Page 17 of Code Name: Tank
I returned to Granite Ridge, my mood darker than when I’d left. Dragon’s defenses weren’t just about trust issues. There was someone in her life, and their relationship—whatever it had been and what it was now—was unresolved.
She’d said she’d see me tomorrow, and she would. I just wouldn’t be the same person I’d been the last two days. Time to put my own guard up.
6
DRAGON
Ishut my camp door harder than necessary, the sound echoing across the quiet waters of Canada Lake. The walk from the helipad to Whisper Point should have calmed me down, but Tank’s arrogant assumption that he’d handle the DC interviews alone still burned me up.
Like our partnership was just a polite fiction Admiral had created to make me feel included.
But there was more fueling my frustration. I was missing an obvious clue; I was certain of it. However, since half the time I was focused on my hot-as-fuck partner, I wasn’t catching things I normally would.
I dropped my travel bag on the floor and stalked to the kitchen, needing something to do with my hands before I threw something at the wall. The bottle of Pinot Noir I’d been saving for a special occasion called to me from the counter, promising to dull the sharp edges of my anger.
The wine was a small comfort in the chaos of my emotions. It was honest, straightforward—unlike certain broad-shouldered former military men who talked about partnership while making unilateral decisions.
God, I need to stop this and get my head on straight. My laptop sat on the dining table, waiting. I had work to do. But concentration proved impossible. Every time I tried to focus on the data, I saw Tank’s face when he realized what he’d done. For a moment, he’d looked remorseful.
Then, he’d had the nerve to say it was a figure of speech, which didn’t even make sense.
I finished the wine in my glass and poured more.
The worst part was that, for two days, I’d allowed myself to believe we were building something—respect, connection, maybe even trust. But men like Tank always revealed their true nature eventually. They made decisions while claiming to know what was best. They disappeared when they were needed most, leaving their partners to face the consequences alone.
My cell rang before I could open the laptop I’d just closed.
I grabbed the device, hoping it might be Tank calling to apologize. Instead, my stomach dropped when I saw a private number on the caller ID.
My gut told me the person on the other end was someone I never wanted to speak to again. My finger hovered over the decline button. Blocking this call would be the safe decision. But intelligence analysts didn’t survive by making safe choices when critical information might be at stake.
I accepted the call.
“Hello, Piper.”
Cory “Flint” Pierce’s voice had me reaching for the nearest thing I could hold onto—the back of my dining chair. His voice was smooth and familiar, carrying the same confident charm that had once made me believe he was exactly what I wanted in a partner—both professionally and personally. The same voice that had whispered promises he’d never intended to keep.
“How did you get this number?” My words came out steadier than I felt.
“You always did cut straight to the heart of things.” Flint’s chuckle was warm, intimate. “I’ve been monitoring the defense-contractor situation.”
“I wouldn’t think you’d have access to classified information in witness protection.”
“Some threats are bigger than protocol, sweetheart.”
The endearment made my skin crawl. “Don’t call me that.”
“Piper, you’re walking into something more dangerous than you realize. This isn’t random financial theft—it’s connected to our old case.”
I closed my eyes, fighting memories I’d spent three years trying to forget. The investigation that had almost ended my CIA career and destroyed my faith in partnerships.
“This is a different situation.”
“Is it? Look at the coordination. It’s definitely connected to what we discovered in Prague.”
“Even if that’s true, you’re not supposed to contact anyone from your past.”
“You think I care about protocols when your life might be at risk?”
