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Maddox said, “Small conference room. Ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir.” Teagan stood, her fingers still threaded through Seth’s.
Might not mean much in the scheme of things, but he was pleased she hadn’t released his hand. Now everyone in this conference room knew something was brewing between him and Teagan. Noah and Violet followed them from the room.
Teagan walked down the hall and motioned to a door on the right. Seth opened the door to a small conference room. He closed the door when they were all inside. “Opinions?”
“I don’t like it.” Noah paced the room and back. “This has disaster written all over it. Come on, Seth. We’re putting our lives and reputations on the line for what could be a mistake by Pico. I hate putting the women at risk for a dicey operation like this.” He stopped and folded his arms across his chest. “Worse, Walters didn’t mention what’s going on inside the compound. You know what those places are like.”
Yeah, he did. “Explosive.”
Noah pointed at him. “Exactly. The fed is holding something back, and I don’t want Violet or Teagan caught in the backwash. If things go bad, we may not get them out in time.”
“You’re not going in alone.” Violet dropped into a chair. “You’ll be under more suspicion if you try to gain entrance without us. We know what we’re doing, Noah. People see what they want to see.”
“Which is what?”
“A paramedic following her boyfriend, who is furious at being let go from the force and has her own problems with authority.” She flashed a smile. “It’s why I was drummed out of the Army, after all.”
Seth’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously?”
“It’s the story Zane has in place in my records. Trust me. Peters and Richardson will only see what we want them to see.”
“What about you, Teagan? What story is in place for you?”
“Knowing Z, he’ll doctor my records to include a mission gone wrong, a bullet hitting the wrong target.”
“Is it the truth?”
“In a way.”
Watching her, Seth realized she would not tell him anything else for now. Something he’d have to ask her later.
“Are we doing this or not?” Noah asked. “If we are, we need to be ready for the fallout. This is going to hit our families, Seth. No way will Burnett or Walters give us permission to inform them of what’s coming. They’ll think we’re as dirty as the media will claim.”
He flinched. His parents and brothers would be devastated. The Dixon family had a long and honored history in law enforcement. This operation would sully their pristine reputation and his own. “I have to do this, Noah. You know I do. Pico died on my watch while trying to give me valuable intel. I can’t let him die in vain.”
“Yeah?” His partner grimaced. “Our deaths may be in vain if he was dead wrong in his assessment. Are you willing to riskyour life on this gamble? More important, are you willing to risk Teagan’s life in this crazy scheme?”
CHAPTER SIX
“YOU’RE NOT GOINGinto this mission without me,” Teagan said, voice soft. “I know you’re a veteran cop who also has years of experience in the military, so I don’t doubt your skills. You still need someone to watch your back.”
“I’ll have Noah.”
A slow smile from the woman he was crazy about. “He might be an excellent cop and your best friend, but he’s not your smoking hot girlfriend.”
Noah gave a bark of laughter. “She’s got you there.”
She did, indeed. Even better, she hadn’t refuted his insistence on claiming her as his. Now, if he could just convince her to keep him around, life would be excellent. “What’s your point, babe?”
“I’m the box jumper for the magician.”
“The box jumper?”
“The distraction. Violet and I will be window dressing until you need us to be something more deadly to protect you and Noah.”
Until, not if. He was prepared for the worst, had been there before with undercover assignments. Hated those assignments, especially if it meant taking someone he cared about into danger. And he cared for Teagan so much this early in their relationship. If she knew, would she run?
