Chapter Seven
IONA WANTED TO rub her hands in glee at Brent’s last few orders.
He’d left Elias no alternative and no way out.
What was his deal? Did he not trust her to take care of herself?
For goodness’ sake, she was the leader of a black ops team and as qualified to do the job as Seth. Did he doubt her abilities that much?
Her back stiffened. She had the skills and experience.
Iona might not have been an Army Ranger like Echo unit’s members, but she had worked plenty of missions with Special Forces groups and even more with Fortress Security’s black ops teams. If she wasn’t good at her job, Artemis wouldn’t have chosen her as their leader.
Teagan and Riley were more than capable of leading their team, but they’d given her their confidence. Why couldn’t Elias?
She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but his lack of belief and trust in her skills hurt.
Bad. How could they make a successful team on this mission if he had no faith in her?
Worse, they didn’t have time to fix the problem.
In less than twelve hours, she and the rest of their teams would be on stage, playing roles for the MC.
Iona frowned. The boss hadn’t told them the name of the MC they were joining temporarily. Why not? She picked up her phone and sent him a message. Might as well ask.
Seconds later, his response appeared on her screen.
Blackthorn Riders. She deliberately blanked her expression.
Inside, she was horrified. Although MCs weren’t her area of expertise, even she had heard of the Blackthorn Riders.
They were rumored to be caught up in criminal enterprises and were brutal adversaries.
No matter how many times law enforcement filed charges against them, the witnesses mysteriously vanished, died horrible deaths, or flat out refused to testify.
This was the group Elias was supposed to run to for sanctuary? She shuddered. Even worse, he’d planned to run this operation by himself. No. Just no. She wouldn’t let him do this alone. Talk about a suicide mission.
“Iona?”
She glanced up to see Elias watching her.
“What is it?”
The rest of the conversation between their teammates dropped off. She glanced at the others, then back to him as though to ask if he really wanted to get into this with everyone listening in. That stubborn spark she saw so often in his eyes gleamed bright and was just as telling as his set stance.
Fine. If he wanted to talk about this with an audience, so be it. “Did you know the name of the MC with whom you’re taking refuge?”
His lips pressed into a thin line. Elias said nothing.
Well, look at that. So, he knew and hadn’t bothered to share the information.
“You obviously know.” Teagan motioned for Iona to get on with the show-and-tell portion of the program. “Spill. Which MC are we targeting?”
“Blackthorn Riders.” She could have heard a pin drop in that kitchen.
Guess their teammates were aware of this group after all.
Iona inched closer until she was in Elias’ face.
“I was already angry at you for planning to do this mission alone. Now, knowing the reputation of the group you’re targeting, I’m even more furious.
Taking this group on alone? What were you thinking? ”
“Drop it, Iona.”
“Forget it. You knew how dangerous this mission would be, and you deliberately shut all of us out to protect us.”
His cheeks flushed and his eyes lit up with fury. “What’s wrong with that? You would have done the same thing in my shoes.”
“That’s another point where you’re wrong. Artemis is a team. We have each other’s backs. I trust my life in their hands, and I have enough faith in their abilities to trust their judgment. You don’t.”
“That’s not fair, Iona, and wrong. I’ve been in the foxholes many times with Echo. Too many nights I knew we wouldn’t make it out of there in one piece, yet somehow we lived to fight another day. This has nothing to do with trust.”
“Then what is your problem?”
“I wanted to protect my family, all right? I didn’t want the evil and corruption that goes along with life in Blackthorn Riders to touch what is the only good thing in my life.”
“Does that include me?”
He snorted. “Especially you.” Elias motioned to the others with a wave of his hand. “Are we going to hash this out in front of our teammates?”
She was tempted to say yes just to make him that much more uncomfortable. The truth was, Iona preferred not to have her heart broken with eight people watching. Her blank face wasn’t good enough to hide a broken heart. “No.”
“Iona.” Teagan’s gaze was locked on Elias. “Are you sure this is wise? We can stand far enough away to give you privacy and offer protection.”
Elias’ head whipped in her direction, a scowl marring his handsome features. “I would never harm a hair on Iona’s head, no matter how much she ticks me off.”
Seth shifted to stand partially in front of his wife. His eyes and body language warned Elias to back off or face the consequences.
His mouth went dry. Oh, man. He’d crossed a line, and he knew it. Elias held up both hands, palms out. “Sorry, Teagan.”
She gave a slight nod. Her gaze, however, didn’t waver.
Great. Not wise to anger the woman who kept the bogies off his back during their combined missions.
Elias turned back to Iona. “Here or elsewhere?”
“Elsewhere. You choose.”
“Somewhere we can watch and respond in seconds if things get out of hand,” Teagan insisted.
She gave a slight nod of agreement, the only way her team would allow her to go anywhere with Elias. “Where, Elias?”
“Deck. We should be safe enough. I have a privacy fence that prevents all but the most determined souls from spying on me.”
“Fine.” To prevent more objections from her teammates, Iona headed for the back door.
“Watch yourself,” Noah warned Elias.
“Unnecessary to tell me that.”
“After the display we just saw, I disagree. If you touch her out of anger, you’ll regret it.”
He held up his hands again. “I get it, all right? If I step out of line, you’ll beat me to a pulp.”
“Unless I take you out first,” Teagan murmured.
Elias froze in place for a beat, acknowledged the warning with a nod, and opened the door for Iona.
She stepped onto the deck and walked to the oak railing. The night was clear, the light from the moon bright enough that they didn’t need artificial light.
The wind blew Iona’s dark hair out of her eyes and helped cool her heated cheeks. She felt bad for Elias. He felt terrible physically, and no one had noticed, including Violet, their medic.
Iona was no better. She’d missed all the signs until the last few minutes of their heated argument. If she had read Elias right, he’d deliberately set tempers flaring so he wouldn’t have to talk about what was bugging him so much about this assignment.
If Elias thought he’d sneak that tactic past her, he was dead wrong.
She thought about getting in his face. Under other circumstances, she might have.
If she followed that plan, Elias could be tempted to put his hands on her, and her teammates would spill from the house in a flood of motion and emotion.
Elias wouldn’t know what hit him. So, best not to take that chance.
Instead, Iona watched the tree limbs sway in the breeze for a beat, then two more, before she said, “Talk to me.”
Elias was silent for a long time. “I can’t.”
She wrestled her temper down and locked it away. Temper had no place in the discussion. “Let me give it a shot, then. You don’t trust me.” And, man, didn’t that hurt to admit out loud.
His head whipped toward her. “What did you say?”
“You heard me, Knight. I’m not repeating myself.” Couldn’t repeat it, truthfully.
“You can’t be serious.”
“About you not trusting me? You bet I am since it’s the only explanation that makes sense. You can trust Echo at your back anytime in any situation, but you don’t trust me. Why else would you plan to leave me behind?”
He dragged a hand down his face. “You’re exasperating. I never said that, and I don’t feel that way. Want to try another bit of psychology on me? You might get this one right.”
Iona narrowed her eyes. “Don’t overstep, Elias. Remember, I have many knives, and I know how to use them.”
His lips curved. “You are a master with knives.”
“Are you worried about my accuracy with a gun?” Yeah, she was poking the bear, but what else could you do when the bear was stubborn and refused to see the truth?
He stared. “Your accuracy is better than mine.”
“Well, I’m out of reasons, Elias. You’ll have to tell me the truth instead of letting me embarrass myself.”
The operative broke eye contact with her, holding the railing with a white-knuckled grip. “If I speak the words, I can’t go back. Ever.”
Iona froze. “You want to go back to the Reckoners?” Surely not. Right?
Elias Knight swung around and stared at Iona.
“You don’t understand, Iona. If you haven’t lived it, you can’t relate to the blood and death and degradation I endured, the utter chaos that was my life.
My father sees me as a traitor. I have a target on my back.
So, would I ever want to go back to that life, go back to living with a motorcycle club? No way.”
Iona’s heart broke as she listened to the strong and rugged Elias describe his life before he joined the Army and escaped from a path to destruction. How could she have worked with him for so many months and not known where he came from?
Looking at him, no one would know that Elias had been born into a motorcycle club and lived that life until he turned eighteen, took control of his life, and joined the military.
Who would have ever expected that this refugee from an MC would grow up to become a decorated soldier and homicide detective, and an operative for Fortress Security?
Iona turned and wrapped her hand around his. “Come sit with me. I have a story to tell you.”
His gaze was wary. “A story? Are you trying to make me feel better with a fairy tale or something?”