Humor curled Novak’s mouth. He shook his head. “Any issues. Any of you,” he included the new team members in this comment, “come to me. It’s been a rough week for all of us. You need to talk, you come find me.”

They all nodded in agreement and then Shane and Griffin looked at one another after the boss left. Griffin’s mouth pulled to the corner reflecting exactly what Shane was thinking. No way in hell would any of them go crawling to the boss with “issues.”

Shane held out his good hand to the each of the newcomers. “Welcome to the best squad in US law enforcement. Don’t fuck it up.”

Griffin’s hand squeezed his. “I don’t intend to.”

Neither did Shane. Hopefully.

5

“You could come out for a meal with us.” A dimple flashed beside Laura’s red-lipstick-painted smile as she slid behind an empty table. “Make it a threesome.”

Yael slumped beside her friend who bumped her shoulder.

“I’m kidding.”

Yael shook her head, a reluctant smile curving her lips. “I’m too tired to socialize and I have an early start tomorrow.”

“You’re always too something to socialize.”

“I think the word you are looking for is ‘antisocial.’”

“Well, you’re not too old to change, Grandma.”

Yael stuck out her tongue at her friend. Laura might be right, but tonight wasn’t the night to change the habits of a lifetime. She tried to push aside the downbeat feeling that had been plaguing her for the past week, but the events of Houston had formed the background to every waking thought, every breath.

Laura had begged Yael to accompany her tonight because she’d arranged to meet some guy online for a date. Yael had agreed because, after relocating down here from DC, Laura had spent the last two days helping Yael organize her amazing new home as well as Cramer, Parker & Gray’s new satellite office. The company had paid a removal firm to schlep the furniture and boxes, but there were always a million things to take care of.

Laura took a sip of her wine. A couple of years ago she’d been blissfully married to the love of her life. Then he’d left her for a woman barely out of her teens and it had done a number on her friend’s self-esteem. Yael had checked out the ex and his new wife online and they looked nauseatingly joyful. A constant thorn in Laura’s psyche.

“We should go on vacation somewhere together,” Laura mused. “The Maldives or Greece.”

Yael stared at the table. She’d always wanted to travel but didn’t have a passport. “Maybe.”

“You could bring your art supplies and sit around looking all moody and artistic. I could order food and drink and interact with the locals.” Laura raised a finely plucked brow suggestively.