Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Ghost shifted positions so he could see around Grant’s bulk and speak directly to Jacob. “Why are you here?”
Grant snarled and started toward Ghost, but Jacob held up a hand. “I’m a friend of Grant and his brothers.”
He and Grant were a hell of a lot more than friends now, and I was sure Ghost could see that.
“A friend?”
Grant growled. “He’s mine.”
I whistled. That was more like it. It was about time Grant staked his claim publicly.
Ghost turned back to Jacob. “And what do you say to that?”
“I… Yes. That’s right.”
“If you need to get out of here, I’d be glad to help.”
That did it. Grant lunged for him again, but Ghost blocked his punch. Was Ghost trying to push his buttons?
“Stop!” Jacob jumped up. I moved to stand beside him. Rhys and TJ, a hot mobster making use of our safehouse, moved to flank him as well, but Jacob didn’t want our help. “I don’t need anyone’s help. This is my home now, and I’m lucky to be here.”
Ghost looked from Jacob to Grant. “All right. Now I believe you.”
Jacob glared at him. “You’d better.”
The smirk on Ghost’s face only made me want him more. I’d never had any sense about men. That’s why I’d spent the last several years hooking up with buckle bunnies and wannabe cowboys. I hadn’t indulged my desire for an arrogant take-charge man in a long time. It would be better to act as if Ghost didn’t exist, but I wasn’t going to do that.
4
GHOST
After a good bit of arguing and Grant letting off some steam, I managed to explain the fucked-up situation I was in and how Brandon, the agent TJ had shot, had been working with the men I was trying to catch. When Grant accepted my story, I finally let my shoulders relax and rubbed my forehead. “I knew this meeting was going to give me a fucking headache.”
Grant snorted. “You’re damn lucky if you get out of here with nothing worse than that. Of all the places you could have landed, why the fucking FBI?”
I knew he had questions. Who wouldn’t. We’d worked well together. I’d been happy serving with Grant as my commanding officer, and then I’d just disappeared. The man who’d replaced me wasn’t half as good. If I’d been there, everything about the last months of their operation might have gone differently. I was sorry for that, sorrier than I could say, but there was very little I could share, so I turned to my favorite tactic, deflection.
“You’re running a criminal operation, and you’re scoffing at me for joining the feds?”
Grant snorted. “Damn right I am. I can’t believe you fell for one of their lame recruitment speeches.”
No way was I going to ignore that. I had no intention of admitting it, but Grant’s approval actually mattered to me. I respected him and the way he’d stood up for what he believed in. “You think that’s what happened? Me falling for their propaganda?”
He blew out a long breath. “I don’t fucking know.”
“How did you end up here?”
I thought he was going to keep demanding answers instead of moving on to easier topics, but finally, he said, “I grew up here.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“A series of unfortunate but necessary choices.”
That was how I should have explained ending up at the FBI. “Yeah, me too.”
Grant seemed to accept that, but he said, “I’m not giving you information on my clients.”
“Would you consider an exchange of information? There are things you need to know and things that would help me in an investigation. I won’t ask for anything that will put your clients in danger.”
“Are you saying none of us are in danger from you now?”
“From me? No. From my superiors? We’re working on that.”
“We?”
I hoped I wasn’t overstepping, but X trusted Grant, so I had to assume he knew the basics about X’s organization. “You do know one of X’s top agents is former FBI?”
Grant nodded.
“He and I used to work together. When X realized I was the agent you were after, it made things… easier.”
“So you’re easy now?” I turned to look at Rogue, one of Grant’s hot as hell younger brothers, who’d been watching me from the moment I’d entered the room. He had the attitude of a man who was up for anything, unlike Rhys, his equally hot twin who’d also served with me. From the second I saw him, I hadn’t had to question which one he was. Rhys looked like he’d have been happy if they’d shot me too.
I gave Rogue a slow once-over. “I could be.”
He whistled, and I winked at him, not caring how outrageous I was being.
Grant snarled. “Leave my brother alone.”
“He checked me out first, and he’s a grown man.”
“I don’t fucking care. You’re not wanted here.”