Page 56 of SEAL's Promise
“Then there’s no issue because she is my mission.”
“Even if you have to take her to D.C. for questioning?”
“Since when do we play ball with the feds?”
“We don’t,” Brent snapped. “Not unless the president asks me to cooperate. He knows what’s at stake, Cal. He trusts Fortress to keep Rachelle safe. Are you telling me you can’t do the job? Because if that’s the case, I’ll pull you from her detail and replace you with someone who can.”
“Forget it. I’ll deal.” Somehow. “Fair warning, though. If anything happens to her, you and I will be going one-on-one.”
“Understood.”
“I won’t take her today or tomorrow. She needs to heal before we throw her to the lions.”
“I’ll be in touch with details.” Maddox ended the call.
Cal dragged a hand down his face, frustration eating a hole in his gut. Why were the feds insisting that Rachelle answer questions in person? While he’d preferred face-to-face when he was a cop, Cal had utilized phone interviews along with video chats.
He didn’t understand the feds throwing their weight around. No one had challenged their authority. The sole reason Fortress had stepped in to rescue Amy and Eric without prior authorization was because they were with Rachelle and were fellow Americans in danger.
He shoved his phone into his pocket and braced his hands on the deck railing as he took a moment to bleed off the sharpest edge of his temper.
When the door behind him opened, Cal didn’t turn. He knew without looking who had followed him outside.
“What’s wrong?”
Rachelle’s soft voice soothed him as nothing else had ever done. “We have a problem.”
Her face paled. “You changed your mind?” she whispered.
His heart skipped a beat as he realized what she referred to. Cal wrapped his arms around her. “Not about us as a couple. The problem is with the feds.”
She blinked. “What about them?”
“They insist on interviewing you in Washington, D.C. about the terrorist attack in Mexico.”
“Why is that a problem?”
“Keeping you safe in D.C. is more of a challenge for a team of five operatives. Second, despite assurances that we’ll be able to do our jobs, I don’t trust the feds as far as I can throw them.” If the State Department could get by with it, they’d wrest control of Rachelle from Fortress.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Rachelle studied the sign over the ranch’s entrance. The letter M balanced on a rocking chair. Sweet and whimsical, a great combination.
The Rocking M Ranch was a beautiful parcel of land. Cows grazed in one pasture on this bright, sunshine-drenched day while horses occupied another. Rolling hills covered with grass were a colorful sight after staring at four walls and jet cabins for days.
Cal squeezed her fingers as he drove through the gated entrance. “What do you think?”
“I love it. This is a beautiful place to hide.”
“Know anything about ranching?”
“If romantic suspense novels with cowboy heroes don’t count, then no.”
“You don’t go for the black ops or military heroes?”
“Of course I do. I also favor law enforcement heroes.” She slid him a pointed glance. “Don’t knock romantic suspense novels until you try them, Taylor.”
He held up a hand. “I’ll take your word for it. I’m happy my profession is on your list.”