“Let’s get going,” Cahir orders as Cai gets in the driver's seat. “Bella can brief us once we’re away from here.”
We pull away, headlights off until we reach the main road.
I sit beside Copper and rest my head on his shoulder, threading my fingers through his. A smile tugs at my lips as he presses a kiss to my head.
This man. I never thought I’d have this again, but now that I do, I can’t imagine being without him.
“Did you get what you needed?” he asks softly.
I nod. “Yeah.”
He squeezes my hand, and we remain silent until we pull into an industrial area three miles from our flat. Cai stops the van next to where we hid Copper’s bike. We’ll ride back to the flat.
Cahir and Cai turn towards us once we’re stationary. Silas and Ramzi are with us in the back. Ramzi is waiting for the information I obtained so he can start the search.
“What did you find, Bella?” Cahir asks.
“Two names,” I say, seeing the surprise on their faces. “I wanted confirmation of the name I had. Miles Burres. When I was checking the other ledgers, another name stood out. Lloyd Eade. He’s not in my ledger, but he was in the last four I checked tonight. I don’t think he’s as big a player as my guy, but he’s not far off. Lloyd Eade is familiar, but I can’t remember why.”
Silas shares a look with Cahir.
“Nora,” Silas mumbles, a faraway look on his face.
I suddenly remember why I know the name, but it’s not my story to tell. I’m just glad we’ve finally managed to track him down.
“I’ll start checking on both of them,” Ramzi says. “You did good, Bella. I know this has been tough on you.” He hesitates as he looks at Copper. “It’s been tough on both of you. Hopefully, this won’t last forever now that we have names to work with.”
“It’s getting dangerous now,” Cahir warns, and the look in his eyes chills me. “Make sure your trackers are on at all times and stay armed. Both of you.” He aims that last part at Copper.
“We’re always armed,” he assures Cahir.
He’s right. We never leave the house without our weapons.
“I added some bugs to Alan’s office,” Cahir informs us.
I tense. “He scans his office every morning.”
“We know,” Ramzi replies. “This is new tech I’ve been working on, and so far, the scanners haven’t picked them up. Since we’re hitting his organisations so hard, I have a feeling he’ll be coming in for a meeting soon. We need to find out what he thinks is going on. If they suspect you, we’re pulling you out.”
“But we’re so close,” I protest. “We’ve come so far. Don’t stop me now.”
I’m devastated that they're thinking of pulling us off the operation after all the hard work and sacrifices we’ve made to reach this point.
“Bella,” Cahir says.
I recognise that clipped tone. It’s his ‘don’t fuck with me’ voice.
“You’re more important than any op. We’ve shut down several rings using the information you’ve provided us with in the last year alone. And that’s not including those we shut down the previous year.”
“Yes, but they’re all small operations. We need to get the big ones shut down,” I huff, frustration riding me.
“And we will,” Cahir assures me, “but we’ll do it without putting you at further risk. We need you alive and well if we’re going to continue this work.”
“Bella,” Silas says softly. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had children to worry and care about. You’ve filled a hole in our lives that we didn’t know needed filling. You aren’t just an operative. You’re a daughter, and your safety is our priority.”
Tears prick my eyes. I’ve never doubted that they care for me, but Silas’s words cement the depth of their affection.
My throat is tight with emotion, so all I can do is nod. When I’ve got myself under control, I open the side door of the van for usto exit. “Okay, if we need to pull out, we pull out. I know I don’t often say it, but you all mean the world to me.”
