I’m not so sure I’ll be a friend to any of you once I bust your older brother.
In fact, she was pretty certain she was going to be the most hated person among the whole Colter family. Her heart clenched at what the conclusion of this investigation was going to do to them, especially Tate.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Chloe explained. “Tate texted me yesterday that he’d found you, but you weren’t here earlier this morning.”
“I—I was—”
“She was with me. My place was closer and she was stranded out in the cold,” Tate told them smoothly.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Chloe said with a smile.#p#分页标题#e#
Lara smiled back at the attractive brunette. Gabe Walker couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Chloe. Interesting.
Blake looked at Tate, confused. “If you were at your place, why couldn’t you just take the Jeep and p—”
Tate shoved his elbow into his brother’s stomach.
“Ouch. What the hell was that?” Blake complained and rubbed his sore abdomen.
“Sorry,” Tate apologized with a total lack of remorse. “Lara and I were just on our way out. We’ll talk later.” He gave his older brother a warning look to stop talking.
Lara watched the interaction between the two of them with interest, but let Tate take her hand and lead her to the door. She picked up her outdoor gear from the chair and handed Tate his jacket.
The three visitors left with promises to meet up at a later date, leaving Lara and Tate to follow.
“Did you say you were packing?” Lara asked, nervous about going out to the airfield and what they might find there. Tate had said Marcus had been delayed by weather and hadn’t arrived yet, but wasn’t sure when he was due to come in.
Tate turned his back to her. “Do you want to feel my gun?” His voice was full of innuendo.
After she pulled the door closed and dropped the plastic key into her pocket, she put a hand to his back. “Big gun,” she commented as she felt the back holster before he put his jacket on.
“Baby, everything I have is big.” He winked at her. “My hands are larger. I need at least a standard sized gun.
“Harder to conceal,” she shot back at him as they walked down the hall to the elevator. “Bigger isn’t always better.”
“But in some cases it’s definitely preferable.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her as he waved her into the elevator first.
“Sometimes guys who have big things don’t always have the best equipment. They’re compensating.”
“You know that definitely doesn’t apply to me.” He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling devilishly.
Wicked man. But she couldn’t really argue much about that. Tate had absolutely nothing he needed to compensate for.
Their moods sobered as they exited the resort and Tate opened the passenger door of his heavy truck for her, another first. Guys didn’t open doors for her…ever.
He jogged around to the driver’s side and slid into the seat. “Let’s get this over with. I can think of much more enjoyable things to do.”
Lara swallowed hard to remove the lump from her throat. “Tate, I’m sorry—”
“Don’t apologize,” he rumbled. “Marcus has nothing to do with anything remotely illegal or harmful to anyone. I know my brother.”
The evidence against Marcus Colter was irrefutable. The shipments had been purchased by him, and the cargo transported to Rocky Springs. It was killing her that Tate was going to be shattered, but it was unavoidable.
“I hope you’re right,” she answered simply, knowing he wasn’t, but wishing that by some impossible miracle that he really did know his eldest brother better than the FBI.
“I don’t suppose you have a key,” Lara asked Tate hopefully as she stood at the regular entrance door for the enormous new hangar that had been completed over the summer. She wrapped her arms around her body and hopped from one foot to the other to try to stay warm. The sun was out, and the day was crystal-clear after the storm, but it was bitterly cold.
“I don’t need a key.” Tate dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a jackknife, extending a portion that had several different thin metal extensions.#p#分页标题#e#
“You’re going to pick the lock?” Her teeth started to chatter.
He crouched down without answering and the door popped open in under a minute. “I wasn’t breaking in. I was just opening a door on my property in an unconventional manner.” Tate swung the door open and motioned her in. “You wanted in to take a look around…you’re in.” His voice was gruff as he put the knife back in his pocket.