“The one we’re going to use is state of the art. Undetectable. Bad guys haven’t figured it out yet,” Justin assured him. It didn’t. “If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t take the chance with an inexperienced CI.”
Grasping Flynn’s shoulder, Maddox said earnestly, “Look, we’re not going to let anything happen to her.”
“Why not use an undercover officer?” Flynn asked. “Someone trained for this shit.”
“We’ve tried,” Justin said, “a dozen different officers over the course of nine months. Couldn’t get in.”
Flynn pondered that. “How did Fuentes get in?”
Maddox slapped him on the back. “Have you looked at her, Ryker? None of our sworn females look like that.”
And none of them were as motivated as Pink. Or as lucky. Until now. “Fuck this all to hell,” he muttered.
“Just how involved are you, Ryker?” Justin asked pointedly.
Flynn held his stare. “Enough,” he said, his meaning crystal clear.
“I’m not as sharp as you FBI boys,” Maddox said, tapping his chin with his forefinger, “But from what I’ve observed of Miss Fuentes, she’s given you your walking papers. So if you’re involved? I’m betting you’re the only one who thinks so.”
“Don’t get in my way, Price,” Flynn growled.
Maddox put his hands up as if he were under arrest. “I don’t poach, brother, but when this is all over, if she says she’s not involved, I’m going to involve myself.”
“That’s cold shit right there, man,” Justin said shaking his head.
“Are you kidding me?” Maddox said as he looked from Justin to Flynn, who was a half a step away from punching him. “She’s a knockout. And smart, too. I loved the way she handled Jackson today.” He threw his head back and laughed. “Priceless.”
“Stay away from her,” Flynn commanded.
Maddox smiled that million-dollar smile women swooned over. Shaking his head, Maddox said, “All’s fair in love and war, bro.” He stalked off, leaving Justin staring at Flynn like he didn’t know him.
“Maddox is yanking your chain, Ryker. All of that aside, I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Scattered. Out of control. Edgy. What’s going on?”
Flynn glared after Maddox, who strutted down the sidewalk like the cock in the henhouse. They didn’t call him Mad Dog for nothing. Dude looked for trouble just for the hell of it. He’d use Pink up so fast her head would spin.
Turning his attention back to his friend, Flynn shook his head. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Justin nodded, but didn’t move. Instead he continued to stare at Flynn.
“What?” Flynn asked defensively.
“Price might be messing with you right now, but he wasn’t shitting you. If that girl isn’t clearly marked when this comes to an end, he’ll do the honors.”
“She’s not a bitch, Jus,” Flynn said, looking at the house, longing for the woman behind the door.
“There’s an old Chinese proverb I recently heard,” Justin said. “It went something like: A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets.” Justin grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it. “I don’t know why you’re hanging on the ropes, but you had better get in the ring, my friend, before there’s nothing left to fight for.”
With those words, Justin strode to the nondescript Government Issue white four-door that he and Price had driven over in.
Long minutes after they had driven away, Flynn stood staring at the empty space the car had occupied. An uncertainty he had never experienced in his life gripped him. He wanted Pink. In a bad way. He didn’t care about her past. In all fairness to Pink, it never did.
Didn’t matter though, because she’d made it clear she was done with him. His ego refused to accept it. She wanted him, at least physically she did. She’d admitted as much in the bedroom. Even had she not verbalized it, her body screamed it. It had taken an enormous amount of self-control in that bedroom not to strip her down and make her his again.
Jesus. The sex was incredible. He wanted more with her. So much more. He wanted to explore every inch of her while he pushed their boundaries. His dick swelled just thinking about her digging those nails into his back as he pushed her over the edge.
Swiping his hand across his face again, Flynn turned and strode up the sidewalk to the porch. She wasn’t going to like his proposal, but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, either.
As Flynn strode through the door, Pink was coming in from the short hallway that led to her and Charlie’s bedrooms. She was dressed in a cropped Berkeley T-shirt with denim Daisy Duke shorts. Pink-tipped hair framed her fresh scrubbed face in a sexy halo. Air lodged in his chest. She looked so young and innocent. Charlie was right, Pink was pure as the driven snow. And he’d stomped all over it. He swallowed hard, not knowing how to fix it.
Barefoot, she padded past him, her bubble gum scent wafting behind her, to the sofa where she sat down yoga style. Looking up at him, she asked, “Do you have any words of wisdom to impart before you go?”
Her hand trembled as she reached for the manila envelope on the coffee table.
“Are you afraid?” he quietly asked.
“I’d be foolish if I weren’t.” Opening the folder, she asked, “Are you? Afraid for me?”
If he told her the truth it might freak her out, and that was the last thing he wanted to do, but—he also wanted her to come home with him. “A little.” Moving around the table, he sat down on the sofa next to her. “Sorlov is a dangerous man. I’m afraid in your zeal to get the answers you want from him, you might do something that could get you hurt.”
“I’m not going to do anything but tell Andre that I’m only going to give Boris the thumb drive. Besides, I’ve already tried to break into his office a few times, but it’s always locked up as tight as Fort Knox.”
“Jesus, that’s the last thing you should be doing! If you got caught, you’d disappear without a trace just like your sister.”
Her brows crinkled. “I was careful.”
Flynn’s stomach constricted. She was going to be the death of him. “What about the party?” he asked grimly.
“Party?”
“The private party at Sorlov’s?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell Maddox about that! Do you think he’ll want me to go? Maybe wire me up or something?”
Flynn shook his head. “You’re not Mata Hari. The less involved you are in the actual maneuvers of this operation, the safer you’ll be.”
“I can hold my own. I’ve been doing it for three months with no one having my back.”
Flynn pursed his lips, looked down at his shoes, then over at Pink. Flecks of gold sparkled mischievously in her sea green eyes. The urge to dig his fingers into her hair and bring her mouth to his was overwhelming. When she licked her top lip, he inwardly groaned.
Clearing his throat he said, “I think you’re smart and brave, but that’s not enough anymore. Not when you’re up against someone as deadly as Sorlov. The stakes have gone up. The blackmail video and the van assault this morning. I’ve got a bad feeling.” He raised her chin with his fingers. “I don’t like you home alone here. You’re vulnerable. Exposed. They could be watching you right now. Is there somewhere else you can stay for a few weeks?”
Her brows scrunched along with her pert nose. “I could go to Santa Cruz with Charlie and Steven, but I wouldn’t be able to work and I need the money. So, no. I have nowhere to hide out.”
Flynn nodded. He’d figured as much. Had hoped for it, truth be told.
“Then I’d like you to consider coming to my place. I—”
“No.” It was emphatic.
“Look, I have three damn floors. We won’t have to see each other if you don’t want to. It’s safe, off the grid. I go back and forth to the city several times a week. I don’t mind dropping you off at the club or picking you up.”