“Because if someone pieces together that you are indeed Julia Moretti, then it’s not an enormous leap to think Delaney Rhodes’ family is actually the Morettis. Your family isn’t safe. We need to get them out of Oregon and you back with them.”
“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a quick jerk of her head. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to do a job, and I will see it through.”
“You could get killed. It’s not safe.” He shook his head, lips pressed into a thin line. “I know it sucks, but there’s nothing we can do. Your identity has been compromised, so we need to getyou a new one. I’m sorry. But it’s the only way to keep you and your family safe.”
“I’m not doing it. I won’t do it. I’m not losing everything again. If you need to get my family safe until I get this figured out, then move them to a safe house, but I’m not leaving. Not yet. Bobby would never hurt me.”
“Not directly. But by doing his search on you, he pointed a finger at your true identity. You might have been better off telling him the truth when he asked you.”
She rolled her eyes. “After everything you drilled into me, my first response was to deny and run. Nothing prepared me for this. I mean the odds of us seeing each other…”
“You staying here’s a bad idea, Delaney. It could risk everything your family has sacrificed over the past decade and a half. It’s not worth it.”
She smiled at him. “Bobby Jenkins was worth it back then, and he’s worth it now. I’m worth it. He would never hurt me. And after all these years, he deserves the truth.”
The marshal simply stared at her, and she could see the battle behind his eyes, knowing he wanted to grab her and drag her into his protection once more.
Finally, he sighed, his shoulders loosening slightly. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll send people to watch over your parents and sister for now. We need to talk to Robert Jenkins and get him to stop his web searches. But you can only tell the truth to him, no one else, and I still think it’s a terrible idea. Even if he wouldn’t hurt you, you can’t expect him to let the matter simply drop, not to trust his friends, those he went into battle with.”
“I’ll deal with it,” she assured him. “We can trust him.”
She knew it with every ounce of her being.
Another knock on the door.
“Delaney, you still in there? Time to get some more of those terrible scrambled eggs.”
Deke cocked a brow as he questioned her.
“My partner, Roman,” she told him. “He’s here to get the day started. I’m usually at the security room by now.”
He gave a curt nod as she moved to open the door. Roman glanced at the marshal, but then shook it off and turned to her.
“Something’s going on,” he told her. He looked back at the marshal and then, by the look on his face, he must have noticed the badge and gun. “Um, are you all right? You’re not in any trouble, are you?”
She ignored his questions. “What’s going on?”
He stared at the marshal for a moment longer, then turned back to her. “Silver Security. They’re buzzing like hornets. And your name keeps coming up. Someone new joined them this morning as well.”
Delaney simply stared at him.Shit.
CHAPTER NINE
ELVIS FOLLOWED HAWK INTO the hotel suite the Silvers had set up as their secondary command post when not working with the others from the casino, his mind turning over the abrupt reason for his friend to wake him up. Hawk didn’t have answers, which only raised more questions.
When they finally walked into the room, the place buzzed with quiet, efficient energy as everyone went about their tasks. Fold-out tables were arranged into a makeshift command center with multiple monitors showing security feeds and badge scans. All normal for the job, except for one thing out of place—the presence of Corey Masterson—Blaze. He stood next to Colin near the largest screen, his short-cropped blond hair tousled as he pointed to something on the screen, his jaw working like he chewed on bad news. He turned at the sound of the door, standing, his hands going to his hips as he cocked a brow at Elvis. Colin, usually the jovial sort, stared at him like he had wandered into his grandmother’s tea party and messed it all up.
“Boy, you never ask for simple favors,” Blaze said as he blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair.
Colin spun in his chair, but before he could say anything, Levi stepped to the center of the room. “Corey here says you asked forsome background on a woman from Obsidian Analytics. Is that true?”
Elvis gave the other man a curt nod as he moved toward Blaze. “I did.” He never looked at Levi, keeping his focus on Blaze, the youngest in the room. “And you wouldn’t be here if you found anything good.”
“What the hell were you doing running a background check on someone from another security team without telling me?” Levi pressed, moving to stand in front of Elvis before he could reach Blaze, hands on his hips.
“I thought I knew her,” Elvis said, running a hand through his hair. “Someone from my past.”
“Is this about the woman I saw you talking to at the end of the meeting yesterday?” Barret asked from where he leaned back against the wall, the morning sun rising through the window outside.
