Page 128 of Redemption

No one said a peep, but everyone had to have thought, what the fuck? Mayhem knew. ATF knew.

“What the hell is going on?” Brock stood up, rubbing his temples. “What are we missing?”

“Three minutes out,” Parker said.

“What don’t I know?” Sugar’s head snapped to him, her eyes narrowing as though she realized she’d walked into something.

“Mayhem knows we’re coming. Now, ATF knows we’re on a live op? We thought this was locked down airtight.”

Sugar’s jaw dropped before she snapped it shut. “Mayhem?”

“Victoria called Ryder. Direct request, abort mission now.” Brock turned to Sugar. “Who was in the ATF meeting?”

“ATF, FBI, and friends.” Sugar stood rigidly and appeared to be running her own mental what-the-fuck gymnastics, even as she kept her wording odd as if protecting a source.

“Sugar, cut the shit.”

“Goddamn it, Brock.” Sugar pointed at Seven. “Who is she?”

“A friend.”

“Two and a half minutes,” Parker said.

“Sugar,” Brock snapped. “Is the CIA is involved with Mayhem? Now.”

CIA? Ryder’s mind spun.

Sugar glared at Seven, the lack of trust thick, and dropped her long, fake lashes to Brock. “Yes.”

Seven didn’t hide her audible gasp.

“CIA has moles in Mayhem.” Sugar stepped closer to Brock, not taking an untrusting eye off Seven. “They’re calling the shots.”

“Bullshit,” Seven said.

Shut up, Seven.

Sugar’s glare was one of the best he’d ever seen. “Someone tell me exactly who sweet tits is?”

“Two minutes,” Parker interrupted.

“Or.” Sugar dropped her attention to Brock. “Let’s focus on what I do know, which is what I don’t. Idon’tknow if CIA and ATF have talked. But let’s assume obviously because ATF is pissed, and Mayhem was tipped off.”

“In which case, we stay the course,” Brock said.

“Or CIA doesn’t want us to touch those guns. They found out we’re on the move and are using Victoria to have us abort the mission.”

Brock rubbed his temples. “ATF would’ve told us. If that was the deal, they’d have figured out what we were up to.”

“Trust me. The points of contact on this at the CIA and ATF aren’t on friendly terms. They have their panties in a wad over bureaucratic red tape.”

“Minute-thirty,” Parker announced.

“Ryder, thoughts?” Brock asked.

Neither of those explanations matched Victoria’s voice. She was stressed and panicked. Ryder couldn’t explain what wasn’t tangible. Quickly, he caught Seven’s gaze then looked at the faces of every one of his teammates.

Was he putting the woman he loved over the team? Over the mission objective? Was his judgment compromised? “The theories don’t match her tone of voice.”

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