Page 11 of Iron Willed Warrior

“You pointed at your crotch and said you have ‘good equipment.’”

Keira’s jaw dropped. River’s head slowly swiveled toward the other man. “Dude. Seriously?”

“Whoa!” Cole held up his hands, taking a quick step forward. “That’s not what happened.”

“Now you’re calling me a liar? Wonderful.” I spun and went back into the house.

Footsteps pounded after me. “Hold on a minute.” Cole followed me into the kitchen. Larger than life, and even more imposing because he was so out of place here among Keira’s cute, welcoming decor. “Are you telling me this undercover op for the Protectors is withyou?”

“Itwaswith me. Not anymore. I’m not working with you.”

Eventually, everyone showed their true colors. And this afternoon by the side of the road, Cole had shown me his. No way could I go into a dangerous undercover op with a guy like that.

“Hell, I never said I’d work with you,” he barked. “I don’t know a single damn thing about you except that you’ve got the wrong idea about me.”

“First impressions speak volumes. I need an undercover partner I can trust with my life. Not someone who’ll try to cop a feel.”

River strode into the kitchen, Keira on his heels. “Okay, kids,” River said. “There’s been some kind of misunderstanding. Let’s take a minute to breathe.”

Cole and I glared at one another, chests heaving. Breathing was not the issue.

“Brynn, this is Cole Bailey, also known as Lynx. Cole, this is Special Agent Brynn Somerton. FBI.”

If anything, Cole looked even more disgusted.

“Former FBI,” I corrected. “Officially.”

Cole turned his glare on his friend. “You didn’t say anything about this op being with the FBI.”

River shrugged. “I told you we were taking down Stillwater. You said you were in. We were saving the details for when you arrived.”

“Hell of a detail to omit. I’m not working with a Fed. Find someone else.”

I nodded. “Works for me. Find me another partner. Not him.”

River threw his hands up in exasperation. “Thereisno one else. Not on the schedule we’re working with.”

“Maybe you two could discuss what happened earlier?” Keira said softly. “Five minutes. Couldn’t possibly hurt.Thenwe can address the FBI thing.”

I glanced over at Cole. He side-eyed me.

He went to the back door. Opened it. Looked at me like he expected me to go first.

“After you,” I said.

Grumbling, he went into Keira’s backyard, and I closed the door lightly on my way out.

Cole spun to face me. “For fuck’s sake, I didn’t point at my crotch.”

“I saw what I saw.”

“And yet you didn’t see the whole picture.” He bent and lifted the hem of his jeans on one leg, revealing the metal rod of a prosthetic leg. “Thisis the good equipment I was referring to.”

My lips parted, but words failed me.

I had…not expected that.

But when I recalled the incident earlier, what he’d said… Okay, maybe I’d misinterpreted. The gesture hadn’t beendirectlyat his crotch. But still.

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