“She swore to Draven she knew who has been picking off his higher-ups one by one these past months. She didn’t have a choice—he was going to kill her. So she told him about the Shields and that we’re working with Laurel and Jace.”
“Son of a bitch!” Nolan punched his own palm hard enough that Jace thought he wouldn’t be able to play guitar for a week if he’d done the same. Laurel angled herself toward him and put her trembling fingers on his bunched biceps.
“It’s okay. Sometimes you have to do what it takes to survive in those situations.” Laurel looked up at him with a shallow smile. “We’re fine. We’re protected here with you.”
“You won’t be for long.” Nolan growled. “You’re right, James. We’ve got to put a stop to this once and for all. Now. So who’s going in? Who did she offer to arrange a meeting with in order to isolate Draven? Jordan?”
“Uh…nope.” James stared at Nolan.
“Me? Fine. I’ll do it. But why would he give a fuck? He doesn’t know who I am, and let’s be honest, around Shields I’m only another soldier on the team.”
“Not you either.” James waited for realization to dawn.
Jace snarled. “So help you, if you say Laurel right now, I’m going to lose my shit.”
“No!” Nolan bellowed. “Absolutely not.”
“What?” Laurel blinked.
“It’s a fucking trap.” Jace flung his hands out, karate chopping the air.
“Of course it is.” James rolled his eyes at Jace. “But we only need an opening. A single chance and Aarav will take the shot. This will be over, for good.”
“You want to use me as bait?” Laurel asked James, her voice low though without a quiver.
“I don’t like the idea of you doing it. But I also don’t own you and I’d never act like I did. So I’m bringing this possibility to you and letting you decide.” James held out his hand, and Laurel clasped it in hers.
“Thank you. For really understanding me.” Laurel smiled sadly. “Of course I’ll do it. The risk is worth even the chance to end this nightmare. Not only for us but for every life he’s infected with his evil. And you’ll be there, right?”
She turned her gaze to Nolan, her beautiful eyes wide and trusting despite everything they’d gone through. How? How could she have faith in anyone anymore?
Every last shred of Jace’s faith burned to ashes and floated away on the blast of cynicism that followed. “You two swore to me that if we stayed, we wouldn’t be in danger. That Laurel wouldn’t be involved. You fucking lied to us. To me! The pile of money you gave us ‘for information’ means nothing if we can’t trust your word. Hell, Nolan. We even slept with you, for Christ’s sake!” Jace whipped toward Laurel next, glaring. “Don’t look at him like that.”
“Like we’re in a shitty situation that we need to find a way out of together? Like I care for him?” Laurel reached across Nolan, but Jace evaded her gentle touch. He didn’t want to calm down. Didn’t intend to listen to reason. “I do. And so do you.”
“No.” Jace waved his hands in front of him. “Not if he’s willing to put you in danger after he swore he wouldn’t.”
James cleared his throat. “It isn’t how we normally operate, but we have an obligation to Cherri. Plus our own agents. Draven is closing in. Hunting us as hard as we’re chasing him. If we don’t make a move on our terms, we could very well find ourselves being picked off next. The absolute worst case scenario is for him to come to Middletown looking for you.”
“Why? Because thenyourloved ones would be at risk?” Jace sneered.
“Laurel is my blood. And I consider you part of our family,” James encapsulated the three of them with his stare. “And I know Nolan does too.”
Nolan cursed. “I don’t like this plan any more than you, Jace, but James is right. The rest of the team will be in on the op too. If it was someone else, anyone but you two, I’d be making the same argument James—and the rest of the Shields, because he didn’t come here on his own—is.”
That didn’t alleviate any of Jace’s turmoil, especially because he didn’t like the idea of Nolan being exposed either. At the end of the day, this was what he did. Who Nolan was. And if he fell in love with the guy, he’d have to accept that.
Fell in love? He barely restrained himself from cackling maniacally. No matter how this turned out, they were fucked. Their feelings were already involved, even if they’d been pretending otherwise.Shit.
“There’s something else you should know. I’m not suggesting you should instantly be okay with this if you’re not because of what I’m about to say, but you should have all the facts before you make a decision…” James took a step back from Jace as if he was afraid of earning himself a black eye.
Jace canted his head.
“If you thought being an informant paid well, you’re going to pass out when you see the raise you’re being offered. Agents make about a hundred times your previous salary considering the risks involved. There’s also a substantial death benefit, not that we hope to ever pay that out. If you do this, you won’t have to worry about starting over afterward. Anything you want, you’ll be able to make it happen. That degree program you mentioned, Laurel, you wouldn’t even notice the tuition missing from your bank account.”
“Serving Draven a huge helping of justice pie would be payment enough.” Laurel waved James off. “If it saves even one kid like me, like Jace, like Mark, like Cherri, from having their childhood destroyed, then I’m in. For free.”
“Nah, that’s not how it works around here.” Nolan took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly. He looked at the awe and admiration in Laurel’s eyes and nodded. “If you choose to do this, I’ll have your back.”