Edge of Mercy (A Kate Reid Novel Book 11), Robin Mahle [freenovel24 .txt] 📗

responding but eventually thought better of it knowing that the FBI was a tight-knit community and she might one day need Quinn’s help. She’d witnessed the burning of bridges Nick and Georgia Myers went through and while that was different, Kate wasn’t going to burn down any relationship. That didn’t mean, however, she was about to let Quinn get under her skin again. So, she agreed to meet him at a restaurant and had just arrived.

Dupont Circle was always a nightmare for driving and parking. Kate disliked venturing into the neighborhood, but it was just like Quinn to want to be seen, and it was nothing if not that. The long drive from Quantico had been annoying and the fifth attempt at finding a parking spot sent her nerves on end. As she parked and fed the meter, Kate inhaled a deep breath to calm herself. She hadn’t seen Quinn in months and having her wits about her in his presence was paramount.

The restaurant was quaint, more of a café, which Kate appreciated. The larger, historic restaurants were overcrowded, loud and filled with politicians and lobbyists. Kate approached the host stand. “Hi, I’m here to see Noah Quinn. Has he arrived?”

“Agent Kate Reid?” The man asked.

“Yes.”

“Right this way, please.” The young man wearing all black led her to the rear of the café. “Here you are, ma’am.”

“Thank you.” Kate nodded before capturing Quinn’s gaze. “Long time, no see.”

He stood and extended a hand. “Reid, it’s nice to see you. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on short notice. Please, have a seat.” Quinn gestured to the chair across from him. He had a boyish charm about him and was a couple of years younger than Kate. In fact, he had been the youngest profiler BAU had ever employed. Coupled with his handsome features, it was no surprise Quinn was full of himself.

Kate removed her grey peacoat and draped it over the back of the chair. She pushed her hair from her shoulders so that it would rest on her back. Upon taking her seat, she began, “So, I assume someone must’ve told you about the meeting today. Hence the text message.”

Quinn cast his sights to his glass of water and took a sip. “I did hear that was happening today. How is Scarborough handling it?”

“He’s a professional. He’s handling it just fine,” Kate replied sharply.

“Good. That’s good to hear. And you?”

Kate shrugged. “Fine here. The only thing that’s really changed for me is that you’re no longer my boss.”

Quinn smiled and nodded. “It was what you wanted from the beginning.”

“Look, I’m here because you asked me to be and I realize there will probably come a time when you and I will have to work together again. Out of professional courtesy, I’m here. So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?”

“Good to know you’re not up for small talk, Reid,” Quinn began. “I thought you might like to know I’m being transferred to the New York field office.”

“New York?”

“That’s right. I’ll be the resident BAU agent. It is a step down, obviously, but hey, I don’t hold grudges.”

Kate scoffed. “Well, you did try to blackmail a fellow agent. You also tried to manipulate me into trusting you with knowledge of my personal history. I’d say you got off easy.”

“And what about you? What’s your punishment for having me tailed?” Quinn raised his index finger as if an idea had dawned. “Oh, that’s right. You got my old job. Someone with what, two years of experience?”

“I’ve been with the Bureau for five years now, Quinn.”

“Sure, and that makes you an expert.” It appeared as though Quinn was about to escalate the argument, but seemingly reconsidered. “In any case, I thought you’d want to know that I’m still just a phone call away, should you need anything from me. I’m offering you, as a professional courtesy, my wealth of knowledge, should you need it down the road.”

“I do appreciate that, Quinn.” Sarcasm laced her words. “Boy, I just don’t think I could get along without knowing you were just a quick plane ride away.”

Quinn appeared resigned. “Kate, please. Can we just stop this? Despite what you might think, I didn’t ask to see you to fight. I truly wanted you to know that we can continue our professional relationship. In fact, I’d like to.”

“Fine. Yeah, of course. I’m sorry.”

Kate spent the next 30 minutes making small talk with Quinn. She ate a half-sandwich and a cup of soup and finished off her iced tea. They seemed to put aside their differences and instituted a policy of civility. From this point forward, Quinn would no longer be Kate’s adversary. Was he going to be a friend? Not unless it was over her dead body. But she could agree to a professional arrangement. Time would tell how long that would last.

Eva stared at the television while it broadcast a mindless sitcom that she wasn’t watching in the first place. Cameron was next to her, his eyes glued to the screen. Both were obviously thinking of what to say, neither sure of what those words should be. With Cameron in charge, the odds this relationship would go up in flames increased three-fold. Not because of their own doing, but because of the example they were setting.

Cameron had been reluctant to make it official to begin with, realizing that this could come to pass. Both had used Kate and Nick’s relationship as a guideline and accepted that it was within the rules to date primarily because Kate answered to Quinn. Now things were different for all of them.

Cameron Fisher was the oldest member of the team, at forty-eight. Fine lines had deepened around his brown eyes. His beard, when it came in, was more gray than black. His hair was thick, greying and had begun to recede at the forehead. He reached for a toothpick from the side table as he sat on the sofa next to Eva and tucked