Page 25 of Elite Metal: Warriors

Chrome studied her for a long while before he relented. “All right. But remember, we’re trusting you. The minute you betray that trust, it’s back to the cell. Possibly for good. Got it?”

Her chin wobbled, but she firmed it up and nodded. “I won’t. I won’t betray you. I want to get these fuckers.” The vehemence in her tone was undeniable; it even convinced Chrome.

He nodded curtly. “All right. Get on it. I’ll call in a report and see where…” He trailed off and glanced at Roni. “Where the Powers That Be want us to go with this. In the meantime, you”—he thrust a thumb at Sterling—“keep an eye on…our guest.”

“Yes, sir.” With pleasure. “And sir?”

“Yes?”

He had to ask. “Do you want us to keep her down here?” The command center had an emergency bunker, but it was hardly cozy. The only other place for her to sleep was that cell.

Chrome frowned and scrubbed his chin. He exchanged a glance with Steele. “The three of you can work down here. But she can stay at your place tonight. It’s more…comfortable.”

Ant barked a laugh. “Have you seen his place?”

Sterling nearly smacked him. Yeah, his place was kind of a mess—hardly the kind of place a guy would take a female visitor—but the last thing he needed right now was Ant’s shit about his poor housekeeping skills.

All that mattered was that the guys were coming to trust her. And if the information she helped them dig up proved helpful, then maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t have to use the nuclear option with her.

Chapter Seven

She worked all day with Ant, uncovering more and more shit on Morrow. There was evidence that he was paying personal expenses from the company account, had dirt on three congressmen and was in the middle of an extortion scheme with a high-placed Hollywood actor.

But that was the tip of the iceberg. The deeper they dug, the more they found.

It bugged Sterling to watch Roni with Ant. The two were far too much alike and they bounced ideas and terms off each other at a rapid-fire pace. He didn’t like the admiration glinting in his friend’s eyes.

He knew Roni wasn’t his—far from it—but shit, she wasn’t Ant’s either. He knew he had nothing to worry about from Ant, but he didn’t like how she smiled at the cowboy. More precisely how she smiled at Ant but frowned at him whenever he stopped in to check on them. If she was to be chummy with anyone, it should be with him.

Steele came by the conference room around noon and suggested in a far-too-casual tone that Roni might want to take a break. Maybe get something to eat from the kitchen. His smile was toothy, harsh.

She glanced at Sterling with a question in her eyes, and he nodded. As soon as she left the room, he turned to his boss. “What is it?” he gritted out. Because damn it, he knew Steele. He knew that look. He knew it was something. Something shitty.

“HQ wants us in.”

Sterling frowned. “What do you mean?”

“He wants us to have an in with Morrow. He wants to be able to watch what he’s doing.” His eyes narrowed. “Do you think she’s up for playing double agent?”

His gut heaved. Fuck! “That’s dangerous.”

“Not if she’s smart. And I think she is. It could be very useful having someone close to him.” Fuck. “HQ also thinks it might prove beneficial to have a way to feed the Snoop stories.”

“Disinformation?” Ant’s lips quirked.

“Something like that.”

It took everything in Sterling not to clench his fists. He might have clenched them a little. “You’re asking a lot of her. She hates that guy.”

Steele’s jaw bunched. “We’re offering a lot.”

Sterling frowned. “What?”

“Let’s just say HQ has an attorney who specializes in custody cases on retainer. And, ahem, his offers are never refused.”

“So she gets her sister back but still has to work for Morrow? We’re not taking him down?”

“Not while he’s useful to us. And with her help, he is. The information we can glean could be game changing.” He turned to Ant. “Is there a way to tap into Morrow’s computer, in real time, without him knowing?”