“I hope whoever tagged us on this is paying us extra.” Ransom pinched the bridge of his nose. “I met plenty of those bastards when I was locked up. They don’t take kindly to people meddling in their business. None of the people we hunt do, but Vipers are next level.”
Kennedy now understood Jordan’s urgency and the heightened tension radiating from him. To anyone else, he’d seem unflappable. But each of the Shields on his team was trained to observe even the slightest change in demeanor and body language. Even though she was their medic, she had picked up plenty of tricks along the way. Their fearless leader was a bit too stiff when he rested his ankle on his opposite knee and knit his hands over his six-pack.
“They are.” Jordan never revealed his sources, likely to try to protect his team. As a former government agent, he had plenty of customers who needed them to cut through red tape. “Think ten times our normal fee. It seems we’ve got a special connection to their guy. The agency who’s hiring us to take care of this for them is hoping we’ll be willing to exploit it. If we don’t act fast, this chance will beeliminatedand lost forever. They don’t have time to run it through ten thousand channels or the proper incentive to get the mark to cooperate, I think.”
Kennedy’s eyes narrowed when Jordan flicked his gaze to her. As the team’s medical support, her job was usually to hang back and patch up bullet wounds after the rest of their ragtag band of assassins did their thing. Maybe they were expecting to find a bunch of strung out victims for her to treat. She shuddered thinking of one of their prior assignments, which had left her administering Narcan as if she were passing out candy at Halloween.
Before Jordan could clarify what exactly he meant, he began rattling off details. Kennedy silenced her mind to focus on the information he shared. It could save someone’s life, or cost it, when she needed to make split-second decisions in the field.
“One of our DEA liaisons tipped us off that there’s a leak in the Vipers’ organization.” Jordan cleared his throat. “Someone told them where the next major shipment would be transiting.”
“And you really think that’s not a trap?” Nolan snorted.
“It already went down. Last night. And it wasn’t bullshit.” Jordan crossed his arms. “It was valid info. They shut it down and got critical leads on distributors as well as manufacturing locations.”
“How much are they giving the rat?” Aarav wondered, his Bengali accent morphing the R into a purr. “Whatever it is, it isn’t worth it.”
“That’s the thing. My contact doesn’t get why he tipped them off. They didn’t pay him. And it certainly isn’t out of the kindness of his heart. But it’s too good of an opportunity to waste, whatever his motive is.”
“If the Vipers figure out who he is, that bastard is going to regret his life decisions.” Marcus shook his head. “Idiot. Those kinds of risks are only worth it for enough money to be set for life, and only if you have a damn good hiding place to hunker down in and never show your face again. I’m surprised they didn’t slaughter the entire gang to make sure they fixed the problem permanently.”
None of the Shields could argue with that. After all, Jordan paid each of them a fortune to be sitting there right then, and to be doing…whatever it was he was about to ask of them later.
Kennedy couldn’t help the dread coating her guts like a bad infestation ofclostridium difficile. Was it her imagination, or did Jordan keep peering in her direction disproportionally to the rest of the team? What the hell?
Marcus shifted, edging his chair closer to her. As much as Kennedy hated to admit it, she didn’t mind his nearness or the instincts that scooted him slightly in front of her. They’d plunged themselves into plenty of hazardous situations together and he’d always taken care of both of them, protecting her as she tended to the wounded.
Kennedy had come to trust him, at least in the field. And for her, that was kind of a miracle.
“You said this Viper is connected to us…how?” Levi asked. “It’s not someone Ransom knew in jail, is it?” His fingers twitched on the arm of his chair. For a Shield, especially a former undercover agent like Levi, that was about as drastic a tell as if he’d thrown himself around his partner and lover. The man he shared with their wife, Sevan.
Jordan let Levi off the hook. “No.”
Levi swallowed and avoided Ransom’s glare, the one that promised they’d be having a discussion later about being able to handle themselves and how their relationship couldn’t interfere with work. It was one Kennedy had heard them have before, sometimes with raised voices. Yet another reason she could never do all the things to Marcus while she was awake that she’d dreamed of doing to him while she slept.
It would be far too complicated. Too messy. Not worth it.
She peeked at his strong jaw and his gorgeous brown eyes, flecked with gold.
“This is going to be a task that’s handled best with a gentle touch…” Jordan cleared his throat and everyone shifted their attention to Sola, who twirled one long strand of her dark hair around her finger and grinned.
“Who am I sleeping with this time? Is he hot at least?” She made a hell of a seductress, and never seemed to mind the role, either. It was a highly effective persuasion and distraction technique. They didn’t use it often, but when it was most expedient and reduced the risk to the other agents, she never hesitated to employ whatever skills she had to get the job done.
Aarav on the other hand, glowered.
“Not you.” Jordan shook his head. “Not this time.”
“Ah, damn. Is our Viper into guys?” Sola sighed dramatically. “I have a strap-on. I could wear a disguise.”
“I told you, Jordan… Now that I’m with Laurel and Jace, I can’t work those sorts of jobs anymore. I would never cheat on them or risk their health. Especially not with their history. Intimacy is something we only share with each other.” Nolan winced. He’d done nearly as well as Sola when they needed super-spy peen as bait instead of pussy.
“Not you either.” Jordan waved off Nolan’s objections. He winged his laser stare to Kennedy and said, “You’re the best candidate for this position.”
“Me?” she squeaked at the same time Marcus grumbled, “No way.”
Which of course made Kennedy swallow any objections she might have had in favor of shooting daggers at her neighbor. “Why the hell not? Maybe he’s into blondes. He wouldn’t be the only guy I know who is.”
Marcus snapped his mouth closed. Neither of them could deny the passion with which he’d kissed her in this very room not so long ago. Not that he’d admit it in front of their boss and co-workers. Damn straight.