free’ card.”
I pushed myself to my feet in time to see two men enter the corridor. A combination of relief and dread went through me in a harsh rush.
It was two of my own agents, Takamoto and Smithe. This was just the beginning of Oxford’s punishment. God.
The BPD officer winked at me before she led us down a couple of corridors.
“To think,” Smithe said with a grin, “we’d end up bailing our TS out of jail.”
I glared up at him. “Screw you.”
Takamoto laughed and I glared at him, too. I’d tried calling Georgina last night. But she never answered her cell and I couldn’t think of anyone else to call. Not my family. Not even my brother Zane, who was a RED Special Agent, too. He knew Gary and I didn’t want Zane to end up in jail, too, for killing my now ex-boyfriend. No, I’d had to face the lion’s den and place my call to Oxford.
The officer escorted us through a main door and into the police station itself.
The breath I took felt like I’d just sucked in a lungful of spring air compared to how it had smelled where we just came from.
‘Tsk.” Smithe wasn’t going to give up as he signed out the two weapons that had been taken from me. The knife and the Glock—both had saved my life one time or another, or had ended someone else’s. “Beating some guy’s truck in broad daylight—yeah, that’s low profile.” I gritted my teeth and gave Smithe a harder look. “I have a pretty nasty assignment I’m almost ready to put someone on. I think you’d be a good candidate.”
Ha. That shut him up. Takamoto looked like he was holding back a smile.
I didn’t have a permit as part of the job, so those weapons weren’t coming near my hands until we got into the transportation they’d brought. I might as well have been naked. While still in the BPD station, Takamoto handed me my wallet with my civilian ID and I shoved it into my back pocket. I blinked when we walked into the sunshine. Was it already almost noon? Crap. Since I hadn’t eaten for so long, I was light-headed on top of being exhausted, hurt, angry, and filled with so much pain I couldn’t begin to think straight. One black Ford Expedition with dark-tinted windows waited in the back of the police department parking lot. A cool breeze hit me and I shivered. Spring had only made it to us a week ago.
Christ, what an inane thought. Who cared that it was spring now? I might be losing my job.
The breeze became a light wind and threw my dark hair across my face, a face that could probably use a whole bar of soap. My mouth tasted sour, and no doubt my breath would bowl over Superman. As soon as I had faced the firing squad I had a date with a toothbrush and a shower. I walked toward the SUV with Takamoto and Smithe. “You know how to do it up good, Steele,” Takamoto said with a grin as we reach the SUV “We’ve all got our talents,” I muttered.
Smithe opened the rear driver’s-side door for me. “And yours seems to be getting in deep whenever you get a chance.”
I scowled at him as I buckled my seat belt. “Bite me.” “One of these days I’ll take you up on that,” he said before he shut the door.
The leather was smooth against my back as I slid down in my seat, exhaustion rolling through me. I’d faced Randolph’s death and had gone over everything I could about her case. I’d had my head agents brief me before I stopped at Gary’s, took a bat to his truck, ended up in jail, and had a nightmare that made me feel like I hadn’t slept at all. My eyes fluttered and Takamoto’s and Smithe’s conversation faded as sleep came.
March 28
Thursday afternoon
‘Time to face your doom, Steele,” Smithe said. The words barely registered as my eyes blinked open and I stared at the seat in front of me.
Shit.
Oxford.
The familiar parking garage for RED’s cover operation made it easy to tell where I was. I didn’t want to be here right now. I’d rather have stayed on that backseat and slept for a million years
I pushed myself to my feet in time to see two men enter the corridor. A combination of relief and dread went through me in a harsh rush.
It was two of my own agents, Takamoto and Smithe. This was just the beginning of Oxford’s punishment. God.
The BPD officer winked at me before she led us down a couple of corridors.
“To think,” Smithe said with a grin, “we’d end up bailing our TS out of jail.”
I glared up at him. “Screw you.”
Takamoto laughed and I glared at him, too. I’d tried calling Georgina last night. But she never answered her cell and I couldn’t think of anyone else to call. Not my family. Not even my brother Zane, who was a RED Special Agent, too. He knew Gary and I didn’t want Zane to end up in jail, too, for killing my now ex-boyfriend. No, I’d had to face the lion’s den and place my call to Oxford.
The officer escorted us through a main door and into the police station itself.
The breath I took felt like I’d just sucked in a lungful of spring air compared to how it had smelled where we just came from.
‘Tsk.” Smithe wasn’t going to give up as he signed out the two weapons that had been taken from me. The knife and the Glock—both had saved my life one time or another, or had ended someone else’s. “Beating some guy’s truck in broad daylight—yeah, that’s low profile.” I gritted my teeth and gave Smithe a harder look. “I have a pretty nasty assignment I’m almost ready to put someone on. I think you’d be a good candidate.”
Ha. That shut him up. Takamoto looked like he was holding back a smile.
I didn’t have a permit as part of the job, so those weapons weren’t coming near my hands until we got into the transportation they’d brought. I might as well have been naked. While still in the BPD station, Takamoto handed me my wallet with my civilian ID and I shoved it into my back pocket. I blinked when we walked into the sunshine. Was it already almost noon? Crap. Since I hadn’t eaten for so long, I was light-headed on top of being exhausted, hurt, angry, and filled with so much pain I couldn’t begin to think straight. One black Ford Expedition with dark-tinted windows waited in the back of the police department parking lot. A cool breeze hit me and I shivered. Spring had only made it to us a week ago.
Christ, what an inane thought. Who cared that it was spring now? I might be losing my job.
The breeze became a light wind and threw my dark hair across my face, a face that could probably use a whole bar of soap. My mouth tasted sour, and no doubt my breath would bowl over Superman. As soon as I had faced the firing squad I had a date with a toothbrush and a shower. I walked toward the SUV with Takamoto and Smithe. “You know how to do it up good, Steele,” Takamoto said with a grin as we reach the SUV “We’ve all got our talents,” I muttered.
Smithe opened the rear driver’s-side door for me. “And yours seems to be getting in deep whenever you get a chance.”
I scowled at him as I buckled my seat belt. “Bite me.” “One of these days I’ll take you up on that,” he said before he shut the door.
The leather was smooth against my back as I slid down in my seat, exhaustion rolling through me. I’d faced Randolph’s death and had gone over everything I could about her case. I’d had my head agents brief me before I stopped at Gary’s, took a bat to his truck, ended up in jail, and had a nightmare that made me feel like I hadn’t slept at all. My eyes fluttered and Takamoto’s and Smithe’s conversation faded as sleep came.
March 28
Thursday afternoon
‘Time to face your doom, Steele,” Smithe said. The words barely registered as my eyes blinked open and I stared at the seat in front of me.
Shit.
Oxford.
The familiar parking garage for RED’s cover operation made it easy to tell where I was. I didn’t want to be here right now. I’d rather have stayed on that backseat and slept for a million years
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