Back outside in the parking lot, he waved toward his bike. “That’s me. I’m gonna take off.”
“Geo...” Rhys moved around in front of him. “I don’t think you should ride right now. Please, let me drop you somewhere.”
Geo met his eyes, the empathy in them sparking fresh tears. “I’m okay,” he said thickly. “But thanks, though.”
“You don’t seem okay.” Rhys’s voice was soft. “And believe me, I know something about what you’re going through.”
Of course he did. He’d been the one to find Tyler, like Geo’d been the one to find Cade...
He shook his head, and Rhys rested a hand on his shoulder. “Let me at least put you in touch with a friend of mine, okay? She’s a suicide survivor and has recently started counseling. Her name is—”
“Oh, I’m already talking to someone,” Geo broke in hastily before Rhys could go any further. “I’m going to see her now.”
Rhys still looked troubled. “I don’t think you should ride,” he said with quiet insistence. “I’ll be happy to take you over to your friend’s.”
At the thought, an almost-hysterical laugh bubbled up in Geo’s throat. How would Rhys react upon being directed to Lani’s apartment? Was he a possessive ex? A protective one? Geo didn’t think he wanted to find out. Not now, not when things were so new and tentative with Lani, when the last thing he’d ever want to do was upset her.
So Geo dredged up a smile. “I swear I’ll be fine, and if I do end up smearing myself over the I-5, I absolve you of all responsibility, okay?”
Rhys flinched. “Not funny, man.” With a resigned sigh, he stepped aside, and Geo nodded.
“I appreciate the concern, I really do.” He grunted. “And if you ever wanted to give Mullet a swift kick in the ass—”
“Oh, I look for those opportunities on a daily basis,” Rhys assured him. “I fuckin’ hate that guy.”
Straddling his bike, Geo yanked his helmet on and fired it up. He peeled out, Rhys and Matt watching helplessly as he roared away. Geo weaved in and out of traffic, speeding, taking reckless chances, welcome waves of adrenaline spurring him on.
He clenched his teeth so hard they throbbed. Would it really matter if one of the cars got lucky and took him out?
Downshifting, Geo leaned into the next curve, whipping past cars as if they were standing still. Faster, and faster, he accelerated again, anger toward Mullet, Cade, himself, blurring his vision and tightening his chest.
Who cares if I crash? Who’ll miss me? Who gives a shit?
Right then, his phone rang. Punching the Bluetooth, he croaked, “Yeah?”
“Hey, it’s me.” Lani’s soft voice cut through the chaos in his head. “I was about to run to the grocery store. Is there anything in particular you don’t like?”
In an instant, he snapped back to reality. What the fuck was he doing, taking chances like this? Slowing to a more manageable speed, Geo took the next exit off the freeway.
“Geo?” Now she sounded anxious. “You there? Is everything all right?”
No. Nothing was okay.
“Yeah,” he grunted. “It’s fine.”
“You don’t sound fine. Do you need me to come get you?”
“No.” Geo exhaled, long and slow. “In fact, I’m here.” His heart gave a giant leap as he roared into the parking lot and saw her running down the stairs to meet him. He killed the engine and pulled off his helmet as she hurried over, her gaze searching his face.
Doing his best to smooth out his expression, Geo called, “I’m fine.”
God, he was such an asshole for upsetting her, after everything she’d been through.
He’d just opened his mouth to say he’d changed his mind about staying with her, that it’d probably be best if he went back to his room, when she reached his side and took his hand.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” she said with a squeeze.
And suddenly, there was nowhere he’d rather be.
* * *
“I, uh, met Rhys today.”
Geo held his breath when Lani glanced at him before carefully setting down the cantaloupe she was inspecting. “Really? Where?”
He told her about the impromptu demonstration at the O-course, and Rhys’s volunteering to be his swim buddy. “He seems like a good dude.”
“He’s the best.” She smiled. “And I’m sure he enjoyed working with Bosch. Rhys has always loved dogs.”
There wasn’t any longing in her voice or on her face, just a fondness, a touch of nostalgia that flitted by and was gone.
Relaxing slightly, and wondering why her residual feelings for Rhys should even matter, Geo asked, “You guys never had one?”
She started pushing the shopping cart again. “Nah. Those first few years, we moved around so much, and I worked so many nights. It didn’t seem fair to get a dog.”
“Why bartending?” he asked curiously, suddenly wanting to know everything about her. What had been her hopes, and dreams, all the things that’d become secondary the moment Rhys entered the special operations pipeline?
“It was practical.” She shrugged, confirming his suspicions. “Every time I got a job, and got settled, it was time to move again. I eventually realized I needed something that I could get quickly, and could get anywhere, so I took a bartending course.”
“Do you like it?”
“I do. It’s not something I want to do long-term, though, so I’m thinking about other options.”
“Such as?”
“Not sure yet. I’m figuring things out one day at a time.” With a grin, she bumped him with her hip. “Prioritize and assess, right?”
“Right.” He bumped her back. “Now all I gotta do is get you exercising, and then you’re practically a SEAL, like it or not.”
She rolled her eyes. “Ha ha. Not gonna happen.”
They bantered and bickered as they wandered the brightly lit aisles of the grocery store.
“You sure learn a lot about someone from their food choices,” she commented at one point, glaring at the frozen dinners Geo’d piled up on one side of the cart.
“What?” He propped his hands on his hips. “I don’t know how to cook, and I certainly don’t expect you to do it all.”
“Well, I’m happy to teach you. It’s not hard to learn how to make simple, healthy, filling meals.”