The seriousness in his tone had her heart racing. “I know that. I’ll always be honest with you too.”
Satisfied with her response, he nodded and picked up the phone they’d given him at the station. It was supposedly an untraceable phone that should be used for all calls between Zach and the authorities.
It took a few minutes to get Asa and Dawson on a conference call, but they jumped right into things once everyone was on the line.
“I got an invitation today,” Zach said. “You remember I told you about Eric Cross?”
“Yes,” Asa confirmed. “Leader of the Winchester location.”
“He reached out and wants me to come for a visit.” Zach turned to Lauren, gauging her reaction to the news.
She’d expected Zach might have to spend longerhours “working” undercover, but they hadn’t talked about travel. Winchester was a few hours’ drive but still in Wyoming.
This invitation felt like a step in the right direction. Zach was being trusted within the organization, and getting face time with one of the other top dogs would only unearth more information the authorities could use in building their case.
“When?” Asa asked.
“Next weekend.”
“Can you be ready by then?” Asa asked.
Zach straightened. “Let me talk to Lauren about it.”
“We should go,” she said, resting a hand on his arm.
Zach jerked back. “There is nowein this. I’ll go, but you’ll stay here.”
Lauren scoffed. “Rude. I’m coming too.”
Turning back to the phone conversation, Zach begged, “Please tell her to stop.”
“No can do,” Asa said. “Lauren would actually be an asset on this mission.”
Zach’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Lauren straightened her shoulders, feeling the fire consume her insides. “When are you going to realize I’m not a fragile little flower?”
“You’re not a fragile flower,” Zach confirmed. “You’re a thorn in my side. I can’t focus on any of this if I’m worriedabout you.”
Dawson cleared his throat. “Kids, let’s save the lovers’ spat for later. We’ll have to make sure we have the equipment for her and approval from all the departments, but Lauren could be cleared to go with you if she chooses.”
Zach sat up, pulling his hand from hers. “Are you kidding me? The deal was that I would do the work, and she would be protected. How exactly are you going to make that work when you’re considering sending her into the fire?”
“Lauren can read people,” Asa said. “She has years of psychology and investigative training under her belt. She’s observant, and she has promised she’ll be more careful in the future.”
“I will,” she said, lifting her chin and ignoring Zach’s heated stare. She’d learned her lesson the hard way, and she wasn’t stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.
“Done. I’ll take care of the paperwork,” Dawson said. “You two show up on Wednesday morning for fitting.”
“Wait. Wait. Wait. I haven’t agreed to any of this,” Zach said. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
Lauren rested a hand on Zach’s shoulder and leaned forward. “Guys, can we call you back after we talk?”
“Sure,” Asa said. “If you have any questions, just reach out.”
Zach ended the call with a hard press of his thumb before turning on her. “Are you serious?”
Was she serious? How could he even ask that question? She’d never been more serious in her life. She’d been waiting for this opportunity for years, and now it was within her reach. “Please, just listen to me.”
