Jordan jogged through the house, searching for Eden. There'd been three people on the first floor to neutralize. He and Noah's people had handled them with almost no resistance. No bullets or blood … a nice change of pace.
Two frightened toddlers were found on the first floor, locked in a large bedroom. He hoped Eden had found more and that she was okay.
Though he knew she could take care of herself better than any woman or man he'd ever met, it didn't stop him from worrying. Over the last couple of weeks, he'd come to admire her. She wasn't an easy person to know, since she held a lot of herself back, but he'd seen her commitment to her cause, her heart and courage.
A slight muffled sound caught his attention. Gun in hand, Jordan broke into a run down the long hallway. Hearing a curse, then a groan, Jordan skidded to a halt at the entrance to a room. His mouth lifted in a slow smile of admiration.
Eden stood over two men. The short yellow sundress she wore, along with her dainty sandals, made her look like a sexy, innocent angel. The steady way she held the gun pointed at the men on the floor told a different story. One man lay facedown on the floor, the second lay crisscrossed over the first one's back. Hands over their heads, they were cursing a blue streak.
“Need some help?”
Eden's head jerked up and the triumphant grin she flashed went straight to his gut. The woman was in her element. Without a hint of warning, his heart—the one he was sure couldn't be moved—flipped over.
fourteen
“Well, look what the dogs dragged in.” Years and thousands of miles from his Mississippi roots, Noah could still sound like a good old southern boy when the mood struck him.
Eden came through the door, followed by Jordan. Since they'd returned two days ago, they'd gone everywhere together. She was thrilled he seemed to want to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him, but she was also terrified. At some point, possibly very soon, Jordan would turn to her, give her that sexy grin that seemed to come so easy to him, and say, “Well, it's been fun,” and leave. And once again she'd be alone.
The door slammed shut on her poor-pitiful-me thoughts. They'd done good work—damn good work. They all should be happy with their efforts. She and Jordan, along with six of Noah's finest, had brought down eleven very bad people, but most important, they'd saved eight children.
The authorities had been called, having been warned by Noah what was going down, and had agreed to stand back and wait. At no cost or risk to themselves, the police brought in a horde of human traffickers and took full credit for the entire job.
That was LCR's preferred way. Yes, some laws were bent or broken. Those transgressions were generally overlooked. In a case like this, where everyone but the bad guys won, it was a no-brainer.
Now she and Jordan were here to debrief, but not before Eden found out about the other houses that had been raided the same time their operation was going down.
Swift steps carried her to her favorite chair. She perched on the edge and waited. Both men knew she was anxious. Jordan had heard nothing from her for the last two days other than her need to know that all operations went as smoothly as theirs.
To torture her, she was sure, Noah went to the bar, offering them coffee. Jordan, with a small smile on his face, accepted. Eden flashed him a glare, but he just grinned and waited as Noah poured a cup for himself and Jordan.
Noah turned toward Eden, all innocence. “Sure you don't want any? You know what a mean cup of coffee I make.”
“Stop torturing me, Noah, and tell me what happened. I've seen bits and pieces on the news, but nothing about Larue or Bennett. Don't tell me they got away.”
He handed Jordan a cup of coffee and then slumped down in his chair with a long sigh. Eden saw something she'd never seen before. Noah looked not only exhausted but defeated as well.
“What happened?”
“Four of the projects went off without a hitch. All totaled, eighty-five people were rounded up and taken to the hoosegow.”
Eden glanced over to Jordan. “He means jail.”
Jordan's mouth quirked up. “I know what a hoosegow is, sweetheart.”
Ignoring the gallop of her heart at his endearment, and Noah's slight frown, she returned to the subject. “So how many people were rescued?”
“Sixty-eight … mostly women and children.”
Eden surged to her feet. “But that's wonderful, Noah, why do you …?” She slumped back into her chair. “You said four went off without a hitch. What happened with the other one?”
Noah spoke in a hard, grim tone. “We had a traitor.”
“LCR had a traitor? But who?”
“Stephan. You never met him. He'd only been on a few months … was still on probation. That's why I put him with our most experienced man.” He leaned forward and Eden knew that what ever he had to tell her didn't come easy. “Milo was killed.”
Her heart clenched. “Milo?”
A mixture of burning rage and grief blazed in Noah's eyes before he quickly doused it. “Yes. By one of Bennett's men.”
Without realizing Jordan had risen, she felt his comforting hand on her shoulder. His voice rumbled above her. “So this Milo. He was one of your best?”
Eden shook her head, answering before Noah could. “He was the best. He's been with Noah since the beginning of LCR … helped him put it together.”
“Both Bennett and Larue have disappeared off our radar, thanks to Stephan and my own poor judgment. Now Milo's dead, so stopping them is even more important. It's personal … very personal.” His eyes seared her. “You realize that, don't you, Eden?”
Eden stiffened at his tone. He was trying to tell her something and she wasn't sure what he meant. But evidently it involved something he thought might upset her. She'd already argued with him and lost regarding his decision to be the one to go after Bennett. What else was he saying?
“So Stephan ratted us out?” Treading softly wasn't her usual style, but Eden wanted to make sure she understood where Noah was going. Besides, the man just lost a dear friend. He didn't need her jumping down his throat. She made a silent promise to hold her temper, no matter what Noah had planned.
“Yes, from what we got out of him before he clammed up, he contacted them within hours of getting his assignment. Fortunately, since he was new, he was on a need-to-know basis only. Therefore, the Brazil op was the only one he knew about.”
Jordan blew out a silent whistle. “That's why all the other ones went so smoothly. Larue and Bennett were only aware of that particular one.”
Noah nodded and let a small, grim smile lighten his features for a moment. “The one smart thing I did.”
“Don't beat yourself up. You saved a hell of a lot of people.”
Eden flashed an appreciative glance at Jordan for his gruff but encouraging words. “Jordan's right, Noah. You did good… We all did good. Milo didn't see Stephan's deceit and he worked with him.”
“Nevertheless, it's going to be tougher to get to the bastards than what I'd planned. The team I assigned to Larue believes they're still in France. I think Bennett's holed up somewhere in Brazil. I've got to get down there, which means I need a project manager while I'm away.”
Eden was already shaking her head, knowing where Noah was headed. They'd had this discussion on numerous occasions. She was comfortable in the field. It was where she worked the best. The assignment of projects needed to be done by a person with better people skills than she. Eden knew her strengths. Diplomacy and patience were not even in the top twenty.
“Noah, we've had this conversation before. You know I—”
Noah held up his hand to stop her. “I know … I know. That's why I'm going to make an alternate suggestion. That is, if Jordan would be willing to stay on in Paris and help out?”
Eden's head began to shake again, for a whole other reason. What was Noah thinking?
“Jordan, Eden's one of my finest and most experienced operatives, but she's at her best in the field. I know you've done
fieldwork most of your career, but if I'm not mistaken, you've also been a project manager. Is that correct?”
Eden dared a look at Jordan's face. She wished she could read him better. His expressionless face told her nothing. Part of her wanted him to jump up and tell Noah no, absolutely not. Another part—the unwise, wholly feminine side of her—jumped for joy, hoping he'd agree to stay.
Finally, after staring hard at Noah for endless seconds, Jordan said, “I know very little about the day-to-day activities of LCR. Don't you have anyone else who could do this?”
“Only a few, and those people are already on other projects I don't dare pull them from. With your experience and background, it would be a natural fit for you. It'll only be for a few weeks … a month at the most.” Noah turned to Eden. “Eden knows the workings of LCR as well as I do. She just doesn't have the … how shall I put this …?”
“She doesn't put up with a bunch of bullshit,” Eden cut in, finishing Noah's stumbling explanation.
Noah smiled. “That's one way of putting it. I sometimes have to use finesse and diplomacy to get what I want. Eden prefers the more direct method, which tends to create some animosity between our partners.”
“Your partners being?” Jordan asked.
“The police, the mayor, local government, the president.” Eden once again finished Noah's sentence.
Jordan's mouth twitched as if he were hiding a huge grin. “So basically anyone who might get in your way.”
She shrugged. “Again, I'm not big on bullshit.” She grinned at Noah. “Noah, however, is a master.”
“Why thank you, my dear. The perfumery of your words never fails to astound me.”
Eden shot her eyes over to Jordan. His expression held the faraway look of deep thought. He was seriously considering Noah's request. In the few weeks she'd spent with Jordan, she knew without a doubt he enjoyed working with LCR. Why he'd decided to stop working for the American government she didn't know. They didn't talk personal things. She couldn't, because of obvious reasons. But neither did he and suddenly she wondered why. She had secrets. What were Jordan's?
“I'll have to make a few calls, check on a few things, before I can accept.”
Noah nodded. “Understandable. If you could let me know by tomorrow, though, it'd be helpful. If you can't do the job, I'll need to call someone. Milo would have been my first choice, but …”
Eden swallowed a lump. Milo had been a dear, sweet man. He'd taken her side on so many things against Noah. When she'd first come to LCR, Noah pushed her to the point of collapse several times. Milo had been her shoulder to lean on. She could pour out all of her frustrations about Noah to Milo and he'd let her.
It wasn't until years later she realized Noah had planned it that way. Eden needed a support system. He couldn't be it since he was her trainer, so he'd asked Milo to fill that role. Milo had been perfect for the job. A former minister, his steady, no-nonsense advice and compassion had made him a favorite of all operatives. His death was a tremendous loss not only for LCR, but for the world.
Jordan stood. “I'll let you know something tomorrow morning.”
Noah stood and shook Jordan's hand. “What ever you decide, I just want you to know how grateful LCR is for your excellent work.”
Jordan nodded and then looked over at Eden. “I'll call you later.”
As he disappeared out the door, Eden had to dig her fingers into the arms of her chair to prevent herself from following him. She didn't want to lose sight of him. What if he decided not to take Noah's offer? Would this be the last time she saw him? What if he called and told her he was leaving? What if he didn't even call? What if he just left? What if—
“Eden, you okay?”
She shook herself out of her unwelcome and unexpected needy moment. Where the hell had that come from? She was a strong, in de pen dent woman … needing no man. Jordan least of all.
“I'm fine.”
“And you're okay with continuing to work with Jordan, if he decides to stay?”
She gave a small smile and shrugged. “More than I would have expected. Though if you'd asked me that several weeks ago, I'd have punched you out again.”
“Tsk-tsk. You're definitely one of the most bloodthirsty ladies I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
“Noah, you will be careful, won't you? I know Milo's death was harder on you than anyone, but you're not going to go all crazy, are you?”
He shook his head. “Not a crazy bone in this good old boy's body.”
“Can't you tell me why you targeted Bennett for yourself? Do you know the man in some way?”
Noah lifted a shoulder in a lazy, slow-motion shrug. “Just need to stay sharp … clean out my cobwebs.”
Evading the question—something he did if he didn't want to answer. Noah was scrupulously honest. Eden thought he must have been a Boy Scout in another life. But if he didn't want to answer a question, he had ways around it.
“How was it working with Jordan?”
He was also excellent at changing the subject. Eden allowed him to since no matter what kind of coercion she used, Noah would never tell her something he didn't want her to know. She only hoped he kept his head straight if there was an underlying reason he was taking on the project.
“Better than I thought it would be. He's definitely a professional. Has the charm, intelligence, and the experience to be one of LCR's best. As much as I hate to give you a compliment, since I know your ego is quite inflated already, you were right about Jordan.”
A gleam of something like pride sparkled in his eyes. “I'm glad you feel that way. I didn't like going behind your back, but I knew if I told you what I was going to do, you would have pitched a fit.”
“I don't pitch fits … I …”
“You what?”
“I just express my feelings somewhat loudly.”
He rubbed his jaw where she'd hit him several weeks before. “Or sometimes physically.”
She shrugged, not one bit repentant. “You deserved it.”
Noah nodded, knowing full well she was right. “Have you decided what you're going to do?”
He didn't need to explain what he was talking about. She'd thought of little else the last couple of days. Would she tell him Devon died or tell him the truth?
“Not yet.”
“I'm not pushing you. In fact, it would probably be best if you waited. If he takes my place for a while, the last thing he needs is you telling him … what ever you decide to tell him.”
With no small amount of remorse, Eden realized Noah's words gave her time. An excuse to delay the inevitable. She hated continuing to lie to him, but more than that, she hated to ruin what was fast becoming an exciting and unique friendship. Would putting it off a little longer make that much difference?
“You know, what ever you decide to do, I'll support it.”
A rush of affection for the man who'd given her so much swept through her. There was no telling where she'd be if it weren't for Noah. Eden stood and, surprising both of them, gave him an unexpected hug. The number of times she'd shown physical affection in the last seven years could be counted on less than one hand.
Thankfully Noah didn't question the unusual gesture. He returned the hug and then led her to the door. “I'll be in touch as soon as Jordan notifies me of his decision.”
With a nod and wave, Eden left. Not until she was on the street, hailing a cab, did she wonder who it was that Jordan needed to check with.
Jordan stared at the phone for several minutes before he made the call … contemplating what he would say … how he would say it.
Samara had been a big part of his life for almost a year. He admired and liked her immensely. Had thought they could be happy together. He didn't like or admire many people. That she was beautiful and kind didn't hurt, either. Spending his life with her seemed to make such sense. What more could a man want?
But that was before he met Eden.
Not that he was thinking of anything perm
anent with Eden. He still wasn't sure he even liked her. But he admired her and she turned him on faster than any woman he'd ever met. If he hadn't come to his senses a few days ago, they would have made love in the pool. Thankfully he realized the mistake, but it made him face some things he'd avoided for too long.
Liking and admiring the woman you were to marry was important. But if someone else attracted you like none other, how fair was that to your future spouse? He could say it was just lust and would pass, but Jordan knew himself. Lust didn't stir him like this—hell, lust hadn't stirred him since that debacle with Devon. He'd learned a long, hard lesson from that and vowed never again.
Odd that when he'd first seen Eden's shoulder he'd thought she was Devon. Now it was hard to think of them as being even the same species. They were such polar opposites.
Eden stirred something inside him he'd never felt. Whatever it was, he wanted to pursue it. If it turned out to be nothing more than mere attraction, a possible short affair, so be it. But he would never know until he tried. Which meant he had to end his relationship with Samara. She deserved to know the truth, she deserved his faithfulness, and Jordan knew he could no longer keep that promise.
He would break it off with Samara and then he would be free to pursue Eden. An added bonus to working in Noah's place at LCR was finding out about Devon. When he questioned Eden about it yesterday, she apologized, admitting she hadn't had time to work on the case as much as she would have liked. She promised to focus on Devon now that she was back.
Until another project came along, perhaps they could work the case together. His insight into Devon's thoughts at that time would be important information for Eden to have.
fifteen
Three days later, Eden entered Noah's office. Her footsteps faltered at the door. Even knowing Noah had left the night before for South America, it was still a shock to see Jordan sitting in his chair. She hadn't seen him since that day in Noah's office. He'd called her several times, but for some reason, he seemed to need some distance.
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