without people even saying a word and we all know it’s science and psychology, yeah? But it looks like mind-reading sometimes.”
“Oh, my God.” She felt her face flush. “It’s just observation.”
“Sure.” Sully shrugged, hating how she always downplayed her gifts and hard work. “But you have to know what you’re looking at, right?”
“Uh. Yeah.” She looked down and away from those dark eyes. “That’s true.”
“Jack says that you’re the most talented natural he’s ever worked with, Cordelia,” Dallas said softly. “I have every confidence that if I send you in to a meeting with that scumbag middleman and to meet the people hiding the kids, you’ll see a thousand times more than anyone else I have. I trust you. You can do this.”
Moved, stunned, almost teary, she nodded again.
“Now.” Dallas’ blue eyes were serious. “Personal safety.”
Sully sat up straight. Yeah, he was worried about this, no doubt about that. If the shit hit the fan, he’d be the one to have to get both of them out in one piece. He’d do it, no fucking hesitation, but he wondered if Dallas had anything to add. Turns out, he did and as always, it was out of left field.
“I know you have your gun license,” Dallas was saying to Cordelia and Sully gaped at both of them. “It’s current, yeah?”
“Yes.”
“Wait,” Sully blurted out. “You can carry ? Like legally?”
She gave him a narrow look. “Yes.”
“Since when?” he demanded.
“Almost eight years.”
“You – what? Why?”
She shrugged. “We don’t live in the best neighborhood and we always have drugs in the house for Sean.”
“Yeah, but… your son’s been sick for two years, right? You’ve had your gun way longer than that.”
Now she looked very uncomfortable and Sully felt that he’d massively overstepped somehow, though God knows what he’d done.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “My ex-husband isn’t a very nice guy and there was some… trouble at the beginning of the divorce. I bought the gun for protection.”
Sully stared at her, hard. The thought that her ex had done something to her that required Cordelia purchasing a firearm made him fucking furious. Did he hit her? Attack her? Stalk her?
“Where is this fucker now?” he asked, his voice harsh.
She looked startled at his anger. “Jail.”
“Ah.” He calmed down marginally. “OK, then.”
“So, Cordelia,” Dallas said, trying to get the conversation back on track. “How good of a shot are you?”
“I’m not bad.”
Sully almost rolled his eyes. Cordelia was the Queen of Understatement, most especially so when it was her own skills or abilities that were in question. If she said that she was ‘not bad’ then he’d be willing to bet that she was actually ‘goddamn awesome’.
“You practice?” Dallas asked her.
“Never.” She shook her head. “I keep the gun locked up at home and I take it out to the range maybe twice a year to get it checked over and to shoot a bit. But I don’t do anything on the regular.”
“Alright, then.” Dallas rolled his massive shoulders, trying to get rid of some of the tension he felt there; God, he hated this op and it hadn’t even started yet. “I want you and Sully to go out to the range today with your gun. Check it, make sure it’s OK, take some shots. Have Sully give you some pointers if he thinks you need it.”
She nodded. “Fine.”
“Anything else you want to ask me?”
“Not now.” She stood up. “I’ll take this file and read it through, make arrangements for my Mom to stay with Sean for a couple of weeks. If I think of anything else, I’ll ask.”
“Good.”
The men watched her walk out the door and they looked at each other. Sully had that look on his face, the one that usually meant trouble and Dallas sighed.
“What?” Dallas said. “What’s on your mind?”
“Why didn’t you tell me that Cordelia was qualified to carry?”
“When?” Dallas said,
“Oh, my God.” She felt her face flush. “It’s just observation.”
“Sure.” Sully shrugged, hating how she always downplayed her gifts and hard work. “But you have to know what you’re looking at, right?”
“Uh. Yeah.” She looked down and away from those dark eyes. “That’s true.”
“Jack says that you’re the most talented natural he’s ever worked with, Cordelia,” Dallas said softly. “I have every confidence that if I send you in to a meeting with that scumbag middleman and to meet the people hiding the kids, you’ll see a thousand times more than anyone else I have. I trust you. You can do this.”
Moved, stunned, almost teary, she nodded again.
“Now.” Dallas’ blue eyes were serious. “Personal safety.”
Sully sat up straight. Yeah, he was worried about this, no doubt about that. If the shit hit the fan, he’d be the one to have to get both of them out in one piece. He’d do it, no fucking hesitation, but he wondered if Dallas had anything to add. Turns out, he did and as always, it was out of left field.
“I know you have your gun license,” Dallas was saying to Cordelia and Sully gaped at both of them. “It’s current, yeah?”
“Yes.”
“Wait,” Sully blurted out. “You can carry ? Like legally?”
She gave him a narrow look. “Yes.”
“Since when?” he demanded.
“Almost eight years.”
“You – what? Why?”
She shrugged. “We don’t live in the best neighborhood and we always have drugs in the house for Sean.”
“Yeah, but… your son’s been sick for two years, right? You’ve had your gun way longer than that.”
Now she looked very uncomfortable and Sully felt that he’d massively overstepped somehow, though God knows what he’d done.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “My ex-husband isn’t a very nice guy and there was some… trouble at the beginning of the divorce. I bought the gun for protection.”
Sully stared at her, hard. The thought that her ex had done something to her that required Cordelia purchasing a firearm made him fucking furious. Did he hit her? Attack her? Stalk her?
“Where is this fucker now?” he asked, his voice harsh.
She looked startled at his anger. “Jail.”
“Ah.” He calmed down marginally. “OK, then.”
“So, Cordelia,” Dallas said, trying to get the conversation back on track. “How good of a shot are you?”
“I’m not bad.”
Sully almost rolled his eyes. Cordelia was the Queen of Understatement, most especially so when it was her own skills or abilities that were in question. If she said that she was ‘not bad’ then he’d be willing to bet that she was actually ‘goddamn awesome’.
“You practice?” Dallas asked her.
“Never.” She shook her head. “I keep the gun locked up at home and I take it out to the range maybe twice a year to get it checked over and to shoot a bit. But I don’t do anything on the regular.”
“Alright, then.” Dallas rolled his massive shoulders, trying to get rid of some of the tension he felt there; God, he hated this op and it hadn’t even started yet. “I want you and Sully to go out to the range today with your gun. Check it, make sure it’s OK, take some shots. Have Sully give you some pointers if he thinks you need it.”
She nodded. “Fine.”
“Anything else you want to ask me?”
“Not now.” She stood up. “I’ll take this file and read it through, make arrangements for my Mom to stay with Sean for a couple of weeks. If I think of anything else, I’ll ask.”
“Good.”
The men watched her walk out the door and they looked at each other. Sully had that look on his face, the one that usually meant trouble and Dallas sighed.
“What?” Dallas said. “What’s on your mind?”
“Why didn’t you tell me that Cordelia was qualified to carry?”
“When?” Dallas said,
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