Hidden Impact (Safeguard #1)(45)

“An-mei could read this just by looking at it.” Pride filled Maylin’s words. “I got out of practice after college so I need an online translator for the longer messages. This one, though, it’s short and simple. It’s how I knew she needed me.”

DNA and binary. Generally not things a person saw combined. Maylin and her sister had some serious brain power between them.

He stared at the letters. “What does it say?”

“Here?” Maylin pointed to the four groupings of letters on the first line. “It says ‘help.’”

Got it. Definitely alarming. “So it wasn’t just that she wasn’t logging in to play anymore.”

“That’s why I knew to look for her right away and not wait the forty-eight hours the police said I should.” She paused. “I should have shown you and your team. But I didn’t want you to dismiss me because of a kid’s secret code in a game app.”

Some kid’s code. It was pretty complex from where he was standing.

“We’re closer to finding her, aren’t we?”

Her hope just about ripped him up inside. “We’re narrowed down to the continent we’re on. We’ll see.”

They’d take it one step at a time, and hopefully, he wouldn’t have to tell her they’d reached the end of their resources.





Chapter Thirteen

“You can sleep if you want.” Gabe made the offer as he guided his car onto the main highway heading out of the Seattle airport.

Maylin smiled in spite of the anxiety pushing at her. The trip to DC and back had exhausted her. She was still processing what she’d learned from her encounter with Jewel and what Gabe had shared with her. But she didn’t feel any closer to finding An-mei.

Was it really likely that An-mei was still alive?

Was the situation better or worse?

What else could Maylin do?

Too many questions, and worse, every time she thought of the few hours she’d spent with Gabe in the hotel room she burned with embarrassment...and desire to do it again.

Oh, she didn’t regret. Not at all. She’d made the decision to change her focus drastically and he’d given her every chance to consider a different option. He’d been an incredible partner and had been considerate since.

But she’d gotten a good look at Jewel. Completely different in physicality, demeanor and personality. If Jewel had been a match for Gabe, how could Maylin be anything but a passing interest?

And if Jewel was one of the people who had An-mei, Maylin needed to find a way through the woman regardless of what she might still mean to Gabe.

Maylin almost laughed at herself. Considering the confidence in Jewel’s attitude toward Gabe and their common line of work, Maylin did not have the skills to get past either of them when it came to conventional means.

“Hey.” Gabe’s voice was kind, even a little teasing, maybe? He’d gone back to mostly gruff and neutral since they’d left the Centurion’s corporate headquarters. Withdrawn from her and hopefully mulling over the challenge ahead of them.

“Mmm?” She kept her gaze on the passing roadside as the view changed from buildings to trees to buildings again. They weren’t headed to downtown Seattle the way she was used to.

“I can almost hear the gears turning in your head.” Gabe reached over and held out his hand, palm up.

She blinked, unsure of how much the gesture meant. A sneaky warmth bloomed in her chest and she placed her hand in his. His fingers closed around hers and gently squeezed. So much reassurance in his touch. When he rubbed his thumb lightly across the back of her hand, her breath caught and delicious shivers ran along her skin.

“You barely slept on the plane.” Gabe accompanied the admonishment with a gentle squeeze to her hand. “This car ride isn’t going to be long, and you staying awake won’t get us there faster.”

She glanced at the speedometer. “Do you always follow the speed limit?”

“Not always, no.” He kept his attention on the road. “But I choose when to hurry.”

It sounded wise but there was more. Or at least she figured there ought to be. “Okay, I’ll bite. Why?”

“That a promise?” He shot her a playful glance and returned his attention to driving.

Reservations about comparing herself to Jewel evaporated, at least for the moment. She liked his kind of play. “Maybe. Depends on if you’ll return the favor.”

Not hard. But the idea of his teeth grazing her skin, gently pressing against her... Her breath quickened and her nipples tightened under her shirt.

“I’ll be sure to remind you about this mutual promise.” He continued to rub his thumb ever so lightly across the back of her hand. The sensation didn’t fade or lessen in impact.

He gave her one more squeeze and released her hand. “In the meantime, I’ll tell you why an experienced person doesn’t hurry up just to wait in every situation. It’s a waste of energy better spent when you actually need it.”

“I can see how that makes sense.” She considered for a minute. “You’ve been in situations where you had to do it. It mattered a lot.”

“People’s lives depended on it,” Gabe agreed. “If I didn’t have enough in reserve to do what had to be done—”