“That’s good. They have no leader and no money.”
“In theory, but my CI is now being patched as the new president. He knows I’m ATF. He’s given me enough intel to stop the human trafficking, and I know for a fact, that is something he will not continue as president. So it’s not necessary for me to remain undercover.”
She watched as her field supervisor steepled his fingers against his lips and looked up to the ceiling. She wasn’t a fan of the agent in charge, but her opinion didn’t count. There was a hierarchy, and she was far from being at the top.
“Hear me out,” he started. “Your CI knows where your allegiance is. He knows you have the power to arrest him and the others immediately. Why wouldn’t he take you out himself? Why would he leave himself open to the threat you hold?”
“I don’t know. It wouldn’t make sense to keep me alive. Which is why I think I should leave while I still can.”
“It doesn’t make sense if he didn’t care about you, you mean.”
“Regardless of his feelings, he’s the new president. His loyalty is to his brotherhood, not his old lady.”
She really hated that name. The fact that no one has bucked the system and changed it was just another reason why the club didn’t respect women.
“But I think he does care, despite knowing the risks. Which is why I want you to stay on assignment. With him now being in the lead role, he will have the power to make decisions. If you are by his side, you can sway him the way you want, you know, by using your womanly wiles.”
“But…”
“No, let me finish. You have the ability to take down the whole club.”
“I don’t see that being the case. Oscar will not let me do that. He will kill me before he lets the club fail.”
“I don’t think so. I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit. Report back and let me know if something changes, but for now, continue as you are, Agent Hines.”
“But…”
“That’s all. Shut the door behind you when you leave.”
Skylar wanted to pull the man by his necktie and wrap it twice around his throat. She could envision him grasping for the silk, pleading with his eyes, begging her to let him live. Then she’d tighten it even harder, denying his request, much like he was denying hers.
He’d just signed her death certificate. All she could do was talk with Oscar. Try to get him to see the insanity of being the president. Try to get him to leave the gang, to do something else with his life, to give them a real chance.
Did he have feelings for her? Yes, she knew this, and she had feelings for him. But as she told her supervisor, his real loyalty was to his brothers-in-arms. They’d vowed to live or die together. She was just another woman who could easily be replaced if it became necessary.
Skylar tossed her purse on the passenger seat and removed her jacket before starting the car. If she knew nothing else, she knew she was ready to get out of the business suit, throw on her jeans, and take a ride on her bike. Then she’d feel free.
Oscar sat on his bike, along with the new enforcer, working his jaw. When Jag said he needed to show him something, he hadn’t been expecting to see him pull across from the federal building. He hadn’t been surprised to see Skylar there, but he was surprised to be brought there by one of his own.
“She’s a Fed,” Jag spat.
“Maybe. She could be there for another reason.”
“Is she that good in the sack that you’d ignore something so obvious? She is a Fed. I know it without a doubt.”
“How?”
“I have my ways.”
“You have someone feeding you information,” Oscar stated. He didn’t need to question it. Money, drugs, or a number of other things could sway even the most uptight person. Feds didn’t make any money, not to offset the risks they put themselves in daily, so toss in a few C-notes, and you have a mouse walking right into a trap. Only now his girl was being led to her demise.
“What are you going to do about her? Am I going to take her out, or are you?”
“I have to think about this. I want to make sure we don’t do anything that will bring the Feds to our doors.”
“Man, you have the Feds in your bed, forget about the door.”
“Fine. I’ll do it. But for now, Jag, this goes no further. I’m not going to take her out impulsively. I need to make a plan and ensure that we aren’t their number one suspect. If she’s onto us, you can bet your junk that they’ll know everything.”
“Right. Okay, man. Just let me know if you need my help. I have no problem taking her out.”
“You’ve killed women before?”
“Ha,” Jag said, then spat on the ground. “That there isn’t a woman… she’s a traitor. She’s not one of us… she’s a Fed. And I’ve taken out a Fed before. I’ve got your back.”
Oscar nodded, unable to see a way out of this. He either killed Skylar or his enforcer would. Only the enforcer would make her pay—brutally—for her betrayal. He, however, could make her death painless, at least for her. He’d have to live with his decision for the rest of his life.
It was his brothers, his life, or the woman he’d fallen madly in love with, but one of them would have to end. He just wasn’t sure which one.