Page 96 of The Devoted Game

She took a spot next to him. “We should eat,” she said, though she wasn’t hungry. But eating was necessary to survival. Going through the motions would keep her from ruminating about those moments in that elevator shaft. “Maybe have some wine to ... help us relax.” Yeah, that would work. Wine usually helped her to relax.

His interest locked on her, but it was more suspicious than curious. “What’re you angling for, Grace?”

Time to confess. Today was, apparently, the day for confessions. Pierce had confessed to her, had even complimented McBride—in an offhanded way.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight, McBride.” She couldn’t bear the idea of going home by herself. Dammit. She just couldn’t be alone.

Since he was the last one to drive her SUV, he unlocked the doors and then pitched the fob to her. “I guess I’m going home with you, then.”

The drive across town took an eternity. McBride didn’t say a word. But then, neither did she. Her entire body and soul felt drained ... empty. As wiped as she was, those final seconds in that damned elevator shaft started playing again ... like a glitch in a streaming movie that kept bouncing back and going over the same scene again and again.

She’d held on as tight and as long as she could. Dropping Worth was the last thing she had wanted to do. An ache tore through her chest.

Just let go, Grace ... Just let go.

She bit her lips together, fought the urge to cry. All those times she had been so damned mad at Worth. And all he had wanted was to protect her. She was a damned rookie, and she should have respected his concerns about her ability to take on cases. Instead she had fought him at every turn. She had wanted more. Had a damned point to make.

He had still been protecting her in the end ...or we’ll both end up dead.

Pierce had been right. She had been running away from the past, pretending it hadn’t happened. Her determination to prove she was as good as or better than any other agent had been foolhardy and an unnecessary pain in the ass for Worth.

Now he was dead.

Fury tightened her jaw. She was going to find Fincher. He would not get away with this.

Birmingham PD was already parked at the curb in front of her house. She took the turn into the alley behind the row of town houses and headed for her garage.

A poke to the button on the overhead console sent her garage door into the open position. Each town house had its own garage tucked beneath the deck that overlooked the woods. With her SUV, it was a tight angle, but she had done it so many times that maneuvering between the support pillars and in through the door wasn’t so bad. She pushed the gearshift into park and shut off the engine. Another stab of the button, and the door lowered once more.

She thought about getting out, but moving suddenly seemed too monumental a task.

Food would help. Maybe have something delivered like last time. The clutter on the shelf-lined wall directly in front of her had her trying to recall the last time she had cleaned up out here. Just one of those things she never took the time to notice.

There were a lot of things she ignored. Her parents. Her personal life. It was easier to remain focused on her career. Less complicated. Less painful.

And in the blink of an eye it could all be gone. Just like that ... she mentally snapped her fingers ... over. As if to prove the point, the resignation on Worth’s face as he fell out of her reach flashed in front of her eyes.

She blinked it away. “I think I’ll order in Chinese.”

“I hate Chinese.”

The lack of enthusiasm in McBride’s voice matched her own.

“What about Japanese?”

“Same thing.”

Well, hell. “Pizza?”

“Don’t have the taste for it this evening.”

Okay, he was being a shit. She turned her head so she could look at him. “So what do you have a taste for?” She had to make some effort to move past this place.

“What’re we doing here, Grace?” He pointed his assessing gaze at her. “I don’t think this is about food.”

Frustration jammed into her chest. Of course it was about food. “We have to keep up our strength. Be prepared ...” She looked away, felt that weight of frustration and fatigue pressing harder against her sternum. “How else are we supposed to catch Fincher?”

“What do you want from me, Grace?” McBride choked out an abrupt sound disguised as a laugh. It wasn’t pleasant or amusing. “I warned you the legend was dead.Thisis as good as it gets.”