Mission: Her Protection (Team 52 #1)(60)
Axel snorted. “Bring it, Mason.” Then he turned his head, his sharp gaze landing on Natalie’s date. A lean, handsome professor from the university. A man that had made Axel scowl the minute he’d joined them.
“What about you, Prof? Up for it?”
The man blinked. “Uh, sure.”
“Axel.” Nat’s tone held a thread of warning.
Axel held up his hands and shot her grin. “I’ll be gentle with him.”
Nat glared at him. But before the frisbee could go anywhere, everyone’s cellphones beeped.
Fuck. Lachlan pulled his cell out and watched concern cross Rowan’s face.
He pressed the phone to his ear. “Brooks?” He listened as the man spoke. Damn. “We’re on our way.”
As he tucked the phone away, he leaned down and kissed Rowan. “Sorry to leave you with the cleanup.”
“Don’t worry, Nat and I will take care of it.”
“I’ll let you know when I’ll be back.”
She went up on her toes and kissed him again. “Don’t worry. I’ll be here.”
And he knew she would be. Waiting for him. “Love you.”
She smiled. “Right back at you.”
“Stay out of trouble.”
She pulled a face and he kissed her again. Then he nodded to his team and they headed toward the SUVs.
“What have we got?” Blair asked.
“Problem at January James’ dig in Guatemala.”
His team snapped to attention.
“January sent word that she found something else. She was planning to fly out of the site today.”
“And?” Seth asked, face tense.
“The plane crashed in dense jungle. The authorities think it’ll take days to reach the crash site.” His gut hardened. “They said no one could have survived the crash.”
“Damn,” Blair murmured. “I liked her.”
Lachlan had as well. Seth just stared, something indefinable radiating off him.
“Brooks said there’s more.” Lachlan paused beside the Suburban. “He said the plane didn’t crash. It was brought down.”
“By?” Seth demanded.
“Don’t know. But we have to assume whoever was responsible was after January’s artifact.”
Seth yanked open the driver’s side door. “Let’s get moving, then.”
Lachlan nodded, sliding into the car. Time for his team to do what they did best.
Across the grass, he caught sight of Rowan. She raised her hand in farewell.
He lifted his chin and smiled. He loved his job, but even more than that, he loved knowing he’d be coming home to his woman. A woman who loved him, just as he was, and a woman who made everything worthwhile. He’d wade through the muck every day for Rowan.
She blew him a kiss and inside him, he only felt the light. Best damn feeling in the world.