“Hi,” she murmured, shifting under their scrutiny.
A dark-haired man with striking ice-blue eyes spoke up. “I’m Corey. This is Wes, Chaz, his wife Lottie, Brandon and his fiancée, Julia. Looks like you already know Lex.”
Before she could respond, Jayson added, “Apparently, she’s also an FBI agent currently investigating us because the Bureau thinks we might’ve had something to do with Donato Ferrante’s murder.”
Although he kept his tone impassive, Sabrina steeled herself for their reaction. The room quickly turned cool and more cursing filled the air as they exchanged looks.
“Talk about a clusterfuck.” Brand raked a hand through his brown hair. “We need to call Mitch.”
Sabrina had no idea who Mitch was, and the last thing she wanted was this room of alpha warriors to turn on her. She needed to get a hold of the situation fast before she became a target. And she truly wanted to get Emma back, because she was fairly certain the girl was innocent and probably completely oblivious to whatever Jayson and his crew were wrapped up in.
“I’m here to help,” Sabrina assured them.
“Are you?” Jayson countered. She understood his doubt, even expected it, but it still hurt.
“Yes.” She straightened her shoulders then addressed the group. “My name is Sabrina Ross, and, yes, I work for the FBI, but I’m not the enemy. The men who took Emma are, and I can help you track them down.”
“So can my dad,” Julia said. The woman had gorgeous dark red hair and eyes that appeared to be the same auburn hue in the firelight. “Call him, Brand. He’ll know what to do.”
Brand nodded, opening the laptop in front of him.
“Maybe she should wait upstairs.” Chaz crossed his huge arms, eyeing Sabrina.
“I can help you,” she repeated.
“Can and will are two different things,” he stated.
Sabrina looked to Jayson, but he didn’t say anything. “Jayson, I will use every resource available to me to get Emma back safely. You can trust me.”
He gave a stiff nod then looked over at Julia. “Julia, will you and Lottie take Sabrina upstairs?”
“Sure.” The women stood, and disappointment filled Sabrina.
Message received loud and clear,she thought, sending one last look Jayson’s way before following the women over to a back staircase.He doesn’t want my help. And they don’t trust me.
But she planned on doing everything in her power to change that.
Chapter seven
Jayson turned his attention back to the men gathered around the table, doing his best to put Sabrina out of his mind. She said she wanted to help, but he’d found her searching through his things. How could he trust her? Sure, she’d offered up the “truth” of who she was and who she worked for, why she was there. But how did he know she wasn’t lying about that?
Normally, his friends would’ve teased him relentlessly about Sabrina. He’d never brought a woman to the bar, and the guys knew he didn’t date. Emma had always been his first priority. His everything. Now with her missing, the mood was somber.
In moments, Mitch appeared on the laptop screen and Brand turned it to face everyone. General Mitchell Evans possessed a larger-than-life presence. At sixty-seven, he barely looked fifty. Fit and intelligent, his incredible accomplishments left Jayson a lot awed and a little intimidated. Julia’s father was also their handler. The Motley Crew was his brainchild, and the ops he sent them on had given them all a new purpose. A new life.
The General’s connections ran deep, and Jayson hoped like hell he could help.
“What’s going on in Cielo Springs, gentlemen?” Mitch asked from his home in Washington D.C.
“Someone kidnapped Jayson’s daughter,” Brand informed him. “We think it may be tied to Rocco Ferrante.”
Mitch eyed the group of men, his expression turning serious. “What makes you think that?”
”There’s an FBI agent here claiming Rocco wants vengeance for Donato’s death,” Brand answered. “She thinks we may have been involved.”
They all exchanged a look. Because, yeah, they’d been involved.
“I’d throw his fat ass right off that rooftop again,” Chaz growled. “He tried to kill Lottie.”
