Storm's Cage by Mary Stone (uplifting novels .TXT) 📕

A gust of temperate air rushed into the car as Joseph pulled open the driver’s side door and took his seat behind the wheel.

When his pale eyes settled on her, his expression turned curious. “You okay?”

Amelia straightened her back, not wanting to let her tension show. Not with Joseph.

As he kept staring at her, she was tempted to punch him in the nose. She managed to bite back the urge by the skin of her teeth. She was prickly, and having his eyes on her so intently didn’t help. She tried to shake the feeling off. There was enough for her to stress out about at the moment.

“I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Joseph’s eyebrow arched curiously. “Because for a second there, it looked like you were going to turn into She-Hulk and punch a hole through my dashboard.”

She couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up from her chest as she fastened her seat belt. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but the comment was one she’d expect from Zane. Over the past few days, Joseph had made more and more comments that reminded her of how he’d acted when they’d first met out in Boston.

Truth be told, Amelia wasn’t quite sure what to make of the change. She told herself that Joseph was trying to mend fences with her as a friend, but then, there were the touches. The way he’d lean over her shoulder with his face so close to hers that she could smell the spearmint gum in his mouth.

At least he’s got the courtesy to chew gum.

Maybe that was the solution. If she ate curry, onions, and garlic for every meal, Joseph would have to keep his distance to avoid her personal brand of eau du funky spice. Maybe she could start farting too. Pick her nose.

Screw that.

It wasn’t her job to make herself less attractive. It was his job to think with his big brain and keep the little one firmly tucked in his pants.

She silenced the thoughts and shook her head. “No, I’m fine, really. That was just…that was a really pointless two hours.”

Joseph’s mouth was set in a hard line as he turned the key over in the ignition. “It most definitely was. Two hours that would’ve been just as productive if we’d spent them watching the damn grass grow.”

He hit the nail right on the head with that comment. Amelia propped her elbow on the doorframe. “Pretty much.” She glanced at the digital clock in the center console. “Ten after five. Probably a little too late to swing by and talk to Russel Ulmer’s ex-wife. And all Cole Irving’s family is out in DeKalb. You think our CO will leave town now that we caught on to Waylon?”

With his eyes fixed on the windshield, Joseph shook his head. “I’m not sure. I doubt it, though. Chances are, they probably have a contingency plan in case we found Mr. Erbach.”

“Probably.” She massaged her temple. “And if they were going to run, they’d have done it by now.”

Not that there was any guarantee that Russel Ulmer or Cole Irving were responsible. MCC Chicago was a massive building with hundreds of personnel on staff at any given time.

Swallowing her frustration, Amelia kept the series of what-if questions to herself as her blank stare drifted back to the road.

Thankfully, on the trip back to the FBI office, Joseph didn’t feel the need to strike up a conversation. Though she and Joseph were notorious for their clashes in musical taste, they’d finally found a handful of groups that appealed to both their sensibilities.

As the newest Creedence Clearwater Revival tune faded out, Joseph pulled to a stop behind Amelia’s car. Grabbing her handbag, she waved goodbye and quickly exited the vehicle. The breeze that whipped past her in the parking garage carried a chill, though the weather promised high eighties by the end of the week.

As she dropped into the driver’s seat of her car, Amelia groaned at the thought of more warm temperatures. She’d had her fill of the heat when she’d been deployed in the Middle East, and as she watched Joseph’s car disappear from the rearview mirror, she wondered why she hadn’t sought a position at the FBI field office in Alaska.

At least there, she’d be free from the heat and Joseph Larson. Plus, the northern-most state of the country had no shortage of human traffickers, so the office’s caseload would make her feel right at home.

With a groan, she pressed a button to bring the BMW’s ignition to life. After she’d settled on a playlist, she dropped her phone in the cup holder, backed out of the parking spot, and cruised to the garage’s exit.

On the way out, she spotted Zane’s silver Acura, and a pang of guilt wriggled in next to her heart. Aside from a quick hello in the breakroom the day before, she’d barely seen him since she and Joseph had been partnered on the Enrico case.

According to what she’d learned from a short conversation with Zane, he and an agent from the Public Corruption Unit had been stuck sifting through the flash drive councilman Ben Storey had given them. She and Zane hadn’t gotten the chance to delve into much detail before they’d been separated into two teams. Amelia with Joseph Larson, and Zane with the Public Corruption Unit agent.

On the surface, Joseph appeared amicable and friendly. His understanding of personal space left a bit to be desired, but to an outside observer, he’d have seemed like an affectionate friend.

Amelia, however, hadn’t forgotten his casual mention of Alton Dalessio or the way he’d insinuated that he’d lied to the FBI to cover for her “mistake.”

Her instincts told her that all Joseph’s comments and movements were calculated. The sooner they solved Carlo’s murder and Amelia could go back to her and Zane’s bat cave, the better. She didn’t want to be stuck on a case with Joseph when he decided to push her boundaries a