Her Fierce SEAL: Midnight Delta Book 6 by Caitlyn O'Leary

involvement with the sex traffickers, but the official records explained how their original kidnapping in the Mexican jungle precipitated the case in British Columbia.
    Later, there were comprehensive notes by Clint, Rylie, and Lydia detailing the operation in British Columbia.  From Clint’s perspective, it was so he could make a report to his commander.  For the women, it was so they could best figure out how to help the girls assimilate after they were rescued.
    Step by step, they outlined the horror of the human trafficking of women from all over the world.  The operation in British Columbia might have been centered around Eastern European women, but what Angie read showed how South, Central, and North American women had been targeted as well.  Also, there were Asian women who had been brought over in shipping containers.  When Angie read the part where Jiang Liu had ordered one of shipping containers of women be shoved over the side of a cargo ship, she literally rushed to the bathroom to throw up.  That had been this morning.
    What had her crying tonight was when she realized the Liu’s had been at this for countless years.  How many thousands of women had been bought, sold, and killed?  How many babies had been ripped out of their mother’s arms?
    “Okay, Angela, you need to get it together.” She threw the carton of ice cream in the sink.  She looked at the clock over the stove.  Just after midnight. 
    She thought long and hard.  She really shouldn’t need anyone to talk to.  What was the family motto?  Or at least the motto for little Angela?  Suck it up, buttercup.  You hold yourself up by your bootstraps.  But maybe if she called to talk about the case he wouldn’t realize that she was looking for comfort as well.
    She’d take a chance.  Worse thing that happened is he didn’t answer.  Finn?   She typed into her instant message.
    You okay, Angie?   Came the immediate response.  She sat there stunned.  She read the words three times.  Never in her life had someone, not even family, shown such immediate and unconditional concern.  Then she shrugged it off.  It was just because Finn was one of life’s born protectors.  It wasn’t anything personal.
    Fine.   She paused.  Having some ice cream.  Reading notes.
    Strawberry?
    No.  Vanilla with chocolate sauce.  Why did you think strawberry?
    Never mind.  Why are you eating ice cream in the middle of the night?  It’s the reports, isn’t it?
    Yes.
    She stared at the blank screen, wondering why it was taking him so long to respond.
    Are you done reading everything?
    Almost.  I read Mason’s report where you killed Albert, and Darius killed Jiang.
    That made you need to eat ice cream?
    God no.  That was the first thing that made me smile.  I’m the one that pulled a gun on you, remember?  I’m a Texan.  Of course, that made me smile.
    Why are you eating ice cream in the middle of the night?  Because I have a mother and a sister.  I know this means you’re upset.
    She wasn’t touching that question with a ten-foot pole.
    Where would you like to go for dinner tomorrow?  What do you like to eat?   Angie asked, changing the subject.
    Her phone rang.
    She blew her nose before she answered it.
    “Hello, Finn.”
    “We can eat fried mustard for all I care.  Are you crying?” he demanded.  His voice was deep and masculine, it had a hint of gravel in it.  Given the right circumstances, his voice would make her shiver.  Tonight she would take comfort from it.
    “Answer me, Angie, are you crying?”
    “Maybe,” her voice wobbled.
    “Tell me why.”
    “I started to calculate how long they had been in business...” her voice trailed off.
    “I’ve tried not to think about it.  I know Rylie looked for records, but she couldn’t find any.”  She heard the pain in his voice.
    “I like her.  I like everybody I read about.”  She sniffed.  “It’s not like I haven’t been in the middle of bad shit before.