“It’s dangerous.” He sounded almost frantic to get that point across.
“And I love you for caring. I need to catch these people, for them—and for me. They’ve got Darcy, and I want her back.”
“If you won’t listen to me as a father, listen to me as a retired agent. What you’re heading into is going to be ugly.”
“I know. And I know you don’t want to think about me in danger. But I’d appreciate your support. I need it.”
“Damn it, I was never good at saying no to you.” He sighed. “You want to talk about what’ve you got so far?”
Tara gnawed on her lip. This was against protocol, but Adam had been a damn good agent with a stellar track record in the field. That track record was one of the factors that allowed Adam to retire early and open his own security consulting firm. He traveled the world now, helping clients learn to stay as safe as possible. He made oodles of money doing it. She could benefit from his experience. And if using him brought Darcy home safely, Tara had no problem bending rules.
She filled Adam in on the case. “We have almost nothing on the ringleader, not even a name. This guy’s greedy, and he doesn’t care who he has to step on. He’s got connections in hellholes all over the world.”
“Makes sense,” Adam agreed. “I’ll tell you what else I’ll bet is true: he’s got a kink no one knows about, maybe it’s BDSM or a serious hard-on for little girls. Whatever it is, he’s figured out how to monetize it. My guess is that we’re looking for an educated white male between the ages of thirty-five and fifty-five. Someone affluent, who travels easily. Maybe someone who speaks multiple languages.”
“I thought as much. We’re definitely dealing with someone who has no conscience and no heart. I need to catch this dirtbag.”
“When do you leave?”
“Agent York and I are scheduled to travel to one of his resorts on Wednesday. It’s on a private island off of Key West. I’ll check in with you if I can. I don’t want you to worry.”
Adam smiled wryly. “You know me too well. Who’s training you, anyone I know?”
“Non-Bureau contractor.”
Not for a million dollars would she tell Adam the truth. He’d only start on a pointless diatribe, ticking off all the reasons he hated Logan. And Tara wasn’t sure what she’d say. After his revelations and the toecurling way he’d made love to her, she wasn’t sure how she felt.
On the way to Club Dominion—Saturday morning
Logan glanced across the cab of his truck at Tara. As close as they’d been last night, as responsive and tuned to him as she’d been, his Cherry was now someplace else mentally. And he didn’t like it one bit. Did she think that he’d be pacified with one night of sex? Was she feeling guilty that she’d spent the night with him hours after breaking up with her fiancé?
“What’s running through that pretty head?”
She smiled wanly, looking tired. “The need for coffee.”
He accepted her deflection for now. Maybe she was just processing and needed space. But she’d kissed him so wholly when he’d awakened her—then seemed like a completely different person once he’d emerged from the shower.
“I’ll fix you up before we start working. Anything else bothering you?”
Tara slanted a glance his way. The shrug she gave him was one of the fakest gestures he’d ever seen. “No.”
“I thought I heard you talking when I was in the shower. On the phone?”
She gave a long-suffering sigh. “Can’t you just leave it alone?”
“Not if it’s bothering you. Did Brad call you? Do I need to have a chat with him?”
“You’re kidding, right?” She scoffed. “I can just imagine how that would go. I doubt there’d be much talking.”
“Not if I had my way.”
“Leave it be. Brad didn’t call. My stepfather did.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t tell him that you were with me,” he said.
“Um . . . no. Not in the mood to start World War Three. He was already unhappy that I’d ended things with Brad.” She stared pensively out the windshield. “Then he begged me to walk away from this case.”
“Probably the only thing we’ve ever agreed on.”