her hand out from under her brother’s.
“Don’t you use that cop tone on Kali, Cyrus. Why aren’t we sending someone else to try to be a buyer? Or one of your cop friends, or one of Seth’s DEA co-workers? Why aren’t we doing something?”
“We can’t contact the DEA. Seth is convinced there is a leak within multiple teams at his level. If I contact someone from the Atlanta PD, they would immediately see the drug connection and call in the DEA, and we are back at square one. We can’t send anyone here, because we’re finally making some headway with Rixitron. Hell, we’re using every civilian in this room to help,” Cyrus sounded almost disgusted and Sarah hauled off and hit him in the shoulder.
“Hey what was that for?”
“For being an asshole.”
“Thank you,” Niko Evanoff said, with a slight Russian accent.
“You’re using civilians to assist on the Rixitron project?” Annie asked smoothly.
“They’re not suggesting something nearly as dangerous as what you’re suggesting.” She had never been subject the penetrating gaze of Noah Kukailimoku, and it made her squirm in her seat. She could see how he made the Lieutenant Commander in the Navy at such a young age.
“What do you mean dangerous?” Riley demanded, as he leaned forward in his chair.
“If I’m not mistaken, Annie is going to volunteer to be one of the kidnapped girls.”
Riley looked at her and saw the truth of Noah’s words. He slowly stood from his chair and walked around the table to her.
“We need to go out in hall and talk,” he said in a voice laced with steel. A voice she never heard before. After all they had been through, she owed him this. She stood, and he gave a grim nod and turned toward the door. She followed.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Riley turned to her, his arm above her, caging her between him and wall.
“I want to forbid you to follow through with this plan. I want to guilt you by telling you how bad of a mother you are to Nell for even considering this. I want kiss you and tell you that I can’t live without you.”
Annie reached out and brushed her hand against his chest. Unsure if she wanted to beat him or comfort him. He must have seen her conflict because he gave out a harsh laugh.
“That’s the problem, isn’t it, you don’t know what to do with me. Well, here, I’ll help. I can’t forbid it, because it’s not my place. Of course you’ve considered Nell, and weighed the consequences. Your little girl means the world to you and you would never do something like volunteer for such a plan if you didn’t sincerely believe you could help and survive. As for my feelings, well they really don’t matter. I’ve always known your heart belongs to Seth. I’ve been talking to the team in Florida, he’s a good man caught in an unimaginably bad situation.”
As soon as he started talking about Nell, the pain in her heart started building and when he mentioned Seth it exploded outward and she found herself in his arms sobbing.
“I have to do this Riley,” she spoke into his T-shirt.
“I can’t understand you. Can you calm down?” He lifted his shirt and wiped her eyes, and stroked her back.
She took a deep breath. “I have to help.”
“We can find another way. Someone else can do this.”
“There is no one else. Look at me, I look like I’m nineteen. I keep imagining this happening to Nell. We can’t let this go on for even one more day. I have to do this. Are you really in love with me?”
“Almost. I love you. You and your daughter will always hold a piece of my heart, but maybe because I knew you essentially belonged to another man, I protected myself. I never completely fell off the ledge, but I sure as hell could have. If Seth turns out to be a bastard, I’m coming after you, Annie Newman.” He dipped his head down and gave her a gentle kiss.
“Riley…”
“You don’t have to say it.” He smiled at her. “Let’s go back in.”
Once Riley was on
“Don’t you use that cop tone on Kali, Cyrus. Why aren’t we sending someone else to try to be a buyer? Or one of your cop friends, or one of Seth’s DEA co-workers? Why aren’t we doing something?”
“We can’t contact the DEA. Seth is convinced there is a leak within multiple teams at his level. If I contact someone from the Atlanta PD, they would immediately see the drug connection and call in the DEA, and we are back at square one. We can’t send anyone here, because we’re finally making some headway with Rixitron. Hell, we’re using every civilian in this room to help,” Cyrus sounded almost disgusted and Sarah hauled off and hit him in the shoulder.
“Hey what was that for?”
“For being an asshole.”
“Thank you,” Niko Evanoff said, with a slight Russian accent.
“You’re using civilians to assist on the Rixitron project?” Annie asked smoothly.
“They’re not suggesting something nearly as dangerous as what you’re suggesting.” She had never been subject the penetrating gaze of Noah Kukailimoku, and it made her squirm in her seat. She could see how he made the Lieutenant Commander in the Navy at such a young age.
“What do you mean dangerous?” Riley demanded, as he leaned forward in his chair.
“If I’m not mistaken, Annie is going to volunteer to be one of the kidnapped girls.”
Riley looked at her and saw the truth of Noah’s words. He slowly stood from his chair and walked around the table to her.
“We need to go out in hall and talk,” he said in a voice laced with steel. A voice she never heard before. After all they had been through, she owed him this. She stood, and he gave a grim nod and turned toward the door. She followed.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Riley turned to her, his arm above her, caging her between him and wall.
“I want to forbid you to follow through with this plan. I want to guilt you by telling you how bad of a mother you are to Nell for even considering this. I want kiss you and tell you that I can’t live without you.”
Annie reached out and brushed her hand against his chest. Unsure if she wanted to beat him or comfort him. He must have seen her conflict because he gave out a harsh laugh.
“That’s the problem, isn’t it, you don’t know what to do with me. Well, here, I’ll help. I can’t forbid it, because it’s not my place. Of course you’ve considered Nell, and weighed the consequences. Your little girl means the world to you and you would never do something like volunteer for such a plan if you didn’t sincerely believe you could help and survive. As for my feelings, well they really don’t matter. I’ve always known your heart belongs to Seth. I’ve been talking to the team in Florida, he’s a good man caught in an unimaginably bad situation.”
As soon as he started talking about Nell, the pain in her heart started building and when he mentioned Seth it exploded outward and she found herself in his arms sobbing.
“I have to do this Riley,” she spoke into his T-shirt.
“I can’t understand you. Can you calm down?” He lifted his shirt and wiped her eyes, and stroked her back.
She took a deep breath. “I have to help.”
“We can find another way. Someone else can do this.”
“There is no one else. Look at me, I look like I’m nineteen. I keep imagining this happening to Nell. We can’t let this go on for even one more day. I have to do this. Are you really in love with me?”
“Almost. I love you. You and your daughter will always hold a piece of my heart, but maybe because I knew you essentially belonged to another man, I protected myself. I never completely fell off the ledge, but I sure as hell could have. If Seth turns out to be a bastard, I’m coming after you, Annie Newman.” He dipped his head down and gave her a gentle kiss.
“Riley…”
“You don’t have to say it.” He smiled at her. “Let’s go back in.”
Once Riley was on
Similar Books
