Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Liam pushed away from where he’d been leaning against the eighteen-wheeler truck and eyed the dark Chevy Tahoe kicking up dirt off in the distance as it closed in on their location in Chile.
“I don’t like this,” Knox said. “Are you sure we can trust them?”
“We don’t have a choice.” Jessica didn’t seem too excited about handing her over either.
“How does Elaina fit into the Feds’ plans?” Liam asked. “Was this a rescue or something else?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Her arms anchored to her sides. “But she’s important enough for the president to send us down here to extract her and risk ruining relations with the Argentinian government if we got caught.”
“Like we would’ve gotten caught,” Asher grumbled, standing next to her.
“Why didn’t POTUS mention she was a kid?” Knox’s eyes caught Liam’s briefly. They appeared to be on the same page.
“Gotta admit, that part’s strange.” Asher glanced at Jessica. Her eyes shot daggers back at him. “What?” He lifted his shoulders and held his palms open to the night sky. “You know something is off about all of this, too.”
“This is a win,” she insisted. And yet, her voice faltered. “Let’s trust our orders, and leave it at that.”
“And what about Elaina’s family? Does she have any back in the States? Is she American?” Liam asked.
“I would think so.” Jessica’s words didn’t carry the confidence Liam was used to hearing from her, though.
“Well, I, for one, don’t like the idea that we’re about to meet up with Feds.” Asher’s breath visibly sailed in the cooler air.
“You never do, man.” Knox lightly laughed.
“These guys may think we’re pulling this gig as private contractors,” Asher began, scratching at his full beard, “but they’re bound to wonder why POTUS chose us in particular.”
“We can trust Jared Morgan,” Harper chimed in. This was her first official operation since Jessica had brought her over from the CIA.
Harper Brooks had first helped the guys on an operation in Monte Carlo over a year ago—the same op where Luke fell in love with Eva—and Harper ended up badly shot and left for dead.
Liam had found her body and gotten her to the hospital in time. Honestly, he’d been surprised when Harper agreed to join the team in a permanent capacity.
“You two worked together back at the agency?” Knox asked Harper as the SUV came to a rolling stop twenty meters away from where they all stood.
The headlights were left on, illuminating the two men who’d climbed out of the vehicle and now approached the group. “Yeah, we did.”
“Brooks,” one of the two guys called out as they closed in on their position. “I didn’t know you worked in the private sector now.” Must’ve been Jared Morgan.
Harper stepped forward. “Yeah, I just started with Scott and Scott Securities a week ago, actually.”
“And this is your first gig?” Jared asked in surprise. “Well, damn.”
Liam rocked back in his boots at the stretch of tension that filled the night air beneath the canopy of stars.
“Yeah.” Harper pivoted toward where the team stood, practically in a line, as if blocking the path to Elaina.
“I heard about what happened to you in Monte Carlo,” Jared said instead of greeting the team.
He dropped his eyes to the ground for a beat.
“Sorry I didn’t reach out. I was deep under in .
. .” His voice faded into the air when his gaze finally cut over to Liam and the crew as if remembering their presence. “Which one of you is Scott?”
“Which Scott?” Jessica offered her hand. “I’m the better sibling,” she said with a smile. “My brother is on his honeymoon.”
“From where I stand, you’re certainly the better looking of the two.”
Jared’s compliment had the boys locking their focus on Asher, waiting to see how he’d react to the situation.
“I’m Asher.” He was doing his best not to go all caveman and mark Jessica as his—she’d never let that fly, anyway.
“Yeah, uh, well, did everything go as planned?” Jared stepped back, picking up on Asher’s vibe and added space between them.
Good idea.
“All the guards were taken out as requested, and Elaina’s inside. She’s also scared shitless.” Jessica tipped her head toward the truck behind them.
Jared fingered the collar of his button-down shirt and tipped his head toward the other man at his side, but the guy didn’t offer a name. Typical. “We should get the girl and head out.”
“What are your plans for her?” Liam asked. He hated the idea of Elaina leaving with these two.
“It’s classified.” Jared’s reply came quick, a common turn of phrase used in his line of work. “You’re civilians,” Jared noted as if he didn’t actually want to be a dick. “Sorry.”
Liam still didn’t like the idea of passing her off, though. He looked Jessica’s way. “A minute?” He motioned for her to step off to the side, and both Knox and Asher joined them as well. “I don’t want to do this.”
“Liam.” She pulled at her earlobe, and whenever she did that it usually meant it was a shit time to engage with her. But he didn’t have a choice.
“What if we bring her Stateside, and—” Liam started.
“We’re flying as civilians. We can’t bring her with us,” she replied. “I’m not a fan of handing her over either, but we don’t have a choice. We completed our mission.”
“She’s safer with Jared than she was with Carballo’s armed guards. That’s something we can all agree on.” Asher’s eyes drifted over Liam’s shoulder, and Liam followed his gaze to see Wyatt escorting Elaina toward Jared and the other agent.
“How about one of us go with them?” Liam’s stomach squeezed. A growing discomfort there.
“I’ll ask, but—”
“Protocol will dictate their answer to be a hard no,” Knox finished for Jessica, and Liam hated that he was right.
“I’m sorry.” She looked toward the sky, maybe wrestling for the right words.
“Fine.” Liam moved to where Elaina now stood.
“I don’t want to go,” Elaina spoke up for the first time.
Jared placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be okay, honey. We’re the good guys.”
The distinction between good and evil had become more and more muddled these days.
“I’ll come with you.” Liam stepped forward, and her attention snapped to his face.
“I’m sorry. We can’t bring any of you.” Jared pointed toward the Tahoe with his free hand. “We’ve got this covered. I’m afraid this is where we part ways.”
“We have to let them go,” Asher said from behind, and Liam sort of hated his friend right now. “She’s in good hands.”
Tears started to fill Elaina’s eyes, and Liam crouched to eye level with her.
“You’ll be okay. Whatever happened back there .
. .” He couldn’t bring himself to finish his words because he had no idea what had actually happened to her.
He added a nod, hoping to reassure her—maybe himself, too. “I’ll check on you.”
He’d keep his promise no matter what.
When she didn’t speak, he unsnapped one of the pockets on his right pant leg and reached inside. “This is my lucky charm.” He uncurled her fingers and placed the old coin in her palm. “It’s been with my family for a long time. It’s kept me safe. I want you to have it.”
His throat thickened at the realization of what he was giving up, but something told him she needed it more than he did.
Liam forced himself back upright after they exchanged goodbyes. “You promise to keep her safe?” he asked Jared when the other man placed her in the back seat.
“She’s away from Carballo and his people. You’re going to have to trust us.” Jared’s gaze winged toward where Harper stood. “See you around, Brooks.” He added a salute.
The night sky and tinted windows made it too hard for Liam to see Elaina, but he waved in case she was looking.
“She’ll be okay,” Jessica said once the SUV had taken off. “That was sweet of you to give her your coin. I had no idea you carried it.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
Jessica’s fingers brushed down the column of her throat before her palm rested on her collarbone. “This was a successful operation, and you—”
“Missed a shot and handed a kid over to strangers.”
“We should get going,” Asher called out, interrupting a conversation Liam was in no mood to have, anyway.
He lifted his head to find Asher flicking his wrist, motioning for the team to get back inside the truck.
Liam released a deep breath, hoping to let some of his worries go with it.
“I have a feeling Elaina will always remember you,” Jessica said as they walked to the truck. When he didn’t respond, she asked, “Where are you headed when we’re back Stateside?”
“D.C.” He stopped when they reached the truck. “I have some things to make right.”