“Yeah, no kidding.” He released his seat belt and partially turned his bulk to face her. “I know you don’t understand this, but I can’t be thinking of you or Nari or Force when I go after Rock. It has to be just me, with no thought of the consequences to my relationship with any of you.”

She swallowed. “You think what you’re about to do will change you in our eyes?”

“Maybe. You’ve never seen that side of me, and I hope you never do.” His eyes were stark, but his voice strong. “Some things in life change us, Dana. Whether we like it or not.”

What would it be like to be on the other side of that wall he’d erected around himself? “Do you ever let anybody in?”

His chin lifted. “Be careful what you wish for. You might not like being in.” He opened his door and jumped out, letting the dog bound into the parking lot and hustle over to a wide grass field.

She stepped down and grabbed her pack, shutting the door. “Please tell me you’re not keeping distant for my own good? You’re not that much of a dumb ass, are you?”

“I don’t think so,” Wolfe said thoughtfully, visibly scouting the entire area. “I’m just trying to keep everything locked down until I finish this op. It’s how we were trained to conduct missions.” He rubbed his whiskered jaw. “Complications are to be ignored until they need to be dealt with.”

Oh really? Against all logic, she stepped right up to him, body to body. “Am I someone who needs to be dealt with?” Her voice dropped low. Husky.

He reached up, his thumb caressing across her cheekbone and down her face, his chest rising with a deep breath. “Definitely.”

Well, at least that was something. “What now?” Her body tingled with warmth, ready for action, primed after just one touch from him.

“Now?” He dropped his hand. “Now we grab an early lunch, try to keep Roscoe out of trouble, and then head to a family wedding where I’ll stick out like a serial killer who’s chasing you.”

She snorted. “You’re not that big.” In fact, he’d fit right in.

“If you say so,” he agreed.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Wolfe drove through the Tennessee countryside, feeling like he was going into battle. He’d never been to a family wedding. There were norms he had no clue about. Dana watched the trees fly by outside, in a cheerful mood, anticipation turning her eyes a sparkling emerald.

His normal phone buzzed, and he lifted it to his ear after glancing at the caller ID. “Hi, Brigid. What’s up?”