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“I understand you’re being truthful, but you should train with us today. I assume that’s what Del and Adam told you when you talked to them?”
She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and gave him a death stare. “No comment.”
He let the moment of silence stretch out as they studied each other. Autumn was vibrating with some kind of energy. He knew part of it was irritation, but she was wound so tight. Seth had afeeling that with one little argument, she would lose her barely controlled anger.
She needed to get out of there, and he needed her not to get her ass in trouble. He didn’t know why, but for some reason, he wanted to protect her from herself.
“Tell you what, I’ll have Rami lead the briefings this morning. Most of it is about Maui, which you don’t need since you lived there at one time. And let’s be honest, very rarely will you go over there to help out. We’ll be working with local law enforcement and the military.”
“Cool story, bro.”
The snark in her voice made him chuckle. Typically, if someone talked to him like that at work, he would smack them down for it. But she was different. She wasn’t in his chain of command, and she made him laugh with that tone.
“We’ll go out.”
“What? Why?”
Was that panic in her voice? “I want to get to know you better for team cohesion. Also, you probably know a few things about the islands, especially Maui, that could help in our training.”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I haven’t been back since I left.”
“I’m trying to give you an out today. Work with me here, Bradford.”
“I don’t want to be around you.”
He would like to say that it didn’t hurt hearing the words, but it did. He knew she was attracted to him but didn’t particularly like him. He had laid out his thoughts the other day, but she hadn’t told him as much as he had told her. “So, it’s me that’s irritating you?”
She sighed. “No. People. I don’t want to be around people.”
That was definitely true from her tone, but Seth knew of one thing that would get her out the door.
“How about we go have a snack—my treat. We don’t have to talk.”
She cocked her head to one side. “What are you up to, SEAL?”
He held his hands up again. “Nothing. Just giving you an option to do this rather than ignore a direct order from your team leader and Del.”
She sighed, and he knew he had won the argument. He didn’t pump his fist, but he wanted to. “Fine, but I expect food. Don’t pull an Ian.”
That guy. He knew she saw him as her brother, but it annoyed Seth when the guy’s name was mentioned. “What’s anIan?”
“He lures me out of the office for food, then we end up at his place, and I have to cook.”
“You can cook?”
She held up her finger and wagged it back and forth at him. “Nope. Not falling for it. You have ten minutes, or I’m bailing on my own.”
And then, with that, she left him alone. She was definitely a little more relaxed, knowing that she was getting out of the office. Seth was sure it had more to do with her needing space and less about that case or even him.
One thing was for sure, if he didn’t make it out there in ten minutes, Autumn would leave him. He grabbed his gun and headed out into the bullpen. With a motion with his head, he got Rami to join him.
“I need you to handle the Maui discussion this morning.”
They were set to review some of Maui’s known local gang affiliations.
“Okay, any particular reason?”
“Remember that time you needed a break from training a month back?”
