“I don’t really know that much about Pop’s employees,” Bubba admitted. “I mean, the ones he dealt with on a regular basis. The suppliers or even the managers at the factory.”
“It seems to me that Sean Kassamali is the prime suspect here,” Rex said. “He’s been in business with your dad since the beginning, right? What if he found out about the will, and that he wouldn’t be getting as much of the business as he felt he deserved? He could’ve been really pissed off about that. It wouldn’t make me happy to put in all that work, then get screwed out of what I might feel I deserved.”
“Every single word you just said could apply to Malcom too,” Rocco said dryly.
“Fuck, you’re right,” Rex said.
“Wait, didn’t the lawyer arrange for the private plane?” Rocco asked. “Or have his assistant do it? Could he be in on it too? Maybe he was upset that Colin didn’t leave him anything? It’s not common for lawyers to get a portion of estates, but he’s been your dad’s lawyer for about the same amount of time that he’s worked with Sean.”
Bubba knew this was what the team did when they were trying to figure something out, but the fact that it was his life they were dissecting was disconcerting. “I asked about the pilot and Kenneth’s wife said Eve had come highly recommended by one of her husband’s clients.”
“Kenneth could’ve thought that everyone would just assume the plane had crashed, killing the pilot and everyone onboard, and he’d never be looked at twice,” Rocco said.
Bubba’s head hurt. He didn’t like thinking about people he’d known for most of his life plotting to kill him.
“Maybe Bubba wasn’t the prime target,” Phantom said. “Maybe Zoey was. What do we know about her? Any ex-boyfriends in the picture? Her mother isn’t exactly winning the award for mom of the year, maybe someone did this to get back at her?”
“Enough,” Bubba said, standing, his chair making a screeching sound as it dragged along the floor. Which didn’t help his aching head. “We could sit here all day and dissect my life, Zoey’s life, and the life of every fucking person I’ve ever met, but it won’t do any good without hard evidence. We have to wait on Tex and the cops in Alaska to figure this out.”
“You can’t put your head in the sand on this,” Phantom insisted. “Shit isn’t all sunshine and roses.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Bubba asked his teammate, resting his palms on the table in front of him and letting his head drop. “I’m perfectly aware that someone tried to kill me. That even if they weren’t after Zoey, she was caught up in this bullshit too. I’m pissed off, even more so because it’s likely someone I know. But I’m even more upset because I was robbed of the opportunity to pay my respects to my pop the way I should’ve. I’m angry at myself for not getting to Juneau to see my pop one more time before he died. And now I have to wonder if the same person who tried to kill me didn’t also succeed in killing my father. So yeah, I know about the sunshine and roses thing, but I’d appreciate you not throwing it in my face.”
Bubba was panting by the time he was done with his tirade, but he was just so fucking tired. Tired of the regrets. Tired of trying to think about who hated him so much that they thought it was preferable to kill him than to confront him.
“Sorry, man,” Phantom said. “I was out of line.”
Bubba sighed and ran a hand over his face. “No, you weren’t. I was. I’m sorry.”
“Tex’ll figure this out. He’ll use those connections of his to find the pilot and get the information he needs out of her. This’ll be over before you know it, and you and Zoey can stop worrying about looking over your shoulder and instead concentrate on getting on with your lives,” Phantom said.
Bubba knew his friend was doing his best to be supportive, and he appreciated it. “Thanks. I hope so. Are we done here?” he asked, looking at Rocco.
His friend nodded. “Yeah. You look exhausted. Go home.”
“Thanks,” Bubba said. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d bugged out of work early, but he was tired and stressed and hadn’t truly realized how hard it would be to be away from Zoey all day. After spending every minute of his time with her for a week straight, and being responsible for her safety and well-being, he was feeling their separation acutely. He wondered if she felt the same or if he was completely crazy.
Deciding not to call her and let her know he was leaving work early, he did his best to not break all the speed limits on the way to his house. He pulled into his driveway and parked and checked inside his house for Zoey. When he didn’t find her, he immediately left and headed across the street.
He knocked on the door and waited impatiently for Jess to come to the door. When it finally opened, he was relieved to see Zoey standing there.
“Mark! It’s early, what are you doing home? Is everything all—mumph!”
Bubba didn’t know what came over him. The discussion with Tex. The stress of someone wanting them dead. Missing her. Seeing her smiling and happy and safe. All of it coalesced into a physical need to touch her.
His mouth came down on hers mid-sentence, and he sighed in relief when, instead of asking what the hell he thought he was doing, her arms immediately came up and gripped his biceps, pulling him into her rather than pushing him away.
She felt amazing.
The connection that he’d felt between them seemed to grow and solidify as they continued to kiss. Her head tilted to the side and he felt her go up on her tiptoes to try to get closer. Bubba wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into him so they were touching from their hips to their chests. Her hand moved to his back and he felt her fingernails digging in as she tried to fuse herself to him.
She tasted like tea and peppermint, and he couldn’t get enough.
He had no intention of pulling away from her, but Jess’s voice cut through the haze of lust and need that had overtaken him like a wet blanket.
“Not that I’m opposed to you two going at it on my front steps, but I’m guessing the other neighbors around here who aren’t as open and easygoing as I am might have a problem with it.”
Bubba felt Zoey jerk in his arms and he reluctantly pulled back. He stared into her eyes and was overjoyed to see the same need that he felt deep in his soul. Tenderly smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear, he leaned down and kissed her gently this time. A short touch of his lips to hers that did nothing to mollify the need inside him.
But somehow knowing that she felt the same desperation he did, that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, made him settle. She was here, safe, and he’d do whatever it took to keep her that way. If Zoey thought he was going to let her go back to Alaska after Tex figured out what the hell was going on, she was very wrong. Rex’s words came back to him, and he refused to let her go and have one more regret heaped on his soul.
Turning his head but keeping his arms around Zoey, he said, “Hey, Jess. Thought I’d come home early today and make sure all was well.”
The older woman cackled as if he’d said the funniest thing she’d ever heard. “Good God, man, it’s not as if we spent the day polishing our rifles and building bombs or anything. Zoey and I have simply been getting to know each other.”