Shaking, Laila shoved the key in the ignition and started the car, then looked in the rearview mirror. She gasped.

  Victor stood at the end of the driveway, pointing a gun at the back windshield.

  She was as good as dead.

  January 26

  EM Security Management

  Lafayette, Louisiana

  Forest Scott pushed back from his desk with a curse. Since driving seven hours, following the takedown of a crazy cult in the Texas Hill Country, he’d returned to the office and started analyzing the laptops of two fellow—suddenly former—operatives, looking for a miracle that would save his ass.

  A sleep-deprived night later? Nothing.

  At his elbow, his phone vibrated. He glanced at the display. If one of his bosses was calling at this hour, it wasn’t good. “Edgington?”

  “Yeah,” Hunter confirmed. “Why are you at the office, Trees?”

  What was the politically correct response for telling his superior that, contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t the douchebag leaking the safe house location of their company’s most vulnerable clients? “Checking out Cutter’s and Josiah’s machines before wiping them clean.”

  “At four a.m.?”

  In other words, when we’re not in the office to keep tabs on you.

  “I figured there was no time to waste since you’ve already replaced Josiah with…” Fuck, he was so fried that he couldn’t remember the small-town Texas deputy’s name.

  “Kane Preston,” Hunter supplied.

  “Right. He’ll have a computer when he starts the job in a few hours.”

  But they both knew that making sure the new guy was set up with tech wasn’t the reason Trees had foregone sleep.

  Ever since Valeria Montilla’s safe house in St. Louis had been breached last October and his fellow operative, Pierce Walker, had temporarily been taken captive by her late husband’s cartel, he’d worried EM Security’s owners—the Edgington brothers and Joaquin Muñoz—suspected he was selling info. His conversation with his best friend and fellow operative, Zyron Garrett, on their way back to Louisiana earlier had confirmed that. Trees had hoped that something on his former teammates’ laptops would show that hackers, not a mole, were the root cause of their problem.

  Nope.

  Since both computers had been clean and the office network didn’t appear to have been infiltrated, that meant someone on their team was cashing out company intel. As much as Trees hated to say it, his money was on Tessa Lawrence, the office’s single-mom receptionist. But Zy had fallen too hard for the pretty blonde to believe her capable of betrayal. So until Trees could prove to the higher-ups that he wasn’t the traitor, he was suspect number one.

  We’re going to figure out who’s been selling our secrets. That’s what he’d promised when Zy had asked him to help.

  Their bosses had put his buddy between a rock and a hard place, ordering him to root out the identity of their turncoat, along with details about why and how Valeria’s whereabouts had fallen into the wrong hands. He and Zy had been friends too long and nearly died together too many times for either of them to believe the other would sell out. But after a night with these computers, Trees was back to square one in finding a culprit. So despite his exhaustion, he kept searching. His ass was on the line.

  “We have a developing situation,” Hunter said. “You’ll be leaving for Florida as soon as we get more information.”

  They were sending him on a mission? He’d just gotten back. Had they picked him because they were so short-staffed? No, they’d tapped him on the shoulder to get him out of town so they could perform a more in-depth investigation on him. Whatever. He had nothing to hide. Maybe the bosses would finally figure that out.

  “What’s up?

  “Someone broke into Valeria Montilla’s safe house last night. She was at a concert, but her sister and her son were there. She rushed home to find them gone. There were signs of a struggle. If Laila got out, she left in a hurry because her phone, wallet, and money were all still there. But that also might mean the cartel took her…”

  Unfortunately, that was the most likely scenario. He had never met Laila, but he didn’t see how Valeria’s younger sister—a woman barely legal to order a beer—would be wily enough to escape professional thugs with a toddler. As unfortunate as that was, what he really wondered was why they were sending him to Florida if they thought he was guilty as hell.

  “On our go, you and Kane need to get there. He’ll bring Valeria back ASAP. Maybe now she’ll finally grasp why choosing privacy over a round-the-clock guard is a fucking horrible idea.” He sighed. “You find Laila and Jorge—whatever that takes—and bring them back in one piece. I doubt Montilla’s organization has any interest in killing the boy, but Valeria’s sister…”

  The worry she wasn’t long for this world hung heavy in Hunter’s voice.

  “She’s nothing to them,” Trees agreed.

  “Except as a pawn they’ll use to control Valeria, yeah. Apparently, it wouldn’t be the first time.”

  Trees felt really fucking sorry for Laila. The cartel probably hadn’t been kind to her. “I’m on it.”

  “Good. Be fast. Run clean. Report back often. And don’t fuck up.”

  “Roger that.”

  Three beeps told Trees that Hunter was gone. It was a relief.

  He rose and stretched. At six foot eight, he managed to touch the low, industrial ceiling. Longingly, he thought of the super-comfortable sofa in the conference room. Since he’d managed to wash everything in his duffel before leaving Texas, he could crash for a few hours, then change into clean clothes and bug out as soon as the bosses gave him the go-ahead. But running more tests on all the network software, just in case he’d missed something, was more critical—especially now that Valeria’s location had been breached again, and the woman’s sister and son were missing.

  He had no concept of time passing until he heard the front door open a bit later and looked up to find Zy.

  Trees rose from his chair. “Hey.”

  “Jesus…” His friend looked him up and down. “You’re still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Did you even go home last night?”

  “No.”

  Zy grabbed some coffee, then sauntered back to his desk. “So…did you find anything? At all?”

  Trees shook his head, then filled Zy in on all the ways he’d taken apart the info on the former operatives’ computers.

  “Did you check the network, too?”

  “Only enough to ensure that we haven’t been breached and don’t have any detectable trojans or malware. But I haven’t done any sort of deep dive through internal communications. I ran out of time.” He sighed. “And now I’m out of steam, so I’m going to grab a few hours of sleep, and I’ll be back to finish up. Hunter knows. He told me he’s got a new assignment for me.”

  “Do you need me to take you home?”

  “Nah. I’m good.” He waved, then left the office, hopping into his Hummer, his eyes gritty like sandpaper.

  Since the office would soon be too busy to Zen on the sofa and he was only going to get a few hours of shut-eye, Trees didn’t waste time driving to his house forty miles outside of town. He loved the quiet, wide-open space there, but it wasn’t convenient when he was in a rush. Thankfully, he knew people nearby.

  Out in the dark parking lot, he dialed Madison. He’d met her because Zy had picked her up in a bar when he’d moved to Lafayette ten months ago, before falling for Tessa. Madison reminded him of a little sister—younger, a bit fragile, and uncertain of her place in the world. He tried to be kind; she didn’t need more men using her. He put off a big brother vibe every chance he got…but sometimes she made that hard.

  “Hi, Trees,” she said after the second ring. He wasn’t surprised she was already awake. “You back in town?”

  “Yeah. It’s been a long two weeks.”

  “It has. You want a home-cooked dinner tonight? I’d be happy to whip up something for you. Just bring the wine.”

  And there was the issue. She’d never come right out and said she was interested in him…but he suspected she took his attention for romantic interest. He didn’t have the heart to tell her he’d made friends with her because Zy had done her wrong, and he wanted to make amends. Madison was nice. He liked her company. But he’d bet she had some notion he would be a pliant teddy bear of a boyfriend.

  She was very wrong.

  “Sorry. I can’t.” He crossed the lot and let himself into his vehicle. “I’ve already got a new assignment. I’m heading out of town this afternoon.”

  “That sucks. Any chance you’ll be back this weekend?” she asked hopefully. “My dad got free lane passes at the bowling alley. It’d be fun if you joined us.”

  To meet her father? Even if he was home, Trees didn’t think taking her up on the offer was a good idea.

  “I don’t know yet, but probably not. Um, I called for a favor.” He hated asking, but time was ticking. Laila and her nephew were loose in the wind, and he needed to find them the minute he reached Florida.

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “Can I crash on your sofa for a few hours before I have to hit the airport? I pulled an all-nighter at the office, and I need some shut-eye before I fly out.”

  “Of course. Come on over. You can sleep in my bed. I’ll read in the living room, and I’ll be quiet as a mouse.”

  That sounded too cozy. “No need for that. You stay in bed. Just leave me a blanket on the sofa.”

  “O-okay. Sure,” she said as he started the engine and backed out of the lot. “I’ll make breakfast once you wake up.”

  A nice offer. Because she was a nice girl…or because she was interested in more than friendship? Trees wasn’t sure, so he answered carefully. “I appreciate it, but don’t trouble yourself. I have to be back in the office by eight.”

  “That soon?” She sounded disappointed.

  “Unfortunately.” He didn’t want to hurt her. “We’ll catch up as soon as I get back.”

  She murmured something that sounded vaguely like assent.

  “Thanks, Madison.”

  As she hung up, Trees sighed. For her sake, he really hoped she found the right guy someday. But it would make his life easier, too.

  After some sleep and a tango with his toothbrush, he returned to the office for a big cup of black coffee. He felt almost human again.

  He hadn’t been there ten minutes when all hell broke loose.

  The front door crashed open, and Colonel Caleb Edgington, the organization’s previous owner and team commander, charged in looking pale and frantic. A familiar hulking blond brute who looked ready to kill filed in beside him. What the hell was going on? Caleb had retired last year to spend time with his new wife, and Deke Trenton co-owned EM’s sister organization, Oracle Security. He should be at Oracle’s office across town, working his own missions.

  “Where are my sons?” the colonel barked at Tessa.

  “In the conference room. I can take you back—”

  But Caleb was already striding in that direction with ground-eating steps, Deke, his big, bad son-in-law, on his heels.

  Frowning, Trees followed, tension fisting his gut as the two men crashed hell-bent into the conference room.

  “Colonel, sir?” Zy asked since he’d been holed up with the bosses for reasons Trees could only guess at.

  “Dad?” Hunter queried Caleb as the two men paced into the corner room, frantic tension rolling off them.

  Trees lingered in the hall, listening as the colonel got right to the point.

  “Your sister…” He lost his battle with composure and dragged in a shuddering breath to gather himself.

  The anxiety in the room notched up.

  “What’s wrong with Kimber?” Logan demanded.

  “I received a threat recently. It wasn’t specific, just a lipstick, a photo of the crew who originally smuggled Valeria Montilla from her husband’s compound in Mexico, and a warning to hand her over before they took whoever the tube belonged to. I didn’t know who—” Emotion stopped the colonel’s words again. He paused, seemingly gathering the fortitude to continue.

  Trees didn’t blame the man for being distressed. Something bad had obviously happened to his only daughter.

  Hunter turned expectantly to Deke.

  Kimber’s husband picked up where his father-in-law left off. “She’s gone. She dropped the kids off at daycare, then made a trip to the grocery store…and didn’t come home. A courier delivered this thirty minutes ago.”

  Everyone crowded around as he whipped out a picture of Kimber, her auburn hair tangled, her big eyes red rimmed, with a gag over her mouth, her hands tied behind her back, and a gun to her head.

  Trees’s heart stopped. Oh, fuck. A man like Caleb had probably made a lot of dangerous enemies over the decades. But falling into the crosshairs of a cartel… It was the worst development.

  “We’ll get her back.” Hunter sounded determined—and pissed off. “We’ll do whatever it takes—”

  “You’re fucking right we will,” Deke spat. “I want my kitten home. Most of the Oracle team is at our office, strategizing. Any help you can spare…”

  “You’ll have it. We need to lock down the rest of the wives and kids.”

  “Fast,” the colonel managed to choke out. “Before it’s too late.”

  Then, barely holding it together, he ducked out.

  The colonel was the most stoic man Trees knew. The worry and guilt that his line of work might cost his daughter her life had to be eating him alive.

  Deke didn’t look any less desperate. “Thanks for whatever you can do.”

  “Fuck that, she’s our sister. We’ll devote day and night to saving her.”

  Kimber’s husband nodded his thanks, then he was gone, too.

  After a terrible silence, Hunter dragged in a centering breath, forcing himself to find control. His younger brother, on the other hand, grabbed an empty coffee mug off the table and hurled it at the wall. It shattered on impact.

  Joaquin Muñoz, the team’s co-owner and their stepbrother, clutched Logan’s shoulder. “We don’t have time for this.”

  “I know. I fucking know,” he shouted. “Goddamn son of a bitch!”

  Hunter and Joaquin zipped out of the conference room, dashing past Trees and already strategizing ways to keep the rest of their family safe, he’d bet. Despite his harsh breaths, Logan seemingly dialed down his temper. Trees hurt for them.

  “I’ll come with you,” Zy offered. “I’ll devote all my energy—”

  “No,” Logan whirled on him. “This shit is centered around Valeria Montilla.”

  That was true. And nothing good had happened to the team since Caleb, the Edgington brothers, and another former operative had smuggled out the drug lord’s pregnant wife under his nose almost two years ago. Apparently, it didn’t matter that Emilo was now dead. Retribution was incoming.

  “Since her safe house was breached last night, Trees and Kane are going to relocate her and her family pronto—and we’ll be monitoring every step.”

  Then suddenly, Logan shut the door in his face and lowered his voice to a growl that only Zy could hear.

  Less than two minutes later, it opened again. Logan tore out of the conference room, slamming the door behind him with Zy still inside. “Take Kane and get your ass to Orlando today. I’m texting you Valeria Montilla’s number. We gave her your digits, too. If she doesn’t answer at first, keep trying. She won’t take calls from unfamiliar numbers since she’s been getting them all night. You and Kane will bring her to a location we’ll disclose later. Her sister and the little boy, too…once you find them.”

  “Hunter already told me.” More or less.

  “Good. Don’t fuck up.”

  After that warning and more door slamming at the front of the office, the place fell deadly silent.

  Zy hauled ass out of the conference room. The rest of the team gravitated to the reception area, clearly shocked by the colonel’s bombshell. Trees hung back. The truth was, none of them had seen this sudden, horrible development coming. But he should have. It would be a problem until they smoked out their goddamn mole.

  Tessa rose from her chair behind the reception desk and grabbed Zy’s arm. “Do you know anything beyond the fact Kimber has been taken?”

  “No. No one does.”

  “I can’t believe this is happening…” She wrung her hands.

  “The bosses will do everything they can to find her.”

  “What if they can’t?”

  Her death would be terrifying, violent, and painful. But Trees didn’t say that out loud. They all knew it.

  “Don’t think that way,” Zy tried to reassure her. “The colonel, Hunter, Logan, and Joaquin are the very best at what they do. And I don’t know Deke, but—”

  “He’s scary,” Trees put in, in case there was any doubt.

  “Then together, they’ll leave no stone unturned to bring her back,” Zy told Tessa. “Have faith.”

  “I’m trying.”

  Was Tessa’s distress for Kimber real…or a well-rehearsed act? The women were supposedly friends…but EM indisputably had a mole. It wasn’t any of the bosses. It wasn’t Josiah or Cutter, the former operatives who had left to pursue new jobs and happily ever after with their new brides. It couldn’t be Walker, since he’d both nearly died at the Tierra Caliente cartel’s hands and killed Emilo himself. It couldn’t be Kane Preston since it was his first day on the job. It wasn’t Zy. And Trees knew it wasn’t him.

  Tessa was the only person left who could possibly be guilty.

  Trees drifted back to his desk and studied her. Once, he’d been convinced Tessa was as in love with Zy as he was with her. Now? She’d seemingly wrapped his buddy around her finger with her big tits and batting lashes over huge green eyes. How could Zy not see that Tessa might be playing him?

  After launching another in-depth network scan, Trees headed to the back of the office for more coffee. Kane, the new guy, joined him, grabbing the java first.