Jimmy Baxter was a man Jagger would most likely kill if he ever saw the worthless son of a bitch again.
“I have no idea where Jimmy is now, and frankly, I don’t care.” Ryker gave a shrug. “But Iwasfinally able to answer the question of how the hell a guy like that ever got far enough to be assigned to one of R.I.S.C.’s teams.”
“Let me guess.” Cade smirked. “He got a rich and powerful daddy somewhere always paying to erase his mistakes?”
“Close.” Ryker met the man’s stare before bringing it Jagger’s way. “His mother is Ohio Senator Marilyn Baxter. Like her son, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.”
“That explains Jimmy’s sense of entitlement and privilege.” Jagger shook his head in anger. “Wonder what else Mommy Dearest’s cash and power managed to sweep under the rug.”
“More than I care to admit, I’m afraid.” Ryker’s tone grew deep and serious.
With his hands in his pockets, he gave a quick run-down on all he’d been able to uncover. A past that had been buried sodeep, even McQueen’s guy, Derek West hadn’t been able to find it.
Once Jimmy’s façade of the all-American hero started to slip, however, his true colors came shining through.
“My wife almost died, thanks to that son of a bitch.” Jagger’s hardened stare met Ryker’s so the man knew, “I ever see him again, there won’t be a conversation.”
I’ll just choke the bastard out and the problem will be solved.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather my husband not spend the rest of our marriage behind bars for murder.” Talia turned his way.
Jagger grinned. “I’ll only go to prison if I get caught, and we both know that will never happen.”
Despite the macabre subject of their conversation, both he and Talia smiled. Because they both knew—hell, everyone in that room knew—Jagger wasn’t a cold-blooded killer.
“Okay, so back to the current problem at hand.” Ryker addressed the group as a whole. “I’ve spoken with Jake, and he has his guys, as well as Bravo and Charlie putting out more feelers. But Echo Team was slated to open their doors weeks ago, and as you all know, time is money. So we need to find someone to take Baxter’s place ASAP. That being said, after what happened with Talia, we also need to be confident in whatever choice we make.”
“That could take weeks.” Rocky joined the conversation. “On top of the time that’s already been wasted.”
Ryker agreed. “The problem is, I don’t see that we have any other choice. We need someone fast, but we also can’t risk rushing headfirst into another mistake.”
“I might know someone.” Jagger shared a quick look with Talia, who appeared a bit confused. He rolled his red-leathered chair backward on its wheels and told her, “I’ll be right back.” To Ryker and his team, he added, “I just need to make a quick call.”
When he got to the hallway, he closed the door behind him and pulled up his phone’s contact list. Finding the number he wanted, Jagger tapped on the screen and put the device to his ear.
He waited as it rang. Once. Twice. A third time, and a fourth. The automated voice that came on instructed him to leave a detailed message.
Jagger didn’t leave details, but rather, kept his choice of words purposefully vague.
“It’s me,” he greeted the man he hoped would get the message. “And before you hang up, I know you said never to call you unless it was important. Well guess what, brother? This is important. So call me back ASAP.”
Ending the call, Jagger kept his phone in his hand as he walked back into the conference room. His team was still discussing the situation with Baxter’s replacement when he settled back down into his seat.
Talia leaned in close as he sat the phone on the table, her voice low so only he could hear. “You going to fill me in on whatever that was, or am I going to have to pull it out of you later?”
Jagger shot his wife a grin. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not I want the enjoyment of your special brand of torture to end.”
His wife shook her head with a breathy laugh. “I swear, I married a child.”
“You love me, and you know it.”
The smile she sent his way next lit the golden color of her eyes. “Guilty as charged.”
Forgetting where they were and who was around, Jagger couldn’t resist leaning in for a kiss. Halfway there, however, his phone began to ring.
