gave Chase a swat as if she’d been part of their team forever.
“Thankfully, no. Remember that surprise Bodie mentioned Becca had for me? Becca tweaked my backstop. Made it her level of secure. She also added some relevant data, including the fact I attended and passed a course in Spokane. Something about having an in there. Not exactly a lie, considering my training.”
“And a thousand percent safer considering how likely you are to throat punch the first guy who tries to grab your ass. Now all you need to do is pass your firearm’s certification once your shoulder’s healed enough.”
Jordan waved it off. “I already did that this morning.”
“Didn’t you have a sling on?”
“Like I said. I tossed it.”
Chase looked at Greer. “And, how did she do?”
Greer scoffed. “Let’s put it this way. I either need to shoot her in her other shoulder or make a much harder test. Which reminds me. We generally don’t pull a KA-BAR and toss it at a suspect, even if it seems like the best option.”
Jordan frowned. “Sister, give me a month, and you’ll be tossing them, too.”
“I think I might have gotten in over my head.”
Kash chuckled and gathered Jordan in his arms. “Sounds like there’s reason to celebrate, then.”
Foster arched a brow. “Do we try another dinner at the house? As I recall, Jordan didn’t kill anyone the last time.”
“You should know better than to challenge me, Foster. And, you’re on.” Jordan smiled, and Kash knew he could spend the rest of his life staring at her. She gave him a nudge. “You’re not going to attempt to cook, again, are you?”
“You’re hilarious. I’ll remember that when you want coffee in the morning.”
“I’m gonna want more than just coffee.”
Zain gagged, then stumbled his way over to Chase. “Brother, you need to help me. I think I’m gonna be sick.”
Kash rolled his eyes. “Ignore him. He’s just pissed because he’s still treading water when he should be diving in. But that’s another story. You ready to head home?”
Jordan leaned in — gave him a soft kiss. “I’ve been ready for thirty-two years. It’ll be nice to finally have one.”
Kash took her hand, enjoying the simple feel of her skin against his as they hopped in his truck, then headed home.
They had just enough time for a quickie in the shower before they headed over to Foster’s, waving off the ribbing when they sauntered in, hair wet, looking way too enthralled with each other.
Greer and Bodie joked with Chase and Zain, as everyone gathered at the table.
They’d invited Saylor, but she’d gotten called off on another water rescue with Raven’s Watch’s other crew.
Which wasn’t sitting well with Zain. He’d been noticeably quiet all night, glancing at the clock on the wall as if it held the answers to whatever weighed him down.
Greer’s phone rang just as they were clearing off the dishes, cutting through the easy atmosphere. She answered, nodding her head a few times. “I’ll be there in ten.”
Chase sighed. “Obviously, that was work related.”
Greer shoved the cell in her pocket. “Seems that rescue call Saylor went on turned out to be drug smugglers.”
Zain palmed the table as he pushed to his feet. “Is she okay?”