Chapter 7
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RADLEY SWIPED HER BADGE and moved down the hall in the secure area, striding into one of the conference rooms. Several of Bravo Team were already there, one of the men swiveling around in his chair to flash her a grin.
“Ignore Cooper,” a guy to his right said. “He sweet talks all the ladies, but Boone already told us to play nice.”
Radley raised her eyebrows. She’d known Boone for mere hours, so it was curious that he’d already spoken with his teammates about her.
Just because he’d been sent to protect her while doing surveillance work didn’t mean she needed his assistance inside a secure building, working alongside her new colleagues.
The man who’d just spoken rose from his seat. He was fit, with stubble coating his jaw, and short-cropped dark hair. He was shorter than Boone, although probably almost six feet tall. While he was good looking, he didn’t make her heart pound the way Boone did.
And that was just something she’d have to learn to ignore.
They’d followed one another back from the warehouse, Radley taking a roundabout way once again to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Boone had tailed her from a distance, telling her another set of eyes wasn’t a bad thing.
He wasn’t wrong. She just wasn’t sure what to make of his attentiveness.
Was he being chivalrous? Or was he treating his assignment to protect her way too seriously?
She’d yet to receive any texts today, which was both a worry and a relief.
Although she was glad not to deal with anything new at the moment, she was certain she’d hear from her tormenter sooner rather than later.
Were they simply trying to rattle her, or was it something more?
Radley feared that only time would tell.
Her attention snapped back to the scene before her.
“I’m Gage,” the man who’d stood up said with an easy smile. “Everything you’ve heard about me is true.”
“I’ve heard nothing,” she deadpanned, and the men’s laughter filled the room.
“Whew,” he joked as he pantomimed wiping sweat from his brow. “Guess I’m starting with a clean slate then. This guy beside me is Cooper. He’s a major flirt, so consider yourself warned. This room is heavy on the testosterone, as you can see.”
“I can handle myself,” Radley said.
“I don’t hit on colleagues, ma’am,” Cooper said, amusement gleaming in his eyes. “And it’s nice to meet you. Holt’s told us nothing but good things.”
She nodded and scanned the room. “Where is Holt?”
“On his way,” Boone said in that deep voice of his as he strode in, and her eyes briefly locked with his dark brown ones.
Once again, she resisted the urge to shiver.
Something about the deep timbre of his voice made her girly parts stand up and take notice.
Unfortunate, that. Radley was perfectly happy being single—a status she intended to maintain.
She met the two remaining men, Knox and Xaden. The introductions were cut short, however, as Holt stormed in, a frown on his face.
“Everything good?” he asked, eyeing Radley.
“Yes. We took a roundabout way back to make sure I wasn’t being tailed. No one’s been following me today.”
“Then let’s get right down to it,” Holt said, typing something on his laptop and then pulling up a slide on the big screen. “This is the location Radley first went to this morning—the address was in the intercepted text messages.”
“It looks abandoned,” Xaden commented.
“It was,” Radley confirmed, her gaze briefly landing on him.
Holt clicked to a new slide. “Radley and Boone sent these photographs over earlier. This is the site of the newest weapons cache, approximately ten miles from the site Radley first visited this morning.” He clicked to a map, pinpointing both locations, before his piercing gaze swept to her. “Want to fill in the rest of the team?”
She nodded and rose, quickly briefing the others as to how she’d gotten the address of the warehouse.
Radley clicked through the photographs, landing on the large quantity of wooden crates stacked against the wall.
“The inventory at this location is much larger than anticipated. The operation is scaling up, and we need answers. Boone and I plan to track the remaining crates and install surveillance around the warehouse to monitor things.”
Holt cleared his throat. “I want two men with them this afternoon. Some of the merchandise was loaded up and trucked away earlier. We lost our chance to see where the goods were headed. We don’t want to miss the opportunity to track the remaining boxes.”
Xaden cocked his head, studying the photos on the big screen. “We need to identify additional targets, boss. There’s no way all of that is headed to The Space Needle.”
“Agreed,” Radley said. “Boone and I were discussing the same earlier. The scope of the attack is broadening.”
“Do you think they’re recruiting new members?” Cooper asked. “Maybe they’re setting up shop elsewhere in addition to New York, St. Louis, and Seattle.”
Holt looked thoughtful. “It’s a possibility. Rather than using the additional weapons for new targets in Seattle, maybe they’re trucking them to an entirely different city. Damn it all to hell,” he muttered. “This is getting more complicated by the hour.”
Radley’s gaze met his. “Is Jett sending his men to scout out the locations we’re aware of in New York?”
“Affirmative. He deployed men this morning to surveil the locations and men coming and going from those sites.”
“What about St. Louis?” Gage asked with a frown.
“Jett’s working on it. Our focus remains Seattle for now.
” Holt observed the group assembled. “Surveillance equipment is stocked in the armory. The setup is similar to headquarters for those of you who’ve been to the New York office.
Gear up. I want the four of you headed back to the weapons cache ASAP. ”
***
BOONE EYED RADLEY AN hour later, watching as she strode toward his truck in her snug fitting cargo pants. The material hugged her hips and ass, and he chided himself for staring. Just because he found her sexy as fuck didn’t mean she’d want him leering.
They were working for God’s sake.
A breeze blew across the Shadow Security parking lot, and he noted the way the wind caught her long hair.
A hint of her fragrance teased his nose.
It was a sweet, floral scent—not necessarily what he’d expect when looking at her.
And the damn scent of peaches was still there, too—so sweet and succulent, wouldn’t he love to take a bite.
His gaze swept the parking lot, a habit he’d noticed that Radley had as well.
Her situational awareness was to be commended.
He still couldn’t believe she’d gotten the jump on him earlier.
She hadn’t told his teammates how she’d snuck up on him.
They’d never let him hear the end of it.
The fact that she was so alert also concerned him.
For someone so aware of her surroundings, not to realize she’d been followed yesterday was a cause for alarm.
The person tailing her was clearly a professional.
And while Radley didn’t know their end game yet, Boone sure as shit knew it wasn’t good.
Radley brushed back a strand of her dark locks, and his eyes trailed down the slender column of her neck. Her leather backpack was slung over one shoulder, and it tugged on her jacket, giving him an eyeful of her full breasts pressed against the fabric of her top.
She looked sexy, delicious, and off-limits.
Cooper shouted goodbye from across the lot, and Boone gave him a mock-salute.
Cooper and Knox were hauling boxes of surveillance equipment to his vehicle and would meet them back at the warehouse.
While Cooper would stand guard outside, Knox would assist with setting up surveillance cameras and tracking devices.
All of their plans assumed they wouldn’t have company.
If any members of the terror cell had returned, they’d have to delay the operation and return under the cover of night—and possibly miss another opportunity if additional crates were moved out.
Boone clicked his key fob, heading to the passenger door of his truck. “I’ll help you up.”
“I can handle myself,” Radley told him.
“Humor me.” He didn’t argue with her further.
She’d already begun to open the door, and Boone gripped her hips, lifting her into his big truck.
He didn’t miss the tiny gasp escape her lips.
The sound wasn’t meant to be sexual, but hell.
He could imagine her making all sorts of little whimpers and pleas as he positioned her how he wanted in the bedroom, kissing her everywhere and sinking into her welcoming body.
His cock twitched as he held onto her hips for a beat too long, and he willed his soldier to stand down.
Radley had been assaulted by an asshole she worked with. That knowledge alone made him far more protective of her than he’d been first thing this morning. Hearing the words from her own mouth had been like a punch to the gut—and he didn’t even know the dirty details.
“I could’ve climbed up myself,” she told him as he got into the driver’s seat.
Boone flashed her a look, taking in her flushed cheeks and pouty, pink lips. “I’m bigger than you. Besides, it’s my truck. If you drive, I’ll let you get into your own car.”
“You insisted on driving,” she pointed out.
“Yep.”
“Are you always so bossy?”
As Boone started the engine, he let out a huff of surprised laughter.
His little kitten was feisty. Not that she was his, but for better or worse, they were working together now.
“I’m not the one being followed. They know what you look like, know your vehicle, and probably already learned that you work here.
It’s best we take my truck to stay under the radar.
Have you gotten any more texts today?” he asked, flashing her a concerned look.
“No. Not yet.”
The word she left unspoken hung in the air between them, and Boone bit back a curse. She was right—more would be coming. It was only a matter of when.