Sam leaned closer, letting their shoulders touch. “I’m simply trying to make sense of it, Tori.” She turned then, meeting her eyes. “I’m a cop. He’s a killer. Yet we have this connection between us. I can’t explain it.”
“Like…like an attraction?” she asked hesitantly.
Sam gave a quick laugh. “God, no. Is that what you think?”
“I don’t know what to think,” she admitted. “I haven’t met the guy.” She ran a hand through her dark hair in frustration. “I just—”
“I know. You’re worried about me.”
Tori met her gaze. “Yes. I feel like he’s gotten inside your head.”
Sam nodded. “Yes. Yes, he has.”
“Sam…he’s a killer. He’s—”
“I know, Tori. Don’t you think I know all of that?”
Tori let out a breath. “I’m sorry. I’m trying—”
“I can deal with this.” Sam leaned closer and kissed her. “I love you, Tori. More than anything in this whole world. Don’t ever doubt that.”
Tori closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the closeness as Sam kissed her again.
“I know. I love you too.”
“Now, I bet there’s a beer calling your name,” Sam said. “I think sitting outside in the sunshine will be just the ticket.” She stepped away from Tori. “Besides, I’m looking forward to getting to know them better. Andrea seems very likable. Cameron has an edge to her.”
“Yeah, I told you, arrogant and bossy.”
Sam grinned. “Maybe that’s why I like her. She reminds me of you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cameron had just opened a beer and sat down in the lawn chair when she saw a flash of their truck through the trees. She turned back to the opened door of the motorhome. “They’re here,” she called.
“Try to be nice,” Andrea said from the doorway.
Cameron smiled. “Me?”
“Yes, you. I know you have questions for Sam, but let it go. It’s over with.”
Cameron nodded. Yes, she had questions. But it didn’t really matter any longer. Angel was in custody. Tori and Sam would be heading back to Dallas, and she and Andrea would head north to Colorado. Angel would already be back in Santa Fe by morning. Over and done with. But the nagging questions she had kept bouncing around in her head.
Something wasn’t right. As she’d said, it was too easy. Angel wouldn’t go down without a fight. Angel wouldn’t simply drive up to a checkpoint and essentially turn himself in. There had to be a reason. Every move Angel made, there had to be a reason for it. And she wanted to get Sam off by herself, away from Tori and Andrea, and get her feelings on it. But really, she should do what Andrea said. Let it go. They would enjoy the rest of the day, visit a little, drink a few beers and share an early dinner. Then tomorrow, they would go their separate ways and chalk this up as another mission completed.
If only it were that easy.
“I hope we’re not too early,” Sam said as she got out of the truck.
“No. Right on time,” Cameron said as she held up her beer. “First one.”
Tori came out holding up a six-pack. “We stopped at that little grocery store. Didn’t know what kind you drank, so I got what we like,” she said as she pulled two from the pack, handing one to Sam.
Cameron stood and took the beer from her. “I’ll put it in the fridge,” she said. “Sit down.”
“Does Andrea need help with anything?” Sam asked.
“No, we picked up some steaks. I think she’s got potatoes in the oven,” she said.
Andrea met her at the door and took the beer from her. “Go visit,” she said. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
Cameron returned to her chair, her gaze going to first Tori, then Sam. There seemed to be a little tension between them. She wished Andrea would hurry. She’d never been good with small talk.
“So…hell of a vacation, huh?”
“Oh, yeah. Ranks right up there with the best,” Tori said dryly, then turned to Sam. “Remind me to tell Casey ‘no’ the next time she invites us somewhere.”
Sam smiled at her. “She was only trying to get us away from Dallas for a while,” she said.
“Let’s try the beach next time.”
Cameron laughed with them. “Casey’s partner, Leslie…I guess she recovered okay?”
Sam nodded. “Yes. I talked to Leslie earlier. She seems fine. She’s going to take a few days off before she goes back to work though.”
“Good.” Cameron looked over at Tori. “Why FBI?” Tori raised her eyebrows and Cameron clarified. “Your best friends are with Homicide. You were a detective there too. You don’t seem FBI material.”
Sam laughed at that, and Tori scowled at Cameron. “Oh? And like you are?”
“No offense,” Cameron said. “Just…you don’t appear to put up with bullshit.” Cameron glanced up as Andrea joined them. “I don’t either. If I was stuck in an office having to follow goddamn protocol all the time, I’d shoot myself.”
Tori nodded. “Yeah, I hate that part of it.” She looked over at Sam. “Actually, I hate pretty much all of it.”
“You do?” Sam asked. “I thought you loved it.”
“No. It was a change I needed at the time, that’s all. Like Cameron said, bullshit and politics.”
“A large police force like Dallas, you wouldn’t think it would be much different,” Andrea said as she joined the conversation. “I used to work for LAPD. I remember well the bullshit and politics there.”
“There’s some, yeah,” Tori said. “But for the most part, our lieutenant dealt with that.” Tori looked at Sam. “I miss it. I miss the team.”
Sam reached over and grabbed her hand. “So go back.”
Tori nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it.”
Cameron watched as their eyes met, and she saw a gentle look pass between them.
“I think that would be wonderful,” Sam said as she squeezed her hand again. “Casey would love it.” Then Sam laughed. “I wonder how much trouble you two could get into.”
“Tori told me that you and she started out as partners on the force,” Andrea said.
“We did.” Sam nodded. “She was mean and bossy, and I’m pretty sure I called her a bully at some point.”
Andrea laughed. “I called Cameron a bully too. Among other things.”
Cameron looked at Tori with raised eyebrows. “Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?”
“Not a clue,” Tori said with a shake of her head.
“Tori hated partners,” Sam continued. “I think she was trying to run me off.”
Cameron’s phone interrupted their conversation, and she glanced at Andrea. “Murdock again? I thought he was going to spare us for a while.” She stood and pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Excuse me,” she said to Tori and Sam as she walked away before answering.
“Are you on the road yet?” he asked.
“No. Actually, we have company,” she said, tossing a quick glance over her shoulder. “Andrea thought an early dinner with Agent Hunter and Kennedy would be appropriate,” she said. “They’re heading out tomorrow too.”
He sighed. “Change of plans,” he said, and she recognized the weariness in his voice.
“What’s up?”
“Angel.”
Cameron frowned. “What about him?”
“He escaped. Took out eight goddamn men.”
“What the hell?”
“They were on their way to Santa Fe. Four marshals in a sheriff’s department van with him. Two deputies and our two agents were following behind in an unmarked car. They radioed in that they were stopping. They were on Highway 285,” he said.
“Why stopping?”
“He was taking them to the location of the money. That’s the last communication. When they didn’t show in Santa Fe, well…”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was. This all went down about two hours ago,” he said. “Details are still coming in.”