Page 133 of Smith

Especially the part about Amy working for OFAC or any bureau within Treasury.

“And, you? What’s your interest in this?” Zane asked.

She looked confused for a moment but she rallied quickly.

“My interest is to broker?—”

Zane made an annoying buzzer sound. “Lie detected.”

“You’re not the only one who’s interested in stopping what Maddon Judd sold to the Chinese.”

And… the truth comes out.

“Well hell,” Zane sighed. “Guess I can take my team, head back to Maryland, and let the good ole CIA handle what they should’ve been handling all along.”

“Like you trust the CIA not to fuck this up.”

“Good, you know your employers are fuckups.”

“She’s not CIA,” Nebraska broke in. “Her name’s Derrika Layne. She’s an investigator.”

Derrika Layne.

Nowthatname fit her.

“Private or government?” Zane asked Nebraska.

“Highest bidder.”

Derrika’s mouth curved up. Her hands came up off the table before she made a ‘what can I say’ gesture.

Then followed that through by saying just that. “Can’t blame a girl for needing to eat.”

“A girl might have to eat, but her appetite…now that says something about her.”

Derrika’s gaze snapped to mine. I felt a strange twinge in my gut. I hadn’t meant for that to sound as suggestive as it sounded. But since she was smiling at me with humor dancing in her eyes, I couldn’t say I regrated it.

“Are we talking chicken or steak here?” she quipped.

“No,” Zane cut in. “He’s asking if you eat your young.”

“Actually,” Cash drawled. “I think what he’s really asking is if she eats her mate like that spider.”

“I swear to Christ, if this shit is going to cost me money, I’m retiring. Just cut the bullshit and tell me what you want and what you’ll give me in return.”

“I need Kira Cain on the inside. Two of your men to work security at the center, and the rest on standby for backup.”

“Oh, shit, that’s all. Why didn’t you just lead with that?”

“What you’ll get in return is all access to Delcon and the intel you want.”

“How is it you’ll get Kira in?”

Derrika smiled, this time like the cat who got her cream and she was enjoying the fuck out of it.

“I’ve worked at Delcon in HR for six months. I was placed there by the board of directors. I have authorization to bring you in and get Kira inside.”

Well fuck.

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