AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She nodded. “We do. We were there.”
“Mia, I’m not reproaching you.” At her raised eyebrow, he amended, “I’m notonlyreproaching you.” He shook his head and took in a deep breath. “What have you got?”
“Ten girls and onealacrán,” I answered. “They’re all hurt.”
Aaron cursed under his breath. “So, they’re in fact dealing with human trafficking.”
“There’s no room for surprise. I’ve been telling this for years,” Mia argued, referring to her last assignment at the DEA. The one that changed everything for her.
Aaron rubbed his hands over his face and nodded. “Ethan is undercover again; otherwise, he’d be here. This seems unending. Where are they?”
I pointed to where we were parked. “Ben is protecting them and keeping a look on the man in the truck.”
“Is your hot doctor friend in? We might need her.” Both times we needed that place, we were attended by Ariel Miller, Aaron’sfriend, for lackof a better word—we knew there was a story there but still didn’t know what it was.
With reluctance, he admitted, “She is. I talked to her already, and she’s expecting you guys. Although I didn’t know we were wanted by a dozen people.”
“What can we say? We’re overachievers like that.” Mia turned on her heels and headed to the truck, talking over her shoulders as we followed. “We need security for them. Someoneyoutrust, not someone indicated by the DEA.”
We helped the girls out and guided them through a door at the side of the hospital, in order not to bring attention to them. Aaron coordinated the space with Ariel and positioned some of the agents under him to protect the girls and keep the man we brought into custody since Aaron called his arrest as soon as he met him. Meanwhile, Dr. Miller was caring for them—attending to their health and collecting evidence—and arranging for someone to contact their families. For the ones who had any.
Ben was moodier than usual as we dealt with the transition. I wasn’t sure if it was the memories the place evoked or the close call we had that night. It got even worse when Aaron called him to talk in private, keeping me and Mia not privy to their conversation.
I was avoiding him to the best of my abilities, but I could sense Mia was losing her patience. It was past midnight, and we were hungry and emotionally drained. Since Aaron had arranged a room for us to stay in until we disclosed to him what we got and so Mia and I could be checked, she ordered a couple of pizzas for us.
After their secret talk, Ben stormed inside our room like a bull, even angrier than before, followed by a tense Aaron. But I didn’t have time to question them on what was going on.
Ben inspected the boxes of pizza, shaking with barely restrained anger. “What the hell are these? Didn’t you say you’d get us pizzas, Mia?”
She raised her scarred brow. “Check those square boxes. Do you see those round things that taste, look, and smell like pizza? Those are pizzas.”
“Since when do they have that many olives? And where is pepperoni? Pizza must have pepperoni.” He wasn’t normally that big of a jerk. Whatever he and Aaron talked about must’ve been bad.
“Are you sure?” Mia was anything but confused. “Because I’ve readPizzas For Dummiesfrom cover to cover, and I didn’t see anything about it.”
“So maybe you shouldn’t do things just for the sake of it. If it’s not doable, stay back.”
She leaned her head to the side and pondered. “Call me paranoid, but I have a feeling we’re not talking about the pizzas, are we? Is there anything you need to tell me, Benjamin? Just get it over with and stop being an ass.”
He paced the room like a caged beast. Aaron and I looked at each other, not knowing how to intervene. If I wasn’t so worried about them, I would’ve noticed the shadow of guilt in Aaron’s features.
“Every time. Every time, you do stupid things like this. My father is hitting me? Awesome, you can jump right into my mess. My woman and you get cornered by a dangerous cartel? Nothing to worry about, you’ll get her out and stay behind to get killed. You’re being surrounded by the cartel againon their turf? Say no more, you’ll run to the eye of the storm to get someone else, beyond what we’d agreed to. If you get killed in the process,even better.” Anyone else would call it anger, but I knew his outburst was from fear and distress.
“So, you’re mad at me for doing my job? Are we having this conversation again? The one where you try to vote me out of the company?” She raised her hands in spiteful surrender. “If that’s how you’re going to react, I’m not in the mood. So, when you calm down, we can head home. I’ll be in the truck.” She picked up her backpack from the floor and headed to the door.
“I’m not mad at you for doing what you’re supposed to, I’m mad because you should just stick to your side of the job.” The worst combinations of words he could’ve used. He ran his hands through his hair, his eyes closed in regret.
She let go of her bag, which fell with a thud on the floor, resonating with the storm that was coming. “Stick to my side of the job?” she whispered lethally. “Please enlighten me, Benjamin. What side of the job is mine? Because I thought it was the one where we get paid a couple of million from the government to do what we do. I thought it was the part where we handle the business together and with equality to keep it running.”
“That’s not what I meant—”
She pointed to her mouth. “These lips are still talking. Do you know what your problem is? For some screwed-up reason, you don’t think I can handle the same jobyou do. But you want to hear something interesting?” She was in a roll. “If someone calls the company, Haley will answer, ‘Bryants & Walker Protection.’ If I give my card to anyone, it’d read, ‘Bryants & Walker Protection.’ If I’m to meet with a new client, I’ll tell them I’m part of ‘Bryants & Walker Protection.’ The only one who doesn’t seem to know me ismy so-called best friend. So, allow me to introduce myself: I’m Mia Bryant.I protect!”
They were barely one foot apart, both breathing heavily, and they seemed ready to jump at each other’s throats. Ben was about to rebut when I decided to use my dad-voice.
“Enough!” They looked at me as if seeing me there for the first time. “What the fuck is the matter with you two? We’re on the same team, we just made something huge today, after so long of getting our asses kicked. Can’t you just savor this moment and snap at each other later? Or never?”
“That’s the thing, Danny,” Ben resumed. “Will we have a ‘later?’ Because Mia seems so intent on doing the unimaginable that I’m betting my paycheck shewantsto end this for her.”
