Pledging to Die (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 11) by Morgan Kelley Page B

going to go grab a bottle of water from the break room. You sit right here, and whatever you do, don’t read this file, Broderick. I mean it. You can’t look inside, no matter how curious you are to find out the truth about why she left you. Do you hear me? Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
    He stared at her. Was his boss doing what he thought she was doing?
    Christ!
    She was!
    “Yes, ma’am, I promise I won’t look. I’ll sit here and wait for you to get back in five minutes.”
    “When I return, we’re going to talk about the assignment. Am I clear?”
    He nodded.
    The second she was gone and the door was closed, he had the file in his hand and was scanning the information. As she stated, Director Blackhawk had documented it.
    Reading everything as fast as he could, Brody took it all in. Now it was beginning to make sense. She wasn’t running from him per say, but her own demons.
    He wanted to be sick.
    His poor Johanna was suffering alone.
    He never knew.
    He scanned everything and placed the file back on the desk. It was only seconds before Elizabeth returned.
    “I got you some coffee. You look like shit, and it’s going to be a long drive tonight.”
    If the boss lady was going to throw him this bone, he had to take a shot and see what else she was offering him.
    “Wait. I need to know. Is that why?” he asked, pointing at the folder.
    Elizabeth sighed— so much for not discussing it.
    “I know that if I was that sick when I was younger, I would be scared shitless to let anyone in. I’d be too afraid I’d get sick again, and they’d suffer with me. In fact, I’d probably do something stupid like push everyone away to keep them safe, all the while carrying it on my own.”
    Now, he got it.
    “I need a woman’s opinion.”
    “You lucked out. I just happen to be one,” she stated, “or so the men keep telling me.”
    “If she didn't have feelings for me…”
    Elizabeth knew where he was taking it. “Then she wouldn’t have bailed on her partnership. I’m willing to bet that she feels exactly what you do. Only, she’s trying to keep you from getting hurt in the long run.”
    “I’m dying inside. I need to see her.”
    She shook her head when Ethan came to the door. “We’re almost done, handsome. I’m just about to tell our agent about the case.”
    “I sent Agent Flowers on her way. She’s going to get packed and head to the site tomorrow morning. I’ve notified the lab team, and they’re going to load up and rendezvous with us tomorrow in town.”
    “Give me ten minutes.”
    “Remember what I said.”
    She smiled. “Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my…”
    “Elizabeth,” he warned, knowing that backwoods drawl meant one thing. She was ignoring him. His wife had every intention of disregarding their conversation.
    They were going to be in HR before the week was out. 
    Surprise. Surprise.
    When he was gone, Elizabeth focused on her agent. “You’re going undercover. Right now, we have an agent planted in a sorority. She’s neck deep in a mess. We thought we had a sex ring, selling off women, so vice was handling it. Now, we know the truth. Someone is killing them. So, it’s on my team now.”
    “I need to find…”
    She cut him off.
    “You’re going to be playing the role of frat boy. I want you to be rich, arrogant, and out to get into someone’s pants.”
    He wanted to puke at the thought of trying to sex up some agent when his heart wasn’t in it.
    “What?” she asked, seeing the look on his face.
    “I don’t think I can play that role.” Deep down, he knew that the only woman he wanted to be with was the one he couldn’t have. “I’m too damaged over Johanna. I’ll blow the operation the first time I try and play horny frat boy.”
    She wanted to laugh.
    “The agent there needs cover. There are women disappearing around her. From what she’s reported, the frat has this sex game going on. They get the helpless drugged woman down