Danger Close by Kaylea Cross

made no further comment about Wade’s reaction.
    “What’s up?” Wade asked, though he already knew. Bill wanted to talk to her about him . Find out what he’d told her about himself and Rahim, the investigation. Wade clenched his jaw. Erin had been through more than enough already, she was mentally exhausted, and surely to Christ she’d already been asked everything Bill had in mind by someone else. Likely more than once, repeating the questions in various ways to ensure her story never wavered and that she was telling the truth.
    “Just some more questions.” He gestured impatiently at her. “Come on. Won’t take long.”
    Erin set her mug down on the counter and straightened, flicking him a quick glance and the dread he saw in her eyes made him want to pull her into her arms.
    “It’s okay, he’s one of the good guys,” he said, putting his hands into his pockets so he wouldn’t be tempted to reach for her as she passed by. After she left the room felt too quiet, too empty.
    Shrugging off the strange thoughts, he turned his mind back to Rahim. Even with his substantial network overseas it still wouldn’t be easy for him to move around, especially while wounded. The Company didn’t know shit about his location at the moment. Wade had already told them he was convinced Rahim had crossed the border into Pakistan. The question was, where? Up to the tribal region to withdraw and heal up? To Peshawar? Karachi?
    It all depended on how severe the wound was and how brave Rahim’s contacts were feeling now that the heat had been turned way up. With the amount of money the U.S. government was offering through various back channels, it was likely some of Rahim’s biggest supporters over there would be tempted to give a tip regarding his whereabouts.
    He was still going over various scenarios in his head when Bill appeared around the corner and summoned Wade with a jerk of his head toward the hallway he’d just come down. Wade followed him to his office. Erin was seated opposite the wide desk, and the look of relief that flashed over her face when she saw him filled him with gratitude. He glanced at Bill.
    “She can stay,” he replied in a gruff tone as he seated himself behind the desk. “Close the door behind you.”
    Wade did and lowered himself into the chair next to Erin’s. He was close enough that he could smell her clean, sweet scent, but more than anything he was glad his presence seemed to comfort her. “So? What’s up?”
    Bill opened a drawer and pulled out a file, placing it on the desk and pushing it toward Wade. “New intel just came in a while ago from Kabul.”
    Wishing he would just say whatever the hell it was he wanted to say, Wade reached forward and took the file. He opened it to find a report about the checkpoint incident. He looked up at Bill. They’d been over all this twice already. “And?”
    “ And , take a look at the name on the bottom of the second to last page.”
    Wade flipped to the correct page and looked at the bottom. The name jumped out at him like a neon sign.
    Brayden Schafer.
    He snapped his gaze to Bill, aware of a sudden tension gripping his muscles. “What the hell is this? You think he had something to do with it?”
    Bill’s stare never wavered. “That’s what it looks like to us. All the signs point to him. He was in Kabul before and during the attack. He had contacts at Bagram who could easily have given him your travel itinerary. He had the means, the motive and opportunity. So yeah, at this point I’d say he had something to do with it.”
    Wade was already shaking his head. “No way. I know why you’d think that, but…no way.” Bad blood and worse history between them, yeah. Schafer trying to have him killed? And using Rahim’s network to do it? No fucking way.
    “I figured you’d feel that way.” Bill leaned back in his seat, dividing his gaze between him and Erin. Wade glanced over to find Erin watching him with a worried expression. “He