Page 69 of Lone Star Wanted
Ruby turned to Travis and gave him a once-over. Her eyes lingered on the bandage wrapped around his arm. “You’re on medical leave for at least two weeks,” she said flatly.
Travis scoffed. “It’s a scratch.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “It’s an order.”
Kincade bit back a grin as Travis gave a small, grudging nod. There was no winning an argument with Ruby when her voice took that tone. She didn’t just command operatives. She bulldozed resistance with a single look.
Ruby turned to Kincade. “You’re on mandatory leave, too. One week.”
That wiped away any trace of Kincade’s grin. “I’m not hurt.”
His boss slid a glance between Cassidy and him. “You two could use the downtime.”
Moran nodded in agreement. “Cassidy, I’ll extend your leave another week. It’s the least I can do.”
Kincade wasn’t used to being sidelined, especially not when he felt perfectly fine. But as he caught the faint smile Cassidy tried to hide, he decided he could live with it. He’d take the week. And if she was willing, he’d spend every minute of it with her.
Hopefully.
They hadn’t had a chance to talk about futures or what came next. But for the first time in a long time, the idea of a future didn’t feel so far off.
Ruby turned to Jericho next. “You’re good to go.”
Jericho raised a brow. “So I’m not on mandatory leave?”
She smirked. “No. But you can take Travis home. Make sure he doesn’t sneak back into work before those stitches even settle.”
Travis grimaced as if embarrassed by all the fuss. “It’s barely a scratch.”
Ruby ignored him and looked back at Jericho. “All of you can do your reports from home. Email them to me when you’re done.” She shifted her attention to Moran. “What do you need from them?”
Moran gathered his breath. “We’ll need to take your official statements for the county, but that can wait. It’s going to take a while to sort through everything Becker left behind.”
Kincade gave a short nod. He knew the fallout from all of this would stretch for days, maybe weeks. But at least the worst was behind them. Becker was gone. Travis was cleared. And for the first time in far too long, there was room to breathe.
Ruby and Moran wrapped up a few last words, then shook hands with Cassidy and Kincade before heading for the exit. Ruby gave him a quick nod, one that spoke of relief and trust, then disappeared down the hall beside Moran.
Cassidy turned to Travis and pulled him into a hug. He grunted, whether from the pain in his arm or the emotion, Kincade didn’t know. But he saw the way she held on, how tightly she clung to her brother.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” she murmured.
Travis pressed his cheek against hers for a beat, then whispered back, “Maybe now Alisha can rest.”
Cassidy nodded but said nothing, her eyes misting. Kincade looked away to give them a moment. As he did, he made a silent promise to himself to check on Alisha’s headstone. The explosion had rocked the cemetery hard. If the damage had reached her grave, he’d see to it that it was repaired.
Jericho motioned to Travis. “Come on, one-armed bandit. I’m driving.”
Travis gave Cassidy one last hug. “Behave yourself,” he said, and then slid glances at Kincade and her. “Better yet, misbehave. A lot. Do all those things I don’t want to hear about.” He flashed them a grin and walked out with Jericho.
Kincade reached for Cassidy’s hand. She laced her fingers through his, and they followed after. Outside, Jericho helped Travis into the van and climbed in behind the wheel.
Kincade and Cassidy peeled off toward the SUV. The night air settled around them, cool and quiet. The sky above was dark and cloudless, and for the first time in days, the weight pressing on Kincade’s chest seemed to lift. The storm had passed.
The moment they slid into the SUV, the door closed with a soft click and Cassidy reached for him. Their mouths met in a kiss that was anything but soft. It was heat and promise and raw need.
Kincade pulled her closer, his hand sliding up her spine, and she melted into him with a sigh that punched him straight in the chest. The kiss deepened, slow and hungry, and when they finally broke apart, her breath was ragged.
“So,” he murmured against her mouth, “you want to go home and get started on all that misbehaving your brother suggested?”
