Page 82 of Untamed Sinner

“I can make a respectable attempt.”

"That's my point. We can keep killing the people he sends, or we can make sure he doesn’t get to send anyone else." Her voice lowers, her expression solemn. "We can spend the rest of our lives waiting for him to make another move. Or we make one first."

I hate that she's right. I hate even more that everyone else in this room knows she's right.

Mandy looks around the table. "It's win-win. Hendricks completes the commission. Ashford thinks he won. I get close enough to put him down permanently."

"Assuming he doesn't kill you first," I say.

She lifts her damn stubborn chin. "He won't."

I cross my arms. "You don't know that."

"He wants something from me."

Then Luke says the worst possible thing. "She has a point."

I turn my head. Slowly.

Luke freezes with the donut halfway to his mouth. "What?"

"You want to reconsider that sentence?" I ask.

He lowers the donut. "No."

Of course he fucking doesn't.

"If Ashford believes you're still his guy," Luke continues, "that's access. Right now, it's the only access we have."

"You volunteering Harper?" I know it’s an unfair accusation even as I say it.

The room goes silent.

Luke tips his head and studies me. "Interesting. I get it."

"Do you?" I say coldly.

"Yeah, I do." His voice loses every trace of humor. He takes Harper’s hand and holds it against his chest. "And if Harper were in Mandy's position, I'd want to lock her in a bunker until this was over."

"Good."

He chuckles. "But she'd probably shoot me.”

"Definitely," Harper says.

"Which is why the plan wouldn't be whether she goes,” he continues. “It'd be how the hell I make sure she comes home."

That lands harder than I want it to.

Mandy's fingers curl around mine.

Jake finally speaks. "Nobody is delivering anybody to Ashford today."

Mandy opens her mouth.

Jake lifts a hand. "And nobody's dismissing the idea."

I look at him.