Page 44 of Boomer
“Damn…okay. They’re twofold. First the op.”
When he stepped close, she took in a soft breath, nodding. “Ask away. I know you by now, and I know what you need.”
Her words slammed into him as he nodded at the warehouse schematic. If she knew what he needed right now, she’d be running in the other direction. The craving for her was overwhelming, and he had to focus hard to keep from getting closer.
“This mezzanine. Original construction?”
Taylor shook her head. “No.” Damn, did she have to look at his mouth like that? Take in the breadth of his shoulders with heated Nordic blue in her eyes? She licked her lips, and his gaze went there. It shouldn’t have, but he was helpless. She slipped her index finger under his chin, bringing his eyes back to hers. He wasn’t sorry, and the corner of her mouth kicked up.“Added in 2017 by a private holding company. For dry storage. The permits list it as temporary scaffolding, but aerial confirms steel beam supports.”
Boomer’s eyes narrowed. “So not rated for weight?”
“Depends on the load,” she said, handing him a file. “But we’re assuming reconstitution gear, not pallets. Nothing heavy enough to drop the floor.”
“We don’t really know what they’re keeping up there. I don’t like unknowns, but we’re trained to deal with them.” He flipped through the file, gaze scanning for floor integrity and column locations. “What’s under the mezzanine?”
“Nothing on record. Open floor. Possibly where the compression vats are placed.”
Boomer tapped the corner of the map. “This access route here? Any chance the service corridor behind the utility grid has been retrofitted?”
“We don’t know. Satellite didn’t catch heat signatures. No active secondary power source.”
“But there’s been movement.”
Taylor nodded, slow. “Three trips. One late night. No chatter we could decrypt. Which usually means something’s being planned offline.”
Boomer didn’t like that. Offline meant traps. Offline meant dead zones.
His gaze slid sideways to her. “You know they might’ve rigged it. Not just to hide production, but tobury it.”
Taylor exhaled through her nose, sharp. “Yes. I agreed with the ship interdiction but offered my advice on hitting the warehouse.”
“We’re still going in.”
“Yes,” she repeated, lower now. “We have to. That containerRovikaat Leixões? It’s not just fentanyl they’re hiding. We have partial flags that suggest red-label Russian precursor components. Cross-border distribution. This isbiggerthan powder. This is weaponization.”
Boomer’s gut turned. His fingers curled into a fist against the edge of the board. “You believe that intel?”
“I do and, more importantly, Raul does. He says we have to be aggressive if we want to get this shit off our coast, safeguard Portugal, get you the intel you need for your own plan to stop this illegal activity from threatening your East Coast, and to find the source of this trafficking.”
“Enough to walk into a rigged building?”
She met his eyes. “Like I said. I offered advice. We’re going in. I don’t like it. But I’m going to rely on you and your team to spot anything out of the ordinary. You guys have great instincts.” She stepped closer, and he stilled. She cupped his face, rubbing her thumb along his cheekbone. “I don’t want to send you in there. I know you’re up to any task. That’s not the problem. The problem is I’m selfish. I want—” She lowered her forehead to his, her eyes now so soft, he felt her tenderness in his blood. She took a breath, and he wanted to pull her against him, knew what she was going to say to finish that sentence. It was a fucking tightrope to walk, and they both were aware, and she…fuck…shewasn’t backing down. She was the lifeline to the ops, and they were the heavy lifters.
She realized what she’d said and looked away, jaw tightening. “I’m not careless, Carter. You know that.”
“I do.”
She stepped back, grabbed another file off the table, and handed it to him. “This one’s the ship layout. In case we don’t find what we need at the site. Maritime command’s staging interception after our op. If they lose track of the cargo, we follow it onboard.”
Boomer accepted it. His fingers brushed hers. Warm. Steady. But charged. Now for the second set of hard questions. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“About?”
“You know what, sugar. I felt it when you avoided my eyes. I’m so in tune with you right now, I know every beat of yourfucking heart. Remember what I said. Honesty will be the best way to handle anything you’re unsure about.” He didn’t touch her, but he had her as if he were.
“I’m…sorting things out. I-I…don’t know what to say right now, but I’m not interested in backing down when it comes to getting to know you. I can only promise that I’m trying to understand myself and stuff that has nothing to do with you but has everything to do with me.”
“I don’t give a damn about any of that. If you need to figure something out, use me. I’m not going anywhere.” He cleared his throat. “I’m struggling with some stuff too. Things I already told you about, but I texted you for a reason, and you texted me back for a reason. There’s something here…between us, that is amazing. Yes?”
