Page 41 of Broken Trust
Henner leaned back in his seat with a heavy sigh. “Damn, is that really the time?”
Mason glanced at the clock. So much for catching breakfast or even lunch with Elin—it was dinnertime. “I prefer raids to this kind of work.”
He set aside his headset and pushed to his feet, his spine popping as he stretched to his full height.
Henner chuckled. “We could use a masseuse on base.”
He grunted. “That’d be nice. But May wouldn’t like another woman rubbing down her partner.”
He threw Mason a slanted grin. “You’re probably right. I’m going to grab some dinner with her, then she’s taking me down into the casino. You been yet?”
“No. I heard the guys talking, though. Con’s got me on a short leash.” Actually, he was beginning to wonder if hiscommanding officer was giving himallthe jobs to keep him from distracting Elin. He hoped to hell Elin was having better luck with her hunt than the dead ends he and Henner had come up against all day.
Henner scraped his fingers through his hair that had been flattened by the headset. “Check it out when you can. I hear it’s pretty great. We’ve been on this base for a couple years now. I can’t believe we never found the hidden room.”
He rubbed the spot of strain between his eyes. “We’ve been busy hunting terrorists.”
He huffed a laugh. “Ain’t that the truth. Catch ya later, man.”
Mason gave him a nod of farewell. Now that he was free for the time being, he knew exactly what he’d do with his time.
When he entered the computer lab, Elin’s chair sat empty. Her monitors were dark. No Sophie or Dante either.
Her absence felt wrong—she’d been practically living in that space since arriving at Blackout, matching his long hours with her own relentless drive.
He began a sweep of the mansion, systematically checking the common areas, followed by the kitchen. Finally, he checked her bedroom. But after knocking softly, she didn’t answer.
He hesitated for a beat before cracking the door to see if she was asleep.
She wasn’t there either.
A prickle of unease ran down his spine. She couldn’t be finished with her work so soon.
But what if shehadcompleted her contract and left the base without so much as a goodbye?
Hadn’t he done that very thing to her?
His lungs felt too tight to allow air, every breath a reminder of the fact that he had no ties to Elin.
He headed downstairs again. There were two places he hadn’t checked yet—the casino and the patio.
When he reached the kitchen, he caught movement outside on the patio. Sinner stepped out of the bright orange halo of the setting sun.
Then he saw her.
Elin stood near Sinner, her body language practically vibrating with anticipation. She’d thrown a long cardigan over her tank top and leggings, one of those enormous sweaters she was so fond of curling up in during her downtime. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun that made his fingers itch to free it.
Even from this distance, he could see the way she shifted her weight from foot to foot.
Shopping bags were scattered in front of the outdoor kitchen as Sinner stocked the supplies. As Mason looked on, he reached into a shopping bag at his feet and handed Elin a small brown bag.
Mason’s brows slammed together, and his hand twitched toward the door handle. But he held his ground, unsure whether or not to intrude.
Elin clutched it like a lifeline, her whole face transforming with relief and something that looked almost like giddiness. She spoke rapidly to Sinner—thanking him, probably—then practically ran toward the house.
Mason ducked around the corner, out of sight. She hurried for the stairs with whatever Sinner had procured for her, leaving Mason standing there, listening to her fading footsteps.
What the hell was that about?
