Page 164 of Death is Familiar

There was an exasperated sigh from the phone before Rochan ordered, “Hess, James—out. I need a word with Galt. Alone.”

“Ma’am, if you allow me,” Jack offered. “I can help translate.”

“Galt has two fully functioning ears. And this will only require him to listen. So, everyone, but Galt out. Am I heard?”

I wasn’t going to leave Todd, not when he’d just taken the fall. I was going to correct him, I’d make sure Rochan knew he wasn’t at fault. “Ma’am, I⁠—"

Every half-formed explanation evaporated as Todd let go of my belly, pulling me close. A half-smile on his lips, he raised a hand to cup my chin. Turning my face towards him, he lowered his mouth.

Oh my god, Todd was going to⁠—

His breath was a fan of warmth and cedar, pressing a gentle peck to my cheek. My world tilted on its axis, revolving around his lips on my skin. The butterflies in my stomach matched the pounding in my ears, both hammering a renewed riotous rhythm.

What the hell was happening?

“Go.” Todd pulled back with a grin, a dimple forming in his left cheek. “I’ll be fine.”

He smoothed a line over my brow, before leaving to collect an enraged Rochan off the mantle, ushering Jack and I out of the room.

My back pressed against the hallway wall next to Jack, I slipped to the floor as I tried reconcile what had just happened with the emotions cloying my heart.

Above it all, I just hoped that whatever plan Todd concocted kept him out of the firing line, because I was fairly certain he had just kept me out of prison.

38

It felt like an eternity of Jack pacing back and forth outside the office door, before Todd exited the room, handing the phone back to Jack, his face unreadable.

“Well?” I walked my hands up the wall until I was standing.

Todd cupped the back of his neck and rubbed as he made to walk past. “Nothing I wasn’t ready for.”

Arms out, I stepped into his path. “I’m not letting you past until you tell us what’s going on.”

“I could move you.”

“No one’s moving anyone.” Jack joined me in blocking Todd. “What do we need to know, Galt?”

Todd lowered his shoulders. “Rochan is deciding on a course of action.” He focused on a spot of great interest on the floor. “She’ll avoid putting it on the radar for a couple weeks, but then she’ll have to take corrective action.”

My arms faltered, lowering slightly. “You’ll be out of the FBI?”

Todd shrugged.

“What were you thinking, Galt?” Jack sounded hurt, with a kind of pain I couldn’t place.

“What was I thinking?” Something dark and fiery flared within Todd. “What was I thinking? I’m not the one who—” His fists clenched pulsing with the rage rising inside him, a rage not so different from my own. “You messed up. Royally. You put her at risk. I was getting the target off both your backs.”

“And instead, you made yourself the scapegoat.” I took a tentative step forward. “You didn’t need to do that for me.”

“Or me,” Jack chimed in. “We would have found a loophole. We will. I’ll make this right.”

“This is the loophole.” Todd swung his attention from Jack to me. “You are not going back to prison.” He said it with such certainty, I felt it in my core. “It’s not an option.”

Todd had potentially given up his career. For me. To cover for his friends who had made some questionable decisions. I pressed a hand to his chest feeling the thundering creature rattling his ribcage, wanting to be unleashed. “Do you want me to yell at you or thank you?”

My question caught him off-guard. A curl of raven-black hair fell into his eyeline, as he curled his fingers over mine. The thunderous beating slowed. “Neither.”

“Right answer.” I pulled my hand from his grip, a sly smile spreading on my face as I promptly slugged him in the arm.