“Yeah, about that.” She paused. “I think I would sleep better if you were here. There’s tons of extra rooms. And not just for my safety, although I selfishly have to admit that is top of my mind. We still don’t know if the cartel has you in their sights. But if you stay here, we know you’ll be safe.”

Zane didn’t know how to take Cass’s comments. She’d been acting a bit strange lately. As far as their relationship went, what was once completely platonic, with not a dash of romance, had started to become a bit of something else. And while Zane had to admit that he was attracted to her, he wasn’t sure that getting involved with his partner was the best idea. Especially given the dangerous circumstances they found themselves in.

But the last thing he wanted to do was push her away, so he was trying to walk a fine line. And her idea did have some merit. He just had to make sure he kept strict boundaries in place. “Sure, if it makes you feel better. Like you said, this place has four bedrooms, so I’m sure we can stay out of each other’s way. I want to make sure you have your privacy.”

Cass laughed. “Since when do you care about that? This coming from the man who made me change outfits in the back of an SUV in Costa Rica.”

Zane had completely forgotten about that. “That was out of necessity. And you know I wasn’t watching.”

“Of course you weren’t. That’s my Boy Scout.” She placed her hand on top of his. “All joking aside, you really have been there for me, and that’s something I’ll never forget.”

He tried not to think about how it felt to have her hand touching his, and instead tried to focus on coloring within the lines. He gave her fingers a pat with his other hand and then broke away from her. “Like I said, Cass, we’re in this together.” Anxious to change the subject to something more work-related, he said, “We’ve done a second run on everything. Everyone on our team, even the support guys, has come up clean. No connection to the cartel or to any organized crime. All background checks are clear.”

“You didn’t really think it was someone on our team anyway, did you?” she asked.

“No. But we had to check.”

“We have to start looking at people working at headquarters. That’s why I mentioned Mason. But there are other higher-ups we could consider. They could be playing both sides. It pains me to say it, but you know it’s true. The more powerful these guys get, the more likely that they could be turned for a lot of reasons.”

“Aren’t you the cynical one?”

“I always am. It’s one of my best qualities, right?” She smiled.