Secret Agent Under Fire. Geri Krotow
you meet.”
Abi grunted. “Rio’s my boss on this case we’re working, so of course he’s going to be nice.” Kayla should see what a certain Chief Paruso had to say.
Kayla waved her doubt away with a flick of her callused hand. Floral work had to be incredibly tough on the skin. Abi got it. Handling a weapon, digging through arson scenes—they weren’t easy on the hands, either. She took a swig of her drink.
“Have you met anyone else in the area, Abi? Any cute, single guys?”
Abi choked on her coffee. “Jeez, you don’t waste any time, do you?” She’d met Kayla at the Silver Valley PD annual fund-raiser when she’d first arrived in town almost three months ago. They’d immediately hit it off, but Abi hadn’t taken Kayla up on her offer of friendship. Until this morning.
“Hey, we all need love.” Kayla’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. I hope I haven’t offended you, Abi. I’ll stop now.”
Abi laughed. “I am single, for sure, and I’d love to meet a guy to hang with after this case is done.”
“I have a single brother. Wait, you should have met him already. Keith Paruso?”
Blood left Abi’s head as she looked at the business card holder near the register. Kayla Paruso, Florist. Oh, no.
“No way.” She gulped. “I didn’t put it together.”
“No reason you should have. And, from your face, I can tell you did meet my brother and let me guess—he was his usual complete butt-headed self?”
Abi’s face went hot. “That’s not the word I’d use. He’s obviously dedicated to his job.”
Kayla threw a pair of shears she’d been using to cut florist’s tape onto the counter. “He’s a damned bastard to women. Did he make a pass at you already?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. At all. God, no.”
“He will, trust me. My brother’s a bit of a player, I’ll admit. I could blame it on recent political events in town, which could have cost him his job, but I’d be lying. He’s always been able to make women eat out of the palm of his hand.”
“He and Rio get along. Rio doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d be more than polite to another man he didn’t respect.”
Kayla’s face got all...mushy. “Rio loves me, so he’s going to love anyone related to me. It’s how he is. Trust me, though, if Rio thought Keith was a real jerk he’d be protective of me around him. And he’s never done that. They’ve worked together longer than I’ve known Rio.”
“Especially the last few months, I imagine.”
“Make it the last year and a half. It’s been nuts in this town. You know we lived all over as kids—Belgium, other places. Our parents worked for the government. We were exposed to so much, so young. It doesn’t take a lot to faze me. Or my brother. But having the entire town shook up by this crazy quasi-religious group, and Keith being accused of not doing his job right, along with the mayor being fired and a corrupt mayor getting elected before he got arrested, it’s been insane. Don’t think this is how Silver Valley normally is. We’re quiet here.”
“I think a lot of towns across Pennsylvania and the US are going through the same thing. Not with a nutso cult, but with drugs, violence. Heroin trafficking, the crimes related to addicts needing money for drugs—it’s all mushrooming.”
Kayla leveled her gaze on Abi—the same look Keith was fond of shooting at her and she’d only known him for three days so far. Was it usual to see a familial connection so quickly? To feel a sense of knowing these people she’d only just met?
“I know the facts, Abi. I read the paper online, along with other stuff. I really love reading the New Yorker. I get it. What’s hard is making the transition to the reality that these influences have landed in Silver Valley. Just five years ago it was so much quieter.”
It’d always been busy and “insane” in DC, so Abi couldn’t relate to that part. The sense of being out of control of her surroundings, of having her quiet world shattered by a freak accident when life had been going so well until then? Yeah, she got that part.
“Hopefully the work we’re doing at the station will help put Silver Valley back in the ‘sleepy’ category.” She took a last sip of her coffee before looking around for a waste bin.
“Here.” Kayla pointed at the chrome, bullet-shaped container at the end of the counter. “Sleepy sounds good about now.” She fiddled with a second tulip arrangement. This one was smaller, almost miniature, with pale peach tulips and daisies. And some other greenery Abi didn’t recognize.
“You mentioned starting a small business. What do you have in mind, Abi?”
“I’ve no earthly idea.” Actually, the tiny niggle of an idea had sprouted over the last day or two, but she wasn’t ready to commit to it. Commitment regarding anything wasn’t viable. Not until they dismantled the cult and Abi was at the epicenter of the takedown ops.
“You’ll figure it out. Have you thought of going back to school?”
“I did, but I’m not interested. I’ve spent enough time in classrooms.” And workshops and continuing certification for her weapons handling, physical fitness and knowledge of arson forensics. It made for a great résumé but Abi preferred to be outdoors, with no one grading her actions.
“Understandable.” The shop phone rang. Kayla looked at the ID. “I’ve got to take this, sorry. But I wanted to mention to you that there’s a great yoga class every Saturday morning in town. I think you’d enjoy meeting the other women that attend.”
“I’ll think about it. Take your call—it’s okay, I’m on my way out. Thanks for letting me chat.”
“Here you go.” Kayla handed Abi the peach tulip bouquet, now wrapped in a doily and cellophane and tied with a huge cream ribbon.
“Oh, thank you, Kayla!” Abi’s arms instinctively rose to give Kayla a hug but she was already answering the call. Kayla gave her a wink and a wave before giving her total attention to the person on the other end of the line.
Abi left the shop in a bit of a fugue. People being positive and upbeat for apparently no reason. This was what daily happiness was all about. Something that had eluded her during her time with the FBI, save for the brief fling and quick but doomed engagement to Fred.
Yeah, she could get used to a place like Silver Valley. Especially the “belonging” feelings. When she reached her car she dialed Keith’s number. He picked up on the second ring, his voice guarded.
But in less than thirty seconds they had scheduled a meet-up.
Keith waited for Abi at Cumberland Café, Silver Valley’s favorite breakfast spot. The place was jumping, as always, be it the Sunday morning after-church crowd or parents who’d stopped to let someone else prepare their breakfast after rushing their gremlins off to school. He kept his focus on the menu, trying like hell to ignore the way his anticipation roiled in his gut. He hadn’t looked forward to seeing a woman, professionally or personally, in forever. Or longer. At any rate, too long.
The bell above the door perked his attention and he allowed himself the gift of watching Abigail walk into the diner. She wasn’t tall but definitely not petite, either. Her figure was athletic, a testament to the chase she’d given the arsonist two days ago. It didn’t surprise him that his body responded to her sheer attractiveness, not that he was used to getting erections in public. The scorch of annoyance that he found it difficult to control his baser instincts made him stand and reach out his hand to hers before she was in arm’s reach. For crap’s sake, he must look like some kind of grade-school kid meeting the babysitter he had