The woman I’m falling for looks to me, and it’s so easy to read the question in her eyes.“Can I trust her?”
“Wren has very strong opinions on the words ‘I promise’. She doesn’t use them unless she means them. None of us do.” Giving her hand another quick squeeze, I wait for her to decide if she’s willing to trust one more person.
It only takes another beat for her to nod. “Okay. If we need help finding someone else, can Ronan call you tomorrow? One of the cartel members left a couple of years before I did, and he’s in Boston somewhere. We got his phone number tonight, but he hung up on me.”
“Send it over. And anything you have on him. It might take me a while, but I’ll find him.” Wren yawns, then gasps. “Ry? Right there!” She points, and he moves his hand up, staring at Wren like she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.
“Holy fuck. That’s her?” His eyes, mesmerizing with their multi-colored hues, are even more intense now, and the man actually smiles. “Later, Ronan. No one but Wren gets to hear me attempt baby talk.”
Wren manages a quick “Bye” before the connection fades away, and I pull Zephyr into my arms. “We have help now, luv. Ryker McCabe doesn’t back down. From anythin’. He doesn’t joke either. When this is all over, you have a job waitin’ for you if you want it.”
“I don’t know what to say. Why would any of you risk your lives…for me?” she asks.
“Because that’s what we do.”
* * *
Dante emailsme while Zephyr’s brushing her teeth.
Got you some answers. Zephyr is 5’5” tall, thirty-four years old, and has green eyes. Approximate weight: 130 pounds. From the interviews I conducted, she appears to be claustrophobic, but her main weakness is family. She considers the Strauss Cartel her family and will do anything to protect them.
Rolling over, I snort into my pillow. The Strauss Cartel isn’t Zephyr’s family anymore. She’s told me more than once that she loves her brother, but she knows he’d kill her without a second thought.
But the rest of it? Dante is absolutely in contact with someone in the cartel, and now we have proof. I send a quick text to Wren before setting my phone to emergency contacts only for the night. Anyone at Second Sight or Hidden Agenda will be able to get through to me, but that’s it. The water in the bathroom shuts off, and I turn the phone face down on the nightstand. I don’t want to trigger Zephyr any more tonight. We can talk about this in the morning.
When the woman I’m quickly falling for slips through the door, I can’t tear my gaze away.
“One of these days, maybe I won’t have to steal your t-shirts,” she says, her voice soft, a hint of regret to her tone. “Some of the clothes I ordered should show up tomorrow.”
“I love seein’ you in my clothes. Borrow whatever you want. For as long as you want.”
Zephyr shoots me a sideways glance as she slips under the covers, and the light hits her in such a way, the bruises from Theo’s attack appear even worse than they did an hour ago.
“How’s yer neck?” I trace the fingertip marks with a knuckle, and Zephyr sighs.
“Better than the rest of me. It’s been a while since someone tackled me and threw me into a couple of walls.”
“Shit. The bystander only captured the last part of the fight. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, luv.”
“You don’t have to protect me,” she says with a weak smile. “I can protect myself. Most of the time, anyway. I did make Theo scream like a baby after all.”
Laughing, I wrap my arms around Zephyr. She fits so perfectly against me. Slight curves, taut muscles, and that silky, soft hair tickling my neck.
“Are all of your coworkers as intense as Ryker?” she asks.
“No. Or…not quite. Dax is a close second. He served with Ryker and Ripper. When you meet Dax, you might not realize it, but he’s blind. Mostly. Can see some shadows and muted colors. Trevor was a CIA sniper. Ford was in the Marines. He’s the oldest, and his wife always says he’s a big teddy bear—as long as no one pisses him off. Clive is easy going. Ella…she keeps to herself. Tank…his nickname fits. He’s a wall of muscle, but one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.”
The more I talk about the men and women I work with, the more I realize how much they mean to me. And how relieved I am that Wren and Ry know about Zephyr. She’s fast becoming my everything, and though the idea of telling Dax I lied—even by omission—scares the fuck out of me, I need him to know how I feel about her. I need everyone to know. Zephyr most of all.
Chapter Twenty
Ronan
I reach for the light,but Zephyr stops me, her hand on my arm. “What are you doing? I distinctly remember telling you I wanted you naked tonight.”
“You’re exhausted, luv. You can have me naked any time you want, but I won’t be hurtin’ you.”
She straddles me, her hands flat on my chest. “You won’t hurt me.” A hint of fear creeps into her eyes. “We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, Ronan. I know you believe in your boss. In all of your coworkers, but Oliver, Theo, and probably François and Alex are somewhere in Boston. I lost everything four years ago. My identity, my freedom—mylife. Yes, I’ve been alive, but I haven’t beenliving. No more wasting time. The other night, you asked me to trust you for one moment. I did. But I was convinced that would be theonlymoment I let my guard down.”
