Page 20 of The Scenic Route
“We’ll remember that,” Felicity said, giving him a wave as he turned to make his way toward the exit.
Callum focused on the two remaining firefighters. “Finn, Kieran.” His tone and short nod were so beautifully dismissive, Felicity vowed to remember how he did it and practice in front of a mirror. The thought of having the power to make people leave with a word and simple glare made her practically giddy.
Although Finn hesitated at first, his curiosity obvious, he eventually caved to Callum’s dismissal. Raising a hand, he smiled at Felicity and Bennett. “Good to meet you.” Kieran dipped his chin, and both men turned to leave. Before they’d gotten past two tables, Finn was hailed by a middle-aged couple, and the two stopped to talk—well, Finn stopped to talk. Kieran’s shoulders dropped in what looked to be a long sigh, and he gazed—scowling, of course—over the heads of the couple.
As Callum pulled an unused chair from a nearby table, Felicity gave him a nod. “Impressive.”
He settled across the table from them, angling his chair so his back wasn’t fully to the room, and lifted an eyebrow in a way that asked her to elaborate as clearly as if he’d said the words out loud.
Felicity had a feeling she was going to steal all sorts of gestures from him over the next few days. His body language was just soeffective. “You got rid of them so quickly with minimal talking. Nice.”
Bennett shifted beside her, drawing her gaze to him. “I talkminimally.” Although his expression was still impassive, she detected a hint of wounded pride in his tone.
She patted his shoulder. “You’re both very efficient with your word use. Good job.” When he frowned at her, she choked a little on the laugh that wanted to escape before turning back to Callum. “I suppose you want the murder club meeting minutes?”
“Lou already texted me the highlights.”
Felicity wasn’t surprised or bothered by that information. Apparently this was the week of trusting complete strangers.
“What’s your plan?” Callum asked straight-out.
“Depends.” When his mouth flattened in what she assumed was dissatisfaction in her answer, she elaborated. “The next step is to check out the militia’s compound. After that, it depends on what we learn.”
He eyed her for a moment and then dipped his chin in a nod. “Keep us updated.”
Felicity snorted. “Do you think for a second that your wife would allow anything except hour-by-hour progress reports?”
His smile transformed his face, making him look sweet and tender for just a second before his impassive expression returned. “Good point.” He stood to leave. “Stay safe.”
“You too.”
As Callum walked away from their table, Bennett eyed her with amusement. “It’s not like he’s going on the stakeout with us,” he said. “He’ll be lounging around at home. I think he’ll be safe.”
She shrugged, settling back in her chair. Her shoulderpressed just a little bit more firmly against his upper arm, and she couldn’t bring herself to mind. “He’s a rescue diver. I’m sure he needs to take extra care to stay safe. Or even driving home on these twisty mountain roads. Besides, it’s a good habit to get into, staying safe.”
Bennett snorted, his arm draping behind her chair. It wasn’t touching her, but it still gave her the feeling of being surrounded and protected, as if allshehad to do to stay safe was continue to sit next to Bennett Green with his arm wrapped around her. “Says the adrenaline-junkie bounty hunter.”
She grinned, not at all offended. “There’s safe, and then there’sboring.”
“Boring is something you’ll never be.”
***
I might not be boring, Felicity thought, tapping her fingers against the armrest on the SUV’s door,but stakeouts always are.
Part of the problem was that the single-level, concrete-walled building that made up the militia’s home base was sitting on a high plain that stretched, mostly treeless and flat, to the base of the encircling mountains. Even though it was dark, it was impossible to get close to the compound without being spotted. The barbed-wire fence didn’t provide any concealment either, and without much of a moon, there was no way Bennett could see well enough to drive without his headlights on. Therefore, they were parked on the side of a dirt road, too far away to see anything except the very occasional flash of headlights from someone passing through the automatic gate providing access tothe compound.
Frustrated, Felicity brought her night-vision binoculars up to her eyes, then almost immediately returned them to her lap.
“This is a waste of time,” she said.
Even though she’d just broken a five-minute silence in the SUV, Bennett didn’t jump at her sudden outburst. Instead, he calmly turned his head to look at her, staying silent.
She took that as a request to elaborate. “Even if Dino strolled out of the compound right in front of us, we’re too far away to recognize him. We need to get closer.”
He reached for his door handle. “Then let’s get closer.”
Felicity blinked at the seat where Bennett had just been sitting. “That was easy.” For some reason, she’d been expecting him to protest, but he was a PI, after all. It wasn’t like he worked at a desk job when he wasn’t tailing her around the mountains. He was likely used to action and occasional danger.
