Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
SLOANE
I was fuming.
At Anita. At Hayes. But mostly at myself. I had known this was how the conversation would go, but that didn't stop the fact that it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest for the second time in my life.
"You should've kept your fucking ass outside," I snapped at Anita.
I wasn't really mad at her, but since she was the only one left, she got my wrath.
"If yelling at me makes you feel better, then go for it, but we both know that conversation wasn't going to go well whether I was here or not. Your ex is holding a grudge."
I spun on her so we were face to face. "No shit, he's holding a grudge. I left without a single explanation. If the roles were reversed, I would've held a grudge as well."
Anita shrugged like she didn't have a care in the world, and based on the lack of an expression on her face, she probably didn't. "Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know."
"Excuse me, but I need to ask you to leave." An older woman with graying hair and glasses perched on her nose approached us. Her floral-printed dress hung loosely off her frail body. "This is a library, and our patrons expect silence. Your conversation is anything but that."
I had to give the woman credit. She didn't look the least bit intimated by two women who could snap her in half in under ten seconds if we so wished.
"We were just leaving." I snagged Anita's arm and dragged her away from the old woman. Fully aware Anita allowed this to happen because if she wanted to, I would never be able to move her. "Sorry for the disruption."
I didn't stop until we were standing in the middle of the parking lot next to my Jeep.
"I wasn't going to slit the old woman's throat," Anita deadpanned.
"Excuse me for being safe rather than sorry. You just threatened Hayes and then didn't have the pleasure of following through. That usually means your bloodlust is looking for an outlet. I didn't want the defenseless old woman as your new target."
"I don't make threats. I explain what's going to happen in advance so my target knows what to expect. It's the psychological portion of the torture."
What she didn't say was it was her favorite part. I wouldn't go as far as saying Anita played with her victims, but she wanted their last thoughts to be full of terror.
"Fine, call it what you want. But I wasn't going to chance that poor woman suffering at your hands."
If looks could kill, Anita's certainly would. "Let's get the hell out of here." She yanked the passenger door open and slid into the seat.
I took the time walking around the vehicle to check my phone. There was an encrypted message waiting for me from Hawk. It was a listing for a job. I didn't open the message. Instead, I slipped into the driver's seat and tossed the phone onto Anita's lap.
"There's a job offer from Hawk. See what it is and if it's something we want to bring to the team."
I started the Jeep, pulled out of the parking lot, and drove two miles before Anita spoke, "No need to bring it to the team. We're taking the job."
I had to correct the vehicle from crashing into a car parked on the side of the road after the Jeep veered to the right in my attempt to understand the viciousness in Anita's tone. "What the hell kind of job is it?"
"Organ trafficking. But it's the part about children's organ trafficking that sealed the deal."
Fuck!
A lot of people still thought children's organ trafficking was just a myth. But where there was a need, there would always be someone depraved enough to fill it.
"Tell Hawk we'll take the job. Then contact Lilith and Nyx. Let them know we'll be heading out as soon as we get back."
Anita typed away on my phone as I pushed harder on the gas pedal. I would make the forty-five-minute drive in thirty if I had any say in it.
"Beckett is going to want to come with us." The words were low enough that it made me wonder if Anita wanted me to hear what she said.
I didn't spare her a glance. "That's your call. If he wants to come, then the more the merrier, but I know you have some reservations about putting him in that position."
Beckett was a former special agent with the FBI. Even though he had left and openly explained he wanted to work with us, Anita wasn't fully on board with the plan.
"I don't have reservations about it. Beckett has a better moral compass than we do, and I would like to keep it that way."
"Does he know that's how you feel?"
I was walking on thin ice. Anita never talked about her relationship, and I was surprised she said that much to me.
"We've discussed it. Right now, we've agreed to disagree on the matter. Beckett insists he won't stay at home while I'm out on a job possibly putting myself in danger. I've argued someone needs to stay back with Krista."
Her response resulted in a laugh bubbling up my throat and filling the space.
"Jesus Christ, Anita," I finally blurted once I had myself under control.
"You basically told the man you want him to be a housewife.
Or maybe the correct term is house husband.
Either way I can't see that going over well with him. "
Anita grunted. "Beckett said the same."
Of course he did. From the little time I spent with him, Beckett wasn't the kind of man who would be okay sitting around doing nothing. Not when the woman he loved was putting herself in danger. Anita had to know that about him. So it didn't make sense that she would bother arguing.
"I know you claim it's his moral compass you're worried about, but since when do you give a shit about that?"
Anita stared straight ahead. I wasn't sure what she was seeing or if she was avoiding my question. I got my answer seconds later.
"I don't want him to wake up one day and realize I've ruined his life."
I was taken aback by her answer. "What do you mean?"
Anita never did heart-to-hearts, so to say I was in uncharted territory was an understatement.
"Beckett assures me our line of work doesn't bother him, but we both know I live solely in the gray areas of life. That's not who he is, or at least it's not who he was before he met me."
Well, shit. This wasn't the time to be having this conversation, and by that, I meant speeding down the interstate doing ninety on our way back to the compound so we could take down a group of organ harvesters.
On the flip side though, if I shut Anita down now, she would never open up again. And something told me if she was choosing this moment to speak, it was important to her.
"I don't know Beckett nearly as well as you do, so take this for whatever it's worth.
" I was going to put this out there and hope Anita didn't kick my ass.
"Beckett loves you. I know you're uncomfortable with that sentiment, but it's true.
That man loves you fiercely, and I mean all of you.
He could've asked you to leave your career.
He could've stuck things out with the FBI.
He didn't do that because I truly believe he understands the gray areas more than you realize.
So your fear that he's going to wake up one day and think you ruined his life is bullshit. He's never going to think that."
Anita didn't need soft. She didn't need to be placated that her feelings were valid. My teammate needed someone to kick her ass when she got in her head, and that was exactly what I did.
Anita visibly shook the feelings away. "You're right. I have no idea what the fuck came over me, but you're right." She cracked her neck to each side. "Besides, if he decides to leave, then I'll just kill him for fucking with me."
I spit out a laugh. "That's the spirit. For a second there, I thought you went soft on me."
I could feel Anita staring a hole into the side of my head. "Shut up and get us to the fucking compound already."
It wasn't until we were turning onto the dirt road that led us to the middle of our property that Anita spoke again. This time, it was low and sounded like the words were being ripped from her throat. "Thank you."
I knew what she was thanking me for. I also knew there was no reason for me to respond. It was hard enough for Anita to say those two little words. Anything more from me and it would've pushed her over the edge. I was happy in the knowledge that I was able to help her in her time of need.