Meg stepped through, dark hair pulled back in that practical ponytail he’d memorized. Her eyes locked onto his face and?—
Oh, she looked angry.
And then her gaze swept over his short hair and bare jaw and lingered just long enough to make his chest tight before she met his eyes. “You bailed on coffee.”
Four words. Delivered flat. But he hadn’t missed the hurt underneath.
“One sec.” His throat had gone desert dry.
He turned toward Teague, but both of his rangers were watching him and Meg like they’d stumbled onto the season finale of their favorite show.
Great. Everyone just calm down.
“Any sign of that woman—Nimue?”
Teague’s voice dropped, urgency creeping in. “I think they’re together, and with this storm”—he motioned to the window where trees were bending over in the wind—“they may need help. Flash flooding’s serious business. My gut says we need to find them.”
“Can’t call in SAR for a gut feeling.”
“Not SAR.” Teague stepped closer. “I want to go after them.”
“Go after them?” Noah’s voice rose. “We don’t even know where they went.”
“They rappelled into the canyon with zero prep.” Teague’s expression matched the tightness in Noah’s chest. “Liam’s toogood for that kind of rookie mistake. He’d only do something that reckless if something worse was chasing them. He said Nimue acted weird after her bus got trashed. What if itwasn’tthose teenagers?”
The pieces clicked. “If they’re running…” Noah said.
Teague met his gaze. “There’s only one place to cross the river.”
“The bridge.” The plan clicked. Phantom Ranch. Closed for renovations, but they’d have an emergency phone.Except.“How’s chasing them supposed to help?” The question came out tighter than he meant it to. “We could make whatever they’re dealing with worse.”
Teague’s mouth tightened around the edges, his voice dropping. “I found blood in the bus.”
Noah’s stomach plummeted. “The bus you weren’t in?”
Teague gave him a look, then nodded. “It was soaked into one of the cushions. Fresh blood. A lot of it. They might be hurt.”
Meg stepped forward. “Fresh, fresh? Or a day or two old, fresh?”
“Why?” Noah turned to her, frowning.
“I stitched Nimue’s hand yesterday.” Meg’s weight shifted from foot to foot. “Off the record.”
Off the record.What she was admitting could cost her her job.
“She wouldn’t let me help if I logged her in the system.”
Noah exchanged a look with Teague.
“There’s more.” Meg’s words tumbled faster. “Liam brought me a package to X-ray. Something left in her camper after the break-in. When it came back clean—just garbage—they both looked relieved. I don’t know what they were afraid of, but it wasn’t good. Teague’s right. They’re running from something dangerous.”
“Again—how does chasing them help?” He was beginning to feel ganged up on. “We’re not equipped for?—”
“I don’t know exactly.” Teague leaned forward, palms flat on the desk. “But they’re undersupplied, and I can’t shake this feeling?—”
“I agree.” Eden’s voice cut through. “We need to go.”
Noah shot her a look that could melt steel.Not helping.