He looked at her. Really looked at her for the first time, she realized. In more than a security assessment kind of way.
“I’m a field agent, just like you, Agent Dunning. I just happen to be really good at analysis, which is a bonus as far as I’m concerned, making me an even more valuable field agent. And honestly, I don’t need your permission to investigate. Brad is my boss, he gave me the intel, and I’m going to follow through whether you come with me or not.”
* * *
Jack was angry. When he got angry, he didn’t yell, which somehow made it worse—except that Lucy wasn’t taking it from him.
“You should have stayed put,” he said.
She was sitting at Sean’s desk, alone. Garrett Lee was in the dining room working; Nate had texted her twenty minutes ago that he was on his way. And when Jack called, she’d hoped he’d found Kane and was on his way to San Antonio; unfortunately, they had lost the trail, but Ranger was out talking to a source.
What Lucy shouldn’t have done was tell him what she’d learned. Except that she’d wanted information, and that meant telling Jack what she knew.
“It was vital I find out everything about Elise Hunt that I can. You know she’s orchestrating this! But she can’t do it alone. She’s working with someone, but she didn’t have any visitors. I’m going to start looking at staff connections—”
“I told you not to leave the house.”
“Don’t talk to me as if you’re my father.”
“Dammit, Lucia!”
“Don’t coddle me, Jack.”
“You think that’s what I’m doing? Coddling you? I don’t want you dead. Sean is in jail and Brad Donnelly is missing. Why the fuck did you let him leave your place? He was safer there!”
She felt like Jack had punched her in the stomach.
“I told you to stick with him,” he continued. “You’re both at risk.”
She didn’t back down. “Donnelly is the ASAC of the DEA. You think he’s going to hide in my house all day because there’s a threat?”
“There was, and he’s probably dead.”
That hurt.
“I’m sorry,” he said, as if he could read her mind.
“Don’t,” she said. “Don’t apologize. You think he’s dead. Why?”
“I…” He paused, and she feared he had more information than she did. Then he said, “I think if they wanted him dead, they would have killed him on sight. It would be demoralizing to an office that has already endured a traitor who killed their boss. But I can’t think why they want him alive. He’s not going to talk.”
Lucy needed to think like the people who grabbed Brad, but she didn’t know who they were. And because she didn’t know, she might get Brad killed if she read the situation all wrong.
And Jack was right. If they wanted Brad dead, he’d be dead. So why? What did they need him for?
“I know you’re worried about Sean.” Jack’s tone softened. No one else, other than Lucy, would be able to pick up on that. “We need to be on the same page. I trust Garrett, but he’s not a bodyguard. You leave, you need to be with Nate until we know what we’re facing.”
“Garrett is good backup. I’m a trained FBI agent. I’m going to handle this—”
“Listen to me,” Jack interrupted. “Someone is taking out our team. Not killing—not yet at least—but taking us off the board. Sean. Nate. Brad. Kane. Even me because I’m down south looking for Kane. Our core. You’re part of the core. I need you to be smart here.”
“I am. I’m not reckless. You’re have to trust me.”
The alarm system beeped twice. Lucy looked at the security tablet she had open on Sean’s desk; Nate and Aggie were approaching the front door.
“Nate’s here. Let me know when you find Kane.”
“Lucy—”
“I love you, Jack.” She dropped the receiver in its cradle before Jack could say another word.
* * *
Ranger was watching Jack closely as they waited in a bar in Saltillo, Mexico. “Lock it down, Jack. We can’t afford for your focus to split.”
Jack didn’t say anything. He should be in San Antonio keeping his sister safe.
Ranger stared at him over the bottle of beer he’d been nursing for the last hour. “Buddy.”
“I’m fine.” Jack sipped his beer. They were waiting for Ranger’s contact. They had a lead, but needed to make sure it wasn’t a trap.
Hell, even if Ranger’s guy said they were clear, there was no trap, Jack didn’t know that he would believe it. The