Page 28 of K-9 Justice

“And you know all of this how? Who are you?” Granger Morais’s graveled advice had been Ivy’s voice of reason from the beginning. The former Department of Defense counterterrorism agent was the first operative she’d recruited, and he in turn had brought Socorro’s security consultant on board. He pushed for the logical decision in every scenario, questioning every turn and vetting every fact. Without him, Ivy wouldn’t have come this far.

“You don’t recognize him?” Scarlett Beam—Socorro’s security expert—studied Carson from head to toe. Her fiery red hair only gave a glimpse of the wild card underneath. Scarlett was the type of operative to make her own rules while still getting the job done and protecting the people she cared about. Her DEA partner and his son could attest to that after Scarlett had managed to uncover a massive shipment of cartel fentanyl and somehow managed to bring the boy home alive. She genuinely worked to protect and defend, and she took the safety of this team personally. “You’re in the presence of our very own undercover source within the cartel. The guy who’s been giving us all the good info onSangre por Sangre’s lieutenants, shipments, targets and assets to hit.”

“This is Carson Lang, though some of you may know him as Dominic Rojas. He’s been vital to neutralizing theSangre por Sangrethreat for the past two years,” Ivy said.

Except Carson was more than a tool Socorro had used to its advantage. He was Ivy’s partner. The man who’d saved her life. Twice. Who’d sacrificed everything he’d known and loved, to protect her and bring a killer to justice. He was passionate for their cause, carrying around a heavy heart that had lost too much over the years. A misfit who’d never really adapted to anyone except the chosen few he allowed into his life. He was creative and isolating and seemingly stuck in a never-ending cycle of loss.

And she loved every facet of him. Would give up this entire company if asked to keep him in her life. Because they belonged together. They were partners.

Granger seemed to grow in size as he crossed Ivy’s office and closed the distance between him and Carson. Max shook herself out of a deep sleep and got to her feet in response. At the ready for a confrontation. “You’re the one who told us the cartel was targeting Charlie Acker and using her extremist family to strike the state capitol building last month.”

“Yes,” Carson said.

The counterterrorism agent extended his hand. “Thank you. For saving her life. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it to Charlie in time.”

The men shook, and an air of agreement wove through the office.

“Aah, I can feel the love.” Scarlett leaned back in her chair, smile wide. Pulling her phone, she skimmed her finger across the screen and raised the device. “Now hug. I want it for the company newsletter.”

“I will kill you and your little dogs, too.” Granger shot her a look that would send any cartel soldier running for cover, but it had no effect on this team. They were all well aware of when an empty threat wasn’t so empty.

“Good luck.” Scarlett snapped a photo and sat back in her chair. “I’m teaching the twins some new commands. Primarily how to break into locked rooms. You’ll never hear them coming, Granger.”

“As much as I hate to break up…whatever is happening here, we need a plan,” Jones said. “I don’t know about any of you, but I’m not willing to sit back and let these sons of bitches pick us off. What’s the move, boss?”

The team looked to Ivy.

And she…looked to Carson. For a little bit of that confidence and maybe some assurance. She’d built this company from the ground up. She’d battled against corrupt congressmen and Pentagon officials. She’d coordinated with local law enforcement, her old FBI office and the DEA on assignments. There wasn’t a single battle she wasn’t willing to take on alone. And yet, right then, she felt the need to rely on him.

The shift rocked through her. Because he’d been right: she didn’t have to do this alone. Not anymore. Maybe she never had. She had an entire team willing and waiting to fight this war alongside her. But constantly living on the edge of survival had left her feeling isolated. Convinced her threats were everywhere even when there weren’t any, lied to her about who she could trust. Carson had seen through all of it. He always had.

“The man we know as Sebastian seems to hold a good amount of power withinSangre por Sangre.” Ivy filled her lungs to the point of stretching the stitches in her side. “He’s made connections and most likely built a few of his own he’ll be calling on to come after us individually. We’re not going to let that happen.”

She steepled her fingers on the surface of her desk, looking at each one of her operatives in turn. “We’ve been fighting this war through small assignments and conflicts up to this point. We’ve been shot and stabbed and tortured for information. There havebeen broken bones and explosions and entire buildings coming down on top of us. Our loved ones have suffered. We’ve lost team members and people close to us. We’ve watched entire lives be destroyed by the cartel. Homes gone, towns buried underneath mudslides, families ripped apart. Our K-9s have stood by our sides, risking their lives to please us. All of that has led us here. To the end of the line.”

She set her sights on Carson. “I’m not going to pretend I’m not responsible for what’s happening now. This killer is targeting each and every one of you to hurt me. To force me to watch as I lose everyone and everything I care about because I have declared war on the cartel. He won’t stop until he’s put every one of us in the ground and burned this building to the ground. So I’ll give you a choice.”

Ivy held herself a little taller. “You can walk away. All of you. You can go home, be with your families. I will write you references for your next job, and I’ll pay your severance for your service to this company and to me. I’ll provide new identities, if that’s what you require, and there will be no hard feelings. But I’m realizing now I can’t do this alone. I need you at my side. All of you. I need my team. Will you help me?”

Silence ate into her nerves as she dared study her operatives for a reaction. Seconds ticked off, excruciating and hard to swallow.

Until Scarlett shoved to her feet. “Looks like Hans and Gruber will get to test out those new commands we’ve been working on after all.”

Jones stood. “It’s about time we finish this.”

Granger nodded, sharp and curt. He was in.

Cash folded his arms across his chest. “I love seeing Bear take bites out of cartel soldiers. I’m in, whatever you need, boss.”

Ivy turned to Carson. The same speech applied to him. He could walk away from this. From her. No hard feelings. Shewould acquire a new identity from her contacts at the Pentagon and pay him the severance he’d risked his life for. But a large part of her needed him more than anyone else on this team.

Carson pulled his phone from his pocket and headed for her office door. “I’ve got to make a call.”

* * *

Carson picked uphis pace toward the elevators.

The call was a ploy. To get out of that room. Away from Ivy’s team. Honestly, he had no idea where the hell he was going, but one of the operatives had said the cartel soldiers they’d brought into custody were being held downstairs. He’d find them sooner or later.

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