9. Killian
Igripped the edge of the conference room table, knuckles going white, as I fought the urge to follow Millie. The pictures and videos I studied taken from the hidden camera I placed across from her townhome didn’t prepare me for how fucking gorgeous she still was. Millie was beautiful ten years ago, but fucking hell, she was drop-dead gorgeous now.
Silky dark hair that teased at the edge of her jaw gave her a sophisticated and classy look, even though I loved her long hair back then, too. Gone were the thick-rimmed glasses that had always seemed to slip down her cute little button nose, which made the punch of her dark eyes staring into my soul that much more powerful.
Then there were her curves. The suit she wore stressed every inch of her tiny frame, making my mouth water and fingers twitch the second she stood from the chair. I wanted my fingers digging into her hips as I fucked that new sass right out of her.
I squeezed both eyes shut to stop the bombarding images from that night, the last night I saw her in person until now. A single day hadn’t passed that I didn’t crave the feel of her skin beneath my fingertips, to hear her unique bell-like laugh, or to see those dark eyes sparkle with trust and brilliance.
The click of the door closing snapped my lids open, and I turned a pleading look to my boss, finding her curious gaze already locked on me.
“So, that’s Millie.” I swallowed thickly and nodded. “Wow.” Rhyan leaned back in her chair with a sigh, rubbing at her forehead. “And here I thought today would be a calm day.”
“I can’t believe that’s the Millie your drunk ass always goes on and on?—”
The unamused glare that clearly communicated, I’ll kill you in your sleep with a smile on my face made Hunter’s lips snap shut.
“She can’t be a part of this,” I pleaded, and would beg if I thought that would work. “It’s too dangerous. She’s not an agent and?—”
“And you want to roll her up in bubble wrap?” Rhyan scoffed. Pulling out her phone, she typed out a message before laying it down on the table. “Not sure if you noticed, but that woman is a firecracker and won’t put up with you setting her on a shelf for safekeeping.”
Both hands curled into loose fists along the polished wood. “She doesn’t understand what she’s signing up for.” In fact, why would she even suggest this in the first place? The Millie I knew lived for her alone time with a good book and utter silence. When she wasn’t with me, of course. “It can’t be an option.”
The finality in my tone had a smirk tugging at the corner of Rhyan’s lips, which just pissed me off even more than I already was.
“Thankfully, you’re not the leader of this team, and it’s not your decision because I sure as hell won’t let someone dictate for that woman what she can and cannot do, even if that someone is you, Cooper.” When I started to say something, she slashed a hand through the air, stopping me. “I understand your concern, and it’s warranted. She’s not an agent, but her points are solid. We need someone who can evaluate the mental state of the suspected victim?—”
“Why?” I cut in. “Why not send a male and female agent in, have them locate the girl, and sneak her out? Millie can do her evaluation here, where it’s safe.”
“And what if the girl doesn’t want to come with you? What if she’s brainwashed to where she doesn’t see that she’s a captive? How will you undo the damage that was done and pinpoint the exact things to say to get her to believe that she’s actually in danger by staying where she perceives herself as safe? That’s why we need someone like Dr. Anderson, someone who can unravel all the shit this poor girl has probably been told to keep her complacent. I’m sorry, Cooper, but her assisting us in this case is a solid plan.”
“But—”
The door swinging open cut me off as I whirled around to see who interrupted the meeting. Charlie Bekham, Rhyan’s life partner and our technical analyst slash backup profiler, paused just inside the door, taking in the room.
“Why does Cooper look like someone threatened to take his favorite toy?” he hedged as he closed the door behind him. Laptop tucked against his side, he made his way to the chair beside Rhyan. A soft, adoring expression filled his features as he stared down at her, running a single finger along her jaw before plopping down into the seat. With a small shove against the edge of the table, the wheels rolled along the floor, stopping when he was as close as possible to Rhyan.
“Not take, but possibly damage the toy he wants to keep on a pedestal,” Hunter offered. “You wouldn’t believe the drama that unfolded earlier.” Charlie’s fingers paused their tapping on the keyboard and arched a dark brow in Hunter’s direction. “First, Coop here snapped Jessica’s head off, which we all know was warranted.” He gave an exaggerated shiver. “I just wish he would’ve told her to keep those claws to herself while he was at it.”
“Wait, you’ve had issues with her?” Rhyan asked, a frown tugging at her lips. “Why haven’t you said anything?”
I shrugged. “She’s good at her job.”
“Good at her job or not, harassment is harassment.” Rhyan’s voice rose with every word. Grumbling under her breath, she pulled out her phone and began typing. Seconds later, my phone pinged with an incoming text. “That is the link to file a report with HR. Please be detailed about her actions, and I’ll make sure it’s handled from there.”
The tension thrumming through my muscles eased, and I shot her a gentle smile. “Thanks, boss.”
“And then,” Hunter continued, making my eyes roll to the ceiling. “The consultant Rhyan brought in to guide us on this cult case turned out to be Coop’s Millie.”
Bright green eyes locked on me, scanning my face. “Millie, Millie?” I dipped my chin and ran a hand down my face. “Well, shit.”
“Exactly,” I grumbled, hating my loose-lipped drunk ass, who apparently told everyone in listening range about the love of my life that I was forced to leave behind. I rubbed at my stomach. “Does anyone have any snacks?”
Hunter snorted. “Now, Coop here doesn’t want Millie anywhere near this case because he wants to keep her high on the pedestal he deems safe.”
I mouthed the word wow and flipped him the bird.
“As entertaining as all this is,” Charlie drawled, “Rhyan texted saying she needed me to look into a few things.” He turned his attention to her and smiled. “What can I help you with, baby?”
A bright pink flush overtook her cheeks as Rhyan stared into Charlie’s eyes. “The Union of Blessed Souls,” she stated after a second. “Millie said they have a marriage development or counseling class of some kind starting on Monday. What can you find out about it?”
His fingers moved before she finished talking. It only took a few seconds before he shifted the screen for her to see.
“Did they restock the Cheetos in the vending machine?” I asked, already rising from my seat. “Actually, fuck it. I don’t care if they did or not. I’ll stress eat anything at this point.” I cringed. “Except those fucking rice cakes. Who the hell eats those, anyway?”
“Sit your ass down,” Charlie said with a laugh. With a grunt, I flopped back into the chair, threading my fingers through my long hair and dislodging the hair tie. “It looks like the on-site class starts this coming Monday and goes for two weeks with daily classes. Days off on the weekend between the two weeks. Ah, here is a list of the different classes, and…” Charlie trailed off, brows pulled in tight. Worry bloomed as his features hardened. “What the fuck kind of place is this? These classes are clearly misogynistic. Fuck, there is a class on guiding your wife to submit and a separate class for the men about finding your dominance.”
“It’s a cult, and, per Millie, this is one way they select potential couples for their leadership and teachers.” Rhyan jotted something down on the file in front of her. “What are the requirements for the class?”
Charlie turned the laptop back to face him. “For the basic-level class, you sign up and pay the stupid high class fee. Oh, how nice of them. There is a payment plan.” I snorted at his clear sarcasm. “The on-site ‘ultimate marriage seminar’ is limited in space and only available to married couples. Looks like there are more requirements for this one, such as submitting a marriage certificate and, of course, paying the ridiculous, exorbitant fee for this level of ‘commitment to your marriage’, per the website.” His eyes went wide. “Ten thousand dollars for a marriage counseling and development course? What the fuck? Who would actually pay for that? Use those funds on an all-inclusive resort and spend the whole time worshiping your girl’s body. That’s fucking relationship development.”
My cock stirred behind my jeans, imagining doing that with Millie. Hours of my face between her thighs, eating her sweet pussy until she grew hoarse from screaming in pleasure. I’d need days alone with that woman to even come close to settling the need for her that built the years we were apart.
But first, I needed her to talk to me.
“We will need one a hell of a cover story,” Hunter mused, running a hand through his short brown hair.
“We,” I growled.
The fucker just smiled. “You’re so against all this, I figured if we moved forward, I’d be the one to go in with Millie, be her fake husband so you don’t have to.”
“That makes sense. Cooper seems… volatile,” Rhyan mused while attempting to smother a smile.
My palm slapped to the table, making everything shake. Charlie shot a glare down the table as he hugged his laptop like one would protect a child.
“No,” I hissed.
If I kept this up, letting them see how much Millie meant to me, they’d never let me take the case. I learned too many times to never show your weak point, and that was what Millie was to me. My weakness. One that dear old Dad used against me for years until…
Nope. Not diving into those dark memories in front of a bunch of profilers. No need to confirm their speculations that I was fucked in the head.
Inhaling deeply, I channeled the training my dad and that shit agency drilled into me. As I exhaled, I shoved any hint of emotion behind my normal mask. Lip curled in a smirk, I chuckled. “You know I’m the best at blending in. You tell me what role you want me to play, and it’s done. Like Millie said, we have little time. No one can memorize the detailed backstory and perfect the persona they’ll need to play like I can.”
“That was scary as shit,” Hunter whispered. “I’ve never seen you just shut down like that.”
“Anyone ready for second lunch?” I asked, scanning the faces around the table. “What?”
“Cooper,” Rhyan exhaled. “You don’t have to do that with us, with me.” A sad expression crossed her face. “It’s okay to care about her and want to do this assignment to protect her. I won’t assign it to someone else just to spite you or to keep you from reconnecting with her.”
My back molars ground together. Of course, drunk Cooper also spilled about the shit my father used to pull to keep me in line. Fucking hell, next time I met drunk Coop, I would royally kick his hot ass. Yes, hot, because with the sexy fucker Charlie in the room, I needed the self-esteem boost.
“I should get finger tattoos,” I mused, staring at the designs decorating Charlie’s fingers, which immediately stilled.
He held up a hand to inspect the dark lines. “Nah. You can’t handle the responsibility that comes with them,” he said with a smirk.
“We’ll need detailed backgrounds, things online that will support whatever we come up with,” I offered, snapping back to the issue at hand. “You know they’ll do a thorough background check on anyone they view as a possibility for their dumbass leadership spots. We’ll need them to want us, woo us if you will, if you want any hope of getting close enough to uncover evidence of those suspicious deaths or getting Millie in the same room with this Karigan so she can work her voodoo magic on the girl’s deep thoughts.”
“You just love to hear yourself talk.” Hunter laughed.
“It’s a musical voice, so I’ve been told, so yes, I like to grace the world with my lyrical tone.”
“Fucking hell,” Charlie grumbled with zero heat to it. “Okay, I’ll start building some profiles for Cooper and?—”
“No,” Rhyan said slowly, staring at the file folder. “We need Dr. Anderson’s input. She’ll guide us on the perfect background the group will find most advantageous for them.” She flicked her wrist, stealing a glance at her watch. “Plus, I have to run this idea by a few people before I ask you to put in all that work. If I get the go-ahead from the higher-ups, we’ll get with Dr. Anderson tonight to come up with solid identities for her and Cooper.”
“I still don’t like it,” I muttered as we all stood. “So many things could go wrong.”
“I know you don’t, but if I get approval, this is happening with or without you. I assume you’d rather be a part of the plan than watching from the sidelines with someone else fake married to Millie.”
Fuck. That.
If anyone was going to be fake married to my girl, it was me.
This would be the toughest assignment of my life.
Coming from someone who was captured and tortured in the past… that was saying a lot.
Hands in my pockets,I strolled behind Rhyan and Charlie, who walked hand in hand down the hotel hall. Ever since we parked, I tried to ignore the apprehension at seeing her again, but it only grew the closer we came to Millie’s hotel room. She knew I planned to tag along with Rhyan and Charlie. I couldn’t stop the heavy ball of dread, wondering how she’d react this time. Pain like a knife to the heart speared through me earlier when I watched her obvious confusion that bled into shock at me walking into the meeting, which quickly switched to pulsing anger.
I understood why she was angry. I deserved every ounce of her wrath, but that didn’t stop me from wanting her to give me a chance. To hear me out, allowing me to explain why I left with zero warning or contact after walking out of her apartment. Maybe if she knew I walked away to protect her, that it really wasn’t a choice for her safety, then that anger would turn to understanding. I wasn’t asking for forgiveness, but it would be nice if, for the next two weeks, she could at least stand to be in the same room with me.
We were about to be fake married, after all. I needed her to at least not look at me with hatred in her dark eyes.
The two stopped in front of the correct room. Rhyan double-checked the number before rapping a knuckle against the solid wood. Fist to my sternum to ease the building pressure, I scanned the hall for threats, fortunately coming up empty. Thank fuck the Bureau put her up in an upscale hotel downtown, or I would’ve lost my shit and demanded they put her somewhere more secure.
As it was, I’d still probably ask Charlie to hack into the hotel security feed tonight so I could watch over her like I always did. Without her knowing. Fuck, that might come back to bite me in the ass, but I wouldn’t apologize for wanting to keep her safe.
The door cracked open. Not ready to witness that hate directed my way again, I took the coward’s way out and slid my phone free. After tapping the mindless road cross game, I followed Rhyan and Charlie into the room, not glancing up. My heart locked up the moment I was in her space, and I stifled a groan.
Damn.
Strawberries and vanilla. The same scent she wore all those years ago, and fuck if it didn’t make my dick twitch. Even the hint I inhaled earlier at the office had my cock standing at attention, very ready to get reacquainted with the woman who smelled and felt like home.
The chair groaned, shifting back a few inches when I flopped down onto the stiff cushion. From the corner of my eye, I studied the details of the room and, of course, Millie. She glanced between the three of us and hesitantly sat across from me on the ugly green couch.
My muscles bunched tight, ready to fight, when Charlie sat beside Millie.
Nope. Not happening.
She was way too fucking close to that sexy beast.
With an annoyed grunt, I stood from the chair and gestured for Charlie to switch places with me, all while keeping my face tilted toward the phone screen. My poor chicken. It had already been run over a dozen times because my focus was not on helping him cross safely. I ground my teeth to keep from smacking that smirk off Charlie’s face as we shuffled around the coffee table. Being the adult in the room, I flipped him the bird behind my back where Millie wouldn’t catch the gesture.
Damn, the couch was even more uncomfortable than the chair. After adjusting several times, I settled back, my side sealed to the armrest to keep distance between Millie and me. Still pretending to be engrossed with my phone, I tuned into Rhyan as she spoke, explaining the events that had happened after Millie had stormed out of the conference room.
“They weren’t thrilled with the idea, but desperate times call for desperate measures. As I explained on the phone, now we move on to building cover stories. I’d love your help to put together a perfect couple that has an ideal background for the group’s leadership team. We want them to be drooling over the couple we create.”
Damn. The chicken died.
Again.
Poor guy suffered because I wasn’t brave enough to set aside the buffer and actually engage. Instead, I held my cowardly eyes on the screen where the animated animal bounced back into traffic, dying immediately with all my focus on listening and assessing the room. It was trained into me, also known as beaten, to sustain a high level of awareness around me at all times. And with Millie sitting at my side, all my protective instincts were on high alert, sharpening those honed senses.
“I can do that for sure. After you called with the good news, I reached out to my school and let them know I needed an extra week after spring break. My teaching assistant will fill in while I’m out.” She adjusted on the couch and cleared her throat like simply mentioning the TA made her annoyed. I filed that information to research later. “You didn’t mention which agent will play my fake husband.”
Keeping my eyes on the repetitive demise of the chicken, I raised my free hand. “That would be me.”
Her audible gasp might as well have been a slap to the face.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Millie stated.
The annoyance in her tone snapped my restraint. Staring across the small space between us, I smirked. “I’m the best, trained by fuckers who think they are the best, so it’s me or nothing, Velma.”
Those dark eyes narrowed, and I stifled a smile. “Fine. Just don’t get us killed while we’re there or any ideas that this changes anything between us.”
“Right back at you,” I said with a salacious wink that made my stomach sour. “And don’t worry, I’ll be there every step of the way so you don’t fuck this up for us or the girl we’re attempting to rescue.”
“Potentially rescue,” Millie grumbled. Sleek dark hair shifted along her soft, fair skin with a slight headshake. “Rich, powerful, yet susceptible, like we need something from the group. Whatever identity you give us, it needs to be credible, too. Social media, online news articles, things like that.” Her gaze flicked side to side as if searching through that brilliant brain. I couldn’t look away, mesmerized by everything that was Millie. “Three of the senior leadership members and two teachers are trust fund babies, which means the money they contribute will never run out, plus they have ample time to quote ‘lead their flock’.” She rolled her dark eyes to the ceiling. “Manipulating assholes.”
“That’s good info. I can work with that. Maybe create a fake distant relative of some big business tycoon,” Charlie mused, rubbing a hand along his jaw.
I watched her fingers thrum along her legs, drawing my attention to the snug leggings that hugged her hips. Fuck, how did I miss those and the off-the-shoulder sweater that gave me access to that bitable neck of hers?
Oh, yeah. Chicken game: death, distraction, avoidance.
“Go with a well-known last name like a Vanderbilt, Ford, or Morgan. You can make up a new branch of their family tree easily, and the name recognition will snag their attention immediately.”
“Great idea,” Charlie commented, fingers flying over the keyboard. “This is easy to create, then I’ll get to work on validating the cover stories with a marriage certificate and identification, plus register you two for the marriage seminar under your new identities.”
“We’ll need to alter her appearance,” I stated, while bending to slide my phone into the side pocket of my jeans.
Millie turned to me with a frown. “What’s wrong with the way I look?”
“Nothing, you’re perfect.” I snapped my lips shut and cleared my throat. “But you visited this shit town already. You might think no one noticed you,” which was highly unlikely, considering she was drop-dead gorgeous and drew the eye of every male that passed, “but we can’t risk it.” I gave her a quick, assessing scan from head to toe. “Changing your hair color would be the easiest and maybe heels to alter your height.”
A dainty finger wrapped around a dark strand. “Yeah, that makes sense, but no to the heels. Maybe just change up my overall style? I didn’t wear any makeup, so that can add to the slight change. It’s crazy what you can change by contouring. I’ll just need to watch a few hundred videos.” Pulling that twirled lock of hair forward, she stared at the ends. “What color? Blonde or?—”
“Or pink,” Rhyan chimed in. I arched a brow at my boss. Rhyan shrugged off my confusion. “She gets this one chance to be someone else. Why not go all out? I think pink hair is awesome. But a light pink, like cotton candy, not fluorescent 80s pink.”
“You want to dye your hair pink, baby?” Charlie asked, smiling at her. “I’ll take you to a salon right fucking now.”
She shoved his shoulder, smile wide and dripping with adoration. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Millie studying them with longing in her eyes.
Right back at you, sweetheart. I want what those two have, too.
But, unfortunately for me, that ship sailed when I left her behind.
To save her life and condemn my own.