“Why do I get the feeling there’s a however attached to that?” Adam asked, sounding none too happy about it.

“The however is the second option. Which,” Quinn added rather pointedly as he looked at Mandy, “I’m only considering because of who you both are. A trained officer—” he waved off Adam’s apparently instinctive protest. Yes, that was something that definitely needed a lot of work. “And,” Quinn continued, “a far from helpless female.”

Adam sighed at the brush-off, but nodded at the latter, adding, “And the daughter of a brave cop who taught her a lot.”

“That, too,” Quinn agreed.

Mandy shifted her gaze to Adam. He seemed glum but resigned. His eyes met hers, and she realized with a jolt of certainty that he hated the idea of her risking herself, and was fighting his own innate instincts to let her make her own choice. As for why he hated the idea, over and above what any sane person would, she had her hopes, but this wasn’t the time. For now, it was enough that he wasn’t demanding she stand down.

Mollified, she looked back at Quinn.

“Go ahead. What’s the second option?”

Quinn grimaced slightly. “The one you suggested a while back.”

Her eyes widened. “Let them think I’m alone? Unprotected?”

“Change your mind, I hope?” Adam asked. His tone told her how deep that hope was.

“I... No, I just... Will they buy that? Whoever it is?”

“They might,” Adam said. “After we took down this last guy. Whoever’s behind it might believe we—or you—are deluded into thinking you’re safe now that he’s in custody.”

Slowly, she nodded. “Enough to let down my guard, so to speak?”

“Exactly,” Quinn said.

“I’m not leaving her,” Adam said firmly.

Quinn lifted a brow at him. “I assumed. So we’ll make a show of packing up and leaving.”

“But how do we do that and not really leave her unprotected?”

“Working on it,” Quinn said. “Liam, we’ll need the night gear and long guns.”

The young Texan nodded as if this was the kind of order he got every day, and left.

“Sounds like you have an arsenal,” she said.

“We’ve got a selection,” Quinn said.

“Surprising, on this side of the mountains,” Adam said.

Quinn’s mouth quirked. “Maybe less than you think. But it also helps that the government pretty much lets us alone.”

Mandy laughed. “I would think so, after you took down the governor.”

Adam blinked, his gaze shifting to Quinn. “That was you guys?”

“Brett Dunbar, mainly. We just helped, and handled the fallout.” He smiled then. “Well, still handling some of it, but yes, it did earn us a bit of ‘leave them alone’ status in a place where they normally can’t help themselves.”