Page 69 of Covert Operation
“No, but I should have.” And I fucking hate myself for it more and more each minute. “I should have known something could be up when Vincent was down here.”
Savannah opens her mouth to respond, but a loud chiming cuts her off.
Christian stares down at the screen of his phone then lifts his eyes to mine. “Looks like your boys are here.”
TWENTY-NINE
SAVANNAH
“THOSE ARE SOME pretty fancy cars.” Lydia stands next to me, her brows lifted as she stares out at the line of sleek black SUVs parked along the curb in front of Christian’s house.
“The guys aren’t hard on the eyes either.” Felicity gives each of the men exiting the vehicles a slow perusal. “There’s something about tactical gear, isn’t there?”
“Definitely,” I agree, my eyes glued to the street as well. But while the women beside me are taking everything in, I’m focused on only one man. Zeke greets every member of his team as they disembark, touching base with each one as he moves through the group.
Lydia tilts her head. “I expected them to be in black.”
“Not in the snow.” Right now, Zeke stands out because he’s the only one wearing their black gear. Also because he’s the biggest and best looking, but part of that might be my own bias. “The white helps them blend in better.”
“Makes sense.” Lydia frowns. “Why is Zeke in black then?”
“He wasn’t expecting to need to blend in.” That makes it even more impressive he was able to creep around without being seen when he left me in the abandoned hotel. “I’m sure they brought him new gear to change into.”
As if he can sense my eyes on him, Zeke turns, finding me immediately. Like an idiot, I raise one hand and give him a little wave.
His expression remains hard, but the set of his mouth changes, softening the tiniest bit.
“He’s a serious motherfucker, isn’t he?” Felicity turns to me. “That give you a lady boner?”
I don’t look away from him as I answer both her questions at once. “Big time.”
The men from Alaskan Security all file through the gate securing Christian and Lydia’s small front yard. Appreciative glances continue to follow them along the sidewalk to the porch and as they pass by us as they enter the house. They each take the same hard right into the first-floor office, serious expressions intact, all business and ready for their next assignment.
Zeke brings up the rear, pausing at the open door, reaching one hand out to me. I don’t hesitate to take it, holding tight as he leads me inside. We’re the last ones in, and the room is packed, filled with all of Shadow, as well as Christian and the men he calls his brothers.
Zeke cuts through the crowd, going straight to the front of the room, taking me along with him. One of the men there stands from the chair he’s in and offers it to me. As soon as I sit, Zeke grabs the chair, dragging it closer to where he’s standing so I’m right at his side. Then he faces the room and starts explaining.
“Yesterday, while Savannah and I were looking at a property about an hour outside of Nashville, an unidentified group attacked. They blew up a portion of the building behind us—I’m assuming thinking they’d blow us up along with it—then attempted to locate our position.” His eyes come to me, looking me over like he needs reassurance I’m fine after what happened. “I was able to get her out, but my ability to collect intel was limited.”
He continues offering up what little he knows, occasionally glancing my way. Once he’s finished, he lays out their plan for the day.
I’m a little relieved to learn shipping me back to Fairbanks isn’t part of it.
Once he’s finished and everyone files out, I stand, keeping my voice low when I say, “I thought you would want to send me back.”
“I do.” Zeke cups my face with one hand. “But I’m not sure you’ll be any safer there than you are here.” His eyes move over me. “And I’m not sure how I’ll handle being that far away from you.”
A tiny bit of hope blooms in my chest. “You’re not going to be staying in Nashville?”
“I’ll be back and forth, along with the rest of the team. Christian says there are more than enough spare rooms at the firehouse across the street, and I think that’s a safer bet than a hotel.” Zeke rakes one hand through his hair. “It would have been nice to already have a place set up around here.”
“I guess Pierce is onto something then.” I hide my smile. “I’m not going to tell him that though.”
Zeke’s quiet for a minute, his eyes searching my face. “When the new place is finished, we should come here. Leave Alaska.” He swallows, Adam’s apple bobbing with the movement. “Find a house like this for you to decorate however you want.”
I take a shaky breath. “A place like this would be too big for just me.” I don’t miss his use of the word “we”, and I can’t forget how Zeke made a claim last night, but the things people say in the heat of the moment sometimes don’t line up with how they really feel. I don’t think he would ever lie to me or make me think this is something it’s not, but I can’t stop myself from fishing for confirmation.
A hint of a smile teases his lips. “Good thing it won’t be just you then.” One arm snakes around my waist, pulling me close. “If you’re worried about too much extra space, I’m happy to do my part in filling it with as many people as you want.”