Page 14 of Iron Willed Warrior

“All of us agreed. I told you our timeline escalated. That was the truth. We had to get you here. If we could’ve come up with anyone else to represent the Protectors in this, we wouldn’t have asked you.”

“Jee, thanks.” I shook my head, glaring at the half-melted snow in the yard.

As a bounty hunter, I had to liaise with law enforcement often enough. But I tried to keep my interactions with US government types to a minimum. All those agencies with their alphabet names? I wanted nothing to do with them.

This was why I worked outside the United States. Fewer regulations. Fewer lies. Sure, plenty of officials in other countries were corrupt, but at least I knew what to expect. They didn’t pretend to be in my corner only to betray that faith in the worst way.

I glanced down at my left leg, though my prosthesis was hidden again by my jeans. The phantom limb pains didn’t bother me much now after years of desensitizing and retraining my brain. But I still felt it at times. The awful, gut-wrenching sting of something that wasn’t even there.

“Do the Feds have dirt on you and the Protectors?” I asked. “Is that why you’re cooperating with them?”

“The FBI offered to scrub the files they have on us. Yeah.But if Agent Somerton hadn’t brought us the proposal, we would’ve told them to shove it. Brynn is my wife’s best friend. Plus, I worked closely with her when Stillwater targeted Charlie last summer. Brynn is smart, and she’s capable. A Marine before she was a Fed.”

“Jarhead, huh?” Didn’t necessarily change my mind, but it was something. Also explained the way she’d handled the football player guy when he’d grabbed her wrist. “I’m still not sure.”

“Lynx, you know the kind of bullshit Stillwater is responsible for.”

“Of course I do,” I said gruffly. This fight was personal for River, Owen, Trace, and Aiden. But in the last several months, it had become personal for me too. River knew that. He also should’ve known I didn’t want to discuss that particular topic.

Luciana. The woman I had failed to save.

“We’ve all dealt blows to Stillwater in the past,” River continued. “You and Brynn can be the ones to finish it.”

I exhaled. Fucking CIA spies with their manipulation. Of course I wanted the chance to end Stillwater, once and for all. Exactly the reason I was here. River had played me from minute one, and honestly, I couldn’t even blame him.

“I’ll listen to what Agent Somerton has to say.” But I wasn’t making any promises.

When we returned to the living room, Brynn and Keira were whispering quietly, heads bent together. They looked up as we entered.

“We’re ready to get started,” River said. “Brynn, I assume you want to do the honors. Lynx is eager to find out what’s going on.”

Keira touched Brynn on the shoulder. “In that case, I’ll get going. I’m needed at the station.” She smiled and nodded at me on her way out. At least I wasn’t on Deputy Marsh’s shit list too.

Brynn stood in front of the fireplace and clasped her hands behind her back. All business.

“Are we expecting anyone else?” I asked.

River dropped onto the couch, the cushion bouncing beneath him. “Nope. Just the three of us. More discreet this way, and I’m the most up-to-date on Stillwater anyway.” He glanced at me. “I’ve been continuing my own investigation, as well as keeping in close contact with Brynn about the FBI’s. Anything you need to know, Brynn or I should be able to tell you.”

“I have plenty of questions. For starters, I want to know why this op is suddenly so urgent. You must’ve learned something big.”

Missions like this lived and died based on intel. Everything depended on it. That told me that either the Protectors or the FBI had new intelligence on Stillwater, and it was significant.

But if the FBI was really in charge here, that was a dealbreaker for me. I was not sticking my neck out just for the Bureau to sharpen its axe should anything go wrong.

“We’ll get to that,” Brynn said. “But it’ll make more sense if I explain how we got to this point.”

“Then I’m listening.” I took up a post behind the couch, bracing my hands on the back of it. I might’ve been tempted to sit down, but I’d already spent too many hours in a seated position. When I finally relaxed at the end of this frustrating day, I planned to kick back and not get up again until tomorrow.

Would I be heading back to Denver for the soonest flight to Mexico City? That remained to be seen.

I still had on my coat, so I unzipped it and took it off, tossing it on the back of the couch. Beneath, I’d worn my favorite gray T-shirt over well-worn jeans. Brynn’s eyes traced my movements, lingering on the tattoos on my forearms, before quickly lifting.

It took a lot of willpower not to let my own eyes wander over her in a similar assessment. That wouldn’t do me an ounce of good.

“So,” she said. “Stillwater. I’m not sure how much you know.”

“I know the business Stillwater is in.” The organization was ultra-secretive. Operated from the shadows of the dark web. It offered services to smaller criminal gangs, like a twisted sort of consulting. Looking to expand your Oxy distribution channels without running afoul of the major cartels? Salivating to get into the human trafficking business? Not to mention hiring killers and paying off officials. Yeah, Stillwater could help you with all of that.

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