Identity Crisis

by Rochelle Paige

  “In a nutshell, yes,” Blaine confirmed.

  Hearing those four simple words felt like all the air was knocked out of me. “This is big,” I whispered. “Bigger than big. It’s huge. What in the world are we going to do? How can we possibly go up against something like this? I get that you both used to be Navy SEALs, but you’re still only two men and this is way over my head. I’m not going to be any help at all.”

  “I think I might have an answer to that question,” Brody answered. “As long as Blaine agrees with my idea.”

  “This cyber shit is your territory, my brother. What’s your plan?”

  “Delia’s right. We can’t take them on by ourselves. We need to pull somebody else in on this. Someone with the power to take these guys down. Someone like Agent Phillips.”

  “No way,” Blaine bit out as his body froze. “You’re not making that call, Hack. Not after you’ve broken God only knows how many laws getting your hands on this information. It’s too much of a risk for you.”

  I didn’t know who this Agent Phillips was, but it sounded like Blaine really hated the guy.

  Chapter 15

  Blaine

  I never thought the day would come when Brody would volunteer to call that prick. Some would say I owed our friendship to him since we would never have met had he not arrested Brody, but I’d never be able to look at it that way. We both knew he still had a hard-on for Brody and he’d like nothing more than to have a reason to bust his ass again.

  It was jealousy, pure and simple, for the easy life he thought my best friend had. Sure he’d grown up in the lap of luxury, but it hadn’t been easy when his parents were murdered and the authorities never found the killers. Or when he’d finally pulled himself together and discovered an innate ability with computers, only to get caught hacking when he was trying to get to the bottom of what had happened to his parents.

  Agent Phillips pushed the prosecutor hard on Brody’s case. His arrest was a major coup for him, one he planned to maximize to push his career forward. If Damian hadn’t pushed back, Brody would have ended up doing hard time. Instead, he wound up in the Navy, where he definitely didn’t have an easy time during BUD/S training. And things sure as shit weren’t easy for him on our last mission. It should have been enough for Agent Phillips to back off, but he’d made it clear he was still keeping an eye on Brody’s activities to this day.

  “These guys are going to be hunting for Delia. The second they saw her at the real estate office, they would have gone back and retraced their steps. By now, they know the woman they killed was checked into the hotel under her name. They’re not the type to back down until they find her. You and I both know it. We’ve seen their kind before and we both know how much destruction they’re capable of wreaking.”

  “I know,” I growled, frustrated. What he just said was one hundred percent true and it pissed me the hell off that Delia heard every word of it. She looked devastated by the information. “We need to call someone, just not him.”

  “He’s heading up the team hunting these guys at the cyber division of the FBI,” Brody added.

  “There has to be another option. One that doesn’t put you at risk,” I insisted. “They aren’t the only ones after this outfit. We could call the ATF or Homeland. Hell, there’s bound to be an ex-SEAL working at either agency. Someone who will understand. Who will be on our side one hundred percent and offer you protection when they learn where we came up with the information we have.”

  “I get where you’re coming from on this. Trust me when I tell you I appreciate it, brother. More than you can know. But the cyber division is the best fit for this battle. These guys have some serious technology backing them up. We have to fight fire with fire and Agent Phillips is our best bet,” Brody argued.

  I didn’t want to see the logic in his argument. It went against everything inside me to bring in people who were a danger to my best friend. “You’re one of the best goddamn hackers in the world. It’s a skill you might have gotten by birth, but it’s also one the Navy honed into a weapon. What the fuck do you think he can bring to the table that you can’t do on your own?”

  “Neither of us can deny he’s damn good at his job,” Brody pointed out. “If he wasn’t, he never would have caught me. And that was before he had access to all the shit the cyber division has to offer. Technology I’d have to beg, borrow, steal, or hack my way into if I wanted to use it. With a quick phone call, he has access to it all. The access we need if we’re going to take these guys down.”

  If Brody insisted we needed them to get the job done, then I had no choice but to believe him. Which meant I was stuck with a plan I hated. One where he was sticking his neck out for Delia and me and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. “We’re gonna ride this bullet out together, brother. If they try to take you down, I’m going with you.”

  “I’m in this, too,” Delia chimed in. “If this guy tries to pull any funny stuff, I know some journalists who would be interested to learn the FBI was willing to run with your information and then use it against you afterward. If the worst case scenario happens, I’ll make sure it gets ugly for them in the press. It will be hard for them to press charges against you if it’s bad PR for them. I bet you have all sorts of medals from your time in the Navy, right?”

  “I earned a few,” Brody admitted.

  “Perfect. The public would eat this story up. The decorated former SEAL wounded while serving his country, only to find himself the target of an investigation by an FBI agent with an axe to grind. How would it look if they went after you instead of being grateful for the help you provided to eliminate a threat on United States soil from arms dealers they haven’t been able to catch on their own?”

  She didn’t give either of us a chance to answer before she continued. “I’ll tell you exactly how it would look. Like arrogant, bumbling pricks.”

  The fierceness in Delia’s voice and her determination to have my best friend’s back was hot as hell. “Who knew my sweet girl could be such a badass?”

  “I sure as shit didn’t,” Brody answered. “I never would have guess she was hiding that kind of fire underneath all that nice.”

  I’d seen the fire she was hiding inside. It came out whenever we argued and when we were in bed together. “She’s got plenty of fire,” I murmured. “I just didn’t realize she had a little bit of SEAL in her, too.”

  They looked at each other and then back at me before they both busted up laughing. “Little,” Brody gasped out.

  “What the fuck’s so funny?” I growled.

  “I’m sure she’d like more than a little SEAL inside her,” Brody joked.

  Delia cracked up even harder. “There isn’t anything little about him.”

  “Fucking A,” I whispered as I realized exactly what I’d said and how they took it. “You’re both perverts.”

  “It’s not like you didn’t know this about me already,” Brody quipped.

  Delia pointed to her blushing face. “I’m pretty sure you figured it out about me already, too. It’s not like I can really hide it when I’m thinking something perverted.”

  “You make a good point,” I conceded.

  She smiled up at me and I was momentarily stunned by her beauty. I was damn lucky to find her and would do whatever it took to keep her safe. Even if it meant letting my best friend put his freedom on the line. “I know I’m at risk of you two taking this the wrong way, but it seems like the right thing to say. Let’s do this thing.”

  I tried to make it a joke, but we all knew how serious this was. Brody simply looked at me and nodded his head. “I can make the call right now.”

  “You have his number?” Delia asked.

  “I kept track of him just as much as he kept tabs on me,” Brody admitted. “I knew about each promotion as he climbed the ranks of the FBI, some before he even did.”

  My best friend wasn’t aware, but I’d kept my eye on the agent, too. I knew Brody didn’t blame him for the arrest.
He was young when he’d been arrested, but he understood the risks when he made the decision to hack into a government system in the first place. If anything, he blamed himself for not being good enough to avoid being caught. I respected his perspective on it, but I had no problem hating the guy enough for the both of us. If Agent Phillips hadn’t been such an ass, I wouldn’t have felt the need to make sure he stayed away from Brody. Knowing him as I did, it was going to take all the control I had to refrain from punching the guy in the face the moment I met him in person.

  “I want you to record the call,” I told Brody before he started dialing.

  His finger hung over his phone as he looked up. “If I do, I might be adding another crime to the tally. I’m not sure what Georgia’s rules are on wiretaps.”

  “I do,” Delia piped in. “I had to research them for a book. You’ll be happy to know you’re currently in a state with a one-party consent law. As long as you consent to the conversation being recorded, it isn’t illegal.”

  “Aren’t you full of surprises today?” I asked, pulling her body flush against mine as we stood at the counter, watching Brody program his phone to record the call.

  “I’m glad to be able to help instead of being a burden, even if it’s by knowing something you guys could have looked up online.”

  “Hey,” I whispered, tilting her head up so I could look into her eyes. “Don’t ever say that about yourself again. You’re not a burden at all.”

  Her gaze flicked over to Brody and then back again. “It feels like it. If you didn’t have to worry about me, then maybe he wouldn’t have to make this call. You’d have other options if I weren’t in the middle of all this. You could even walk away because they wouldn’t know to look for either of you.”

  “This isn’t just about you, Delia,” I reassured her. “They killed Serena. Even if you weren’t involved, I’d still be here trying to bring them down.”

  “Plus, it isn’t your fault you were dragged into this mess in the first place. That’s on Serena. If anyone here is an innocent bystander, it’s you. Blaine and I wouldn’t be the men we are supposed to be if we let you go down for something that should never have been your problem to begin with,” Brody added.

  I felt her body relax as she let out a deep breath. “Okay.”

  “I want you to use speakerphone, too. I’ll feel more comfortable if you have witnesses and a recording. Double protection if this becomes a clusterfuck later.”

  “You’ve got it,” Brody agreed.

  We listened as the call connected and rang on the other end.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Three times before Agent Phillips picked up. “Brody Slater. I never thought my phone would ring and I’d find you calling me.”

  “You and me both,” he replied. “But I seem to be in the middle of a situation which will be of interest to you.”

  “Really? Last I checked you were safely tucked away at your brother’s hotel in Vegas, licking your wounds after you left the Navy.”

  He said it with such disdain, like Brody had been dishonorably discharged. This guy hadn’t changed a bit. He was a serious asshole who still had it out for Brody, which meant we needed to be supremely cautious with every step we took around him. Different day, same story as our other missions—the only easy day was yesterday.

  “The Armory Group.” Brody’s reply was short and succinct, but it was enough to garner a reaction from Agent Phillips.

  “What do you know about them?” His voice held none of the scorn from earlier.

  “I can get you access to their site. URL, username, and password.”

  The silence on the other end of the line lasted long enough I began to think the call might have dropped. “Come again?”

  “You heard me right the first time. If you want to catch TAG, then you need to come to Atlanta. I’m in the middle of a situation here and they’re involved.”

  Agent Phillips chuckled. “You called me for help? Maybe I should look out the window to see if I can catch sight of any of the pigs that must be flying right about now.”

  “Too bad you aren’t in hell already or you’d be able to see it frozen over,” Brody muttered.

  “Is that any way for a guy to talk when he’s asking for a favor?”

  “Bullshit,” Brody hissed. “You can try to pretend all you’d like, but we both know you contacted your pilot to get the plane ready the second I mentioned TAG. I might need your help, but I’m also doing you a favor bringing you into this.”

  “You hacked into my computer?” he sounded shocked.

  “No, I just know you well enough to guess how badly you want this collar,” Brody explained. “It isn’t exactly a leap of deduction to assume you’d want to get out here as quickly as possible if it meant you could be the one to lead the investigation resulting in getting them off the streets and finding out who’s providing them with the big ticket items. It might even be enough to get you another promotion. Like my case did.”

  “Where can I find you when my team and I get into town?” His voice was back to all business, most likely because he didn’t like Brody implying he’d be more interested in the case for a possible promotion.

  Brody rattled off the address of the hotel and our suite number. “Call before you get here, though. Blaine and I are adding extra security measures tonight and I’d hate for you to set them off.”

  “I should have guessed you’d drag him into whatever mess you managed to find. All my research has shown him to be a stand-up guy, but if he isn’t careful, he’s going to end up beside you in a cell someday. It’s too bad he got stuck with you in training.”

  I leaned over and hit the red button, disconnecting the call. “What a douche. I bet he’ll be surprised to learn I’m the one who pulled you into this mess and not the other way around.”

  “Their visit should be loads of fun.” Delia’s voice was ripe with sarcasm. “What do we need to do before they get here?”

  “Brody and I need to install the additional security measures. I want them up and running before Phillips and his team gets here. The last thing we need is for them to think they can waltz in and out of here whenever they’d like. The best way to demonstrate how serious we are about this suite being our safe haven is to make sure it has top-notch security.”

  “And make it painfully obvious they won’t be able to thwart it easily,” Brody added. “The thumb scan should take care of that, though.”

  “How can I help?”

  If I had my way, she would help by allowing me to lock her in a failsafe room and not let her back out until this whole thing was over. It was never gonna happen, though. “You’re good at research, right?”

  “Very good.”

  “We need information on Phillips’ team. Go online and gather everything you can find about them,” I instructed.

  “You’ve got it.”

  I watched her ass as she wandered away. She grabbed her laptop and settled on the couch while Brody and I got to work on making this place the fortress I wanted it to be come morning.

  Chapter 16

  Delia

  “Will Brody be okay on the couch all night again?” I asked as Blaine joined me in bed.

  The guys had spent hours installing the high-tech equipment and once they were done, they’d walked me through each of the new security measures to show me how they worked. The door to the suite wouldn’t open unless Blaine, Brody, or I pressed our thumb against a security pad they’d added to the locking mechanism. Hidden sensors had been placed on the windows, wall, and door. Once activated, they would sound an alarm if anything crossed through their invisible beams. They’d also added a shatter-resistant film to all the windows. It was designed not only to keep the glass from breaking, but also to prevent people from being able to see inside our suite. Apparently, they thought it was necessary in case The Armory Group sent a sniper after me.

  A sniper.

  As if all these measures weren’t enough, Brody had tap
ped into the hotel’s security system so he could access their video feed and installed extra cameras of his own. We now had a bank of monitors in the living room showing us what was happening in the parking garage, valet stand, hotel lobby, in front of the elevators on our floor, the hallway in front of our room, and both stairways on either side of the building. I’d also heard Brody mumbling something about street cameras before I left the room. I wouldn’t be surprised if he added some views overnight.

  “Trust me, he’ll be fine. Giving him the bed wouldn’t do anyone any good. There isn’t a chance in hell he’ll get much sleep tonight. He’ll be too busy fiddling with the equipment he let me install, making sure I didn’t mess anything up. His addiction to energy drinks will keep him going until this is all over.”

  Nestled in his arms, I tilted my head to look into his eyes. “You’ve barely gotten any sleep either. What keeps you going?”

  “You do.”

  My heart leaped at his stark admission. It was almost impossible to believe this amazing man was here in bed—with me. He’d point blank told me I was his woman, which had to mean he was my man. He was doing everything he could to keep me protected and I felt an urgent need to give back to him in the only way I could.

  “Let me give you something to tide you over until tomorrow then.” I rolled away from him to slide my panties down my legs before I got onto my knees and straddled his hips. Blaine hadn’t bothered wearing his boxers tonight and I let myself sink slowly onto his cock. It took a moment for me to adjust to his size as he entered me. Even though he’d been deep inside me this morning, it still felt like the first time.