Despite It All by Reese Knightley
Greene
He leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb, half inside and half outside, denying the itch to smoke again.
He glanced at Forest’s brother. They could have been identical, but Mason’s hair was black. Was it dyed? Were they both blond or had they been born different? Either way, he’d bet money that Forest’s hair was not bleached.
Mason had arrived about twenty minutes ago, and the brothers got into a heated discussion away from him and the unit’s hearing. He didn’t like that, but other than confront the guy, there wasn’t much he could do at the moment.
After the argument, Mason had shrugged out of his coat and started in on Summer’s laptop.
He would have thought Forest wanted first crack at it, but the agent had backed off and let Mason take the lead.
“She’s got a copy of the same recording,” Mason said.
Old news, and no closer to finding Summer or the mole. They were striking out all over the place and it was irritating as fuck. Something else was also irritating as fuck. Forest hadn’t looked at him since he’d closed the guy out last night.
Couldn’t a man take a goddamned minute to process what had happened? Apparently not. So sue him if he didn’t have the words after that foggy brained, air altering exchange on the couch.
“Tell us something we don’t already know.” He took his frustration out on the brother. They were going in circles. “We’ve heard that recording.”
“Hey, back off,” Forest snapped, coming out of the kitchen with a fresh cup of coffee.
“Or what?” He shoved from his lean and stepped closer, gazing down into that upturned flushed face. There was very little sign of the laughing man eating ice cream or the gasping man coming on his stomach.
“I’ll kick you in the nuts.”
He blinked, his mouth gaped, and laughter rang through the room. Forest marched around him and over to place the cup near Mason. He didn’t mind, at least he’d gotten a reaction.
“Thanks, bro.” Mason flashed a smile at Forest.
“I always have your back.”
Great, Mason and the guys get a smile and he gets threats to his junk. That seemed to be the fucking story of his life. The short end of the stick, the shortest straw had his name written all fucking over it.
He scowled at Forest’s brightly colored hair, remembering the way it felt against his fingers. No hair should feel that soft or smell that good. Like a fucking fruit basket.
“Quit scowling,” Forest admonished, finally looking at him, defiance written all over his face.
He gnashed his teeth and stalked into the kitchen to get his own damned coffee. He didn’t need anyone to wait on him. He didn’t need bright smiles, soft voices, or fresh fucking coffee.
Stopping short, he spotted a mug he’d used earlier filled to the brim with hot, steaming coffee and cream. It was just sitting there on the counter, like a beacon of fucking light.
Blowing out a breath, he cupped the mug between his hands and took a deep grateful drink. The liquid was warm and creamy. While he’d chained smoke last night, he’d gone almost a half an hour without a cigarette this morning. He was on the verge of going ballistic.
Coming back to the doorway, he leaned there, sipping coffee, and eyed the smug looking man across the room.
Seemed he wasn’t the only one counting the minutes since his last smoke.
He thought for a second to say thank you, but figured he was owed the coffee due to the kick in the nuts comment.
“I found the invoice.” Mason glanced up at Liam, rolled back from the laptop, and gestured to the screen.
Forest, clutching his mug, hurried closer to check out the information on the computer.
The coffee mug tipped and wobbled, splashing hot brew over Forest’s hand and the man yelped.
He slammed his own mug down, snatched up a wad of paper towels, and launched across the short distance to Forest. Plucking the mug from Forest’s hand, he wiped the bottom of the cup. He placed the mug down and lifted Forest’s damp hand. Examining his fingers, he found them reddened, but not burned.
“Here.” He wrapped the paper towel carefully around Forest’s hand, ignoring the various stares in their direction.
“Thank you,” Forest said softly, eyes searching his face.
He grunted, avoided the stares, and retreated back to where he’d been, lifting his mug. They could stare all they wanted, he didn’t fucking care.
It took a full five seconds before people turned back to Mason and the computer.
“So…” Mason cleared his throat and stared at Liam. “The invoice Summer found is connected to a rental truck company.”
“Terrorists and rental trucks are a fucked-up combination,” he growled the obvious.
“All right, you two, go check into the rental trucks,” Liam ordered Holden and Beckett.
Forest jumped on the phone. “I’m sending a few agents to meet you,” Forest told Beckett.
Beckett’s curly, dark-haired head popped up. “They’ll keep it official.”
Holden grunted and Beckett shot him an annoyed look.
Forest called Agent Renee Fossil and had her take an FBI team to the rental truck address.
Beckett took a picture of the rental agreement on Summer’s computer, and Holden and Beckett left a few moments later, closing the door quietly behind them.
“There’s an encrypted file,” Mason murmured, clicking away at the computer.
“Seems to be a lot of those,” he groused.
“I got it,” Mason said, his voice a growl. “It’s another invoice for the same truck company. Only this is for the local storage section. The place is massive and open twenty-four hours a day.”
“Does it have a container number?”
“No.” Mason shook his head.
“Oh, this just keeps getting better,” he growled.
“Eagle, Link, go catch up with Holden and Beckett. Check out that trucking company and that goddamned storage. Be careful,” Liam snapped.
“I’m coming with you,” Forest said, checking the clip on his weapon.
Mason stood when Forest did and pulled his weapon from his shoulder holster before checking the clip.
“I guess we’re all going,” he rasped with a grimace at Liam. The colonel gave a short nod.
Forest shot him a look.
Eagle grinned with a shrug. “More the merrier. You drive.” Eagle tossed Mason the keys.
“I don’t drive.” Mason tossed the keys back to Eagle.
“What do you mean, you don’t drive?” Link asked as he followed the pair out the door.
“What part of I don’t drive did you not understand?” Mason’s voice faded when he stepped outside.
Mason sounded so much like Forest that he snorted on a laugh and followed the crowd outside.