Roth purses his lips. It’s clear from his expression that he knows exactly how that would shake out. He lets out a sigh after a minute. “How, exactly, do you guys want to be involved?”
Jude checks over his shoulder, making eye contact with Emma, checking in one last time. She gives him a confident nod.
Her hand is so near mine, it’s easy to intertwine my fingers with hers and offer a firm hold of solidarity. She takes a slow, calming breath in through her nose then lets it out just as slowly through parted lips. The guys may be in their element right now, but she’s nervous as hell. Even I had to go out in the field with the Marines at times to fully implement some of the equipment I was responsible for as a government contractor. So being part of a mission like this isn’t totally unfamiliar territory for me. But Emma? This is new ground for her, and a dangerous one at that.
Jude turns back to his old friend and crosses his arms over his chest. When he speaks, his voice is firm. “Emma wants to do this — she’s agreeing to work with you on this sting, but we’re not letting her go in there alone.”
“We’ll be watching her every step of the way—”
“Yeah, we know you’ll be watching. Not good enough.” Jude shakes his head.
“We have a team who can get her out of there.”
The Chief gives him a hard look. “To what extent?”
Roth hesitates, his eyes roaming over the rucksack of questionably obtained firearms. He alludes the question. “What you’re asking for here is extremely unorthodox, Jude. Even though we go way back, I don’t know if I can pull those kinds of strings.”
Jude ignores his attempt to change the subject. We can all put together two and two. Roth’s avoidance is exactly what Jude had told us to expect. “If you couldn’t extract her without obvious detection, you’d leave her, wouldn’t you?” he presses.
“It’s not that simple,” he counters.
“Actually, it is, and you know it. And we know it,” Jude replies, his tone pointed. “If shit hits the fan, Emma would likely become a casualty. But that’s not going to happen. Because we’re going to be there.”
The agent shakes his head and turns to look at the two guys on his team, who’ve been standing behind him silently. I can’t read the looks they all exchange, but when Roth turns, he has an air of defeat. “How many of you?”
“All of us,” Jude says in a tone that conveys there’s no room for argument. “Except Trigg, he’ll be the over-watch, in position for the best shot.”
“A sniper’s nest?” There’s a hint of disbelief in Roth’s voice.
“Damn right.” Jude’s square in the center of his no-bullshit mood. “He’s going to have eyes on Emma.”
Roth nudges a finger toward the packed rucksack. “How many of those are you thinking of taking into that building?”
“As many as we think necessary.” Gunner’s pretty no-bullshit right now, too.
Roth draws in a long breath and lets it out slowly before speaking. “I’m not giving you the green light. Officially, I can’t do that. But, let’s say there are two teams at the sting, hypothetically. My team would welcome the help. Hypothetically, of course.”
Jude nods. “We appreciate the position this puts you in.”
The agent purses his lips again. “Be that as it may, I need to make it abundantly clear that whatever happens, it’s on you guys. We can do our best to mitigate any fallout, but that’s entirely contingent on a successful outcome. Do you understand?”
Trigg nods. “We got it.”
Roth stares at the three of them, his expression dire. “Your involvement will only be sanctioned, retroactively, if the files are recovered. Which means, with no data, there’s no cover for you guys. I’m not sure what sort of charges my superiors will dream up if this all blows up in our faces. I’m serious. The FBI might disavow the whole goddamn mission, which would leave you all taking the heat for everything.”
Gunner’s practically bristling. “Do you think we give a fuck about any of—”
Jude places the back of his hand on Gunner’s chest, cutting him off. The Chief’s eyes are focused intently on Roth. “We do understand. You guys have your priorities, we have ours. It’s a risk we’re willing to take. There is no goddamn way Emma is going in that building alone. If shit does go south, we’re going to get her out, whatever it takes, whatever the consequences. We’re not asking for permission, and our involvement isn’t negotiable.”
Roth rolls his tongue over the back of his teeth then grimaces. “Alright, it’s your call. I know you’ve got the experience and the skillset to pull this off, but even the best laid plans can be blown to shit — and you know that, too. We’ve both seen it happen. So, I’m not kidding, Jude. Anything goes wrong, and you guys are on your own.”
Emma’s story concludes in book five, Perfect Design, coming in June 2018.
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THE CODE SERIES
Preorder books in The Code series to have them delivered as soon as they release.
1 Vested Interest
2 Hidden Agenda
3 Broken Process
4 Risky Business
5 Perfect Design
About the Authors
Bethany Jadin is the pseudonym of two female authors and best friends - Elaina & Beth - who enjoy writing unconventional romance together.
They love penning stories about sexy, sweet men who fall head over heels for smart, strong heroines. Their promise to readers is that you will always find witty humor, heartwarming moments, sizzling chemistry, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after inside of every series.
Subscribe to their author newsletter for exclusive content such as sneak peeks of upcoming books, and to be notified when their next book releases!
You’re also invited to join their private Facebook group Jadin’s Maidens, for readers who enjoy reverse harem stories and other unconventional romance. Love Without Limits. Why choose?
Risky Business Page 20
