Jonah (Chicago Blaze #7) - Brenda Rothert Page 0,52

lead to something he doesn’t want anyone finding? But what if that something isn’t what I’m expecting? I close my eyes, doubt creeping in as it always does.

What if it’s drugs? Or a sex dungeon full of whips and chains but cleared of people? What if this was all for nothing, and his victims are being hidden somewhere else?

“Ranger to base, we need a medical team, stat. We’ve got at least twenty kids in here, maybe more.”

I let out the breath I was holding, and Logan finally moves, putting his hands on top of his head as we all continue listening.

Tears prick at my eyes as I hear little voices in the background over the radio. A supervising agent in the Chicago office gives the order for Shields to be arrested by the other team standing by. We wait in absolute silence again until the radio message comes across that Shields was arrested at his Chicago office without incident.

And finally, I can breathe again. It’s going to take a lot of time for this case to work its way through the courts, and things will be stickier with the compound being located outside the United States.

But whether or not Shields is convicted, we stopped him. The children he was using for his sick sex trafficking operation will be safe now. I want it all—a conviction, his public humiliation, the rest of his life spent behind bars, but getting the kids to safety is the most important part.

There are sighs of relief and handshakes all around the room as the tension unwinds. Logan looks over at me and Jonah and gives us a thumbs-up and a smile.

My boss, Angela, comes over to shake my hand, smiling wide. “Great work, Agent Diaz.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

She extends a hand to Jonah. “And Mr. West, thank you for all your help on this case. Agent Diaz told me she couldn’t have done it without you.”

Jonah smiles at me and says, “I bet she would’ve found a way. But I’m glad I could help.”

“How about a week off to recoup before your next assignment?” Angela asks me. “I know you usually like to move from one job right to the next, but with this one, I thought you might have some loose ends to tie up.”

She looks down at my hand, still entwined with Jonah’s, and smiles. As she walks away, Jonah leans into me and says, “She looks freakishly like Angela Bassett.”

“I know, right? And her name is Angela, too.”

“Really?”

“Yep. But call her Special Agent Moore if you address her. I only call her Angela when we aren’t working, and even then it feels weird for me.”

Logan comes over to embrace us both. “Job well done, guys.”

“You too,” I tell him. “This was a team effort.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t have to make nice with that son of a bitch,” Jonah mutters.

“Hey, you want to go get lunch?” Logan asks us.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Jonah says, looking at me. “You want to?”

“I wish I could, but I have a lot of paperwork to do here. You guys go ahead.”

I let go of his hand, and my heart tugs with sadness. It’s not just his hand I’m letting go of. It’s everything. Us. The inside jokes and late-night phone calls while he’s on the road. The killer sex and intense looks between us. The way he makes me feel like everything about me is exactly right.

Jonah’s gaze is just as hungry when I’m wearing sweats and a T-shirt as it is when I’m glammed up like the beauty writer I was supposed to be. He always chooses restaurants he thinks I’ll like. And he looks out for me. I’ve always prided myself on not needing anyone to look out for me, but I’ve realized something with Jonah—just because I don’t need it doesn’t mean I don’t want it or deserve it.

“Are we okay to talk freely outside of here?” Jonah asks me.

I nod and say, “When we’re alone we can. But we need to stay completely buttoned up around other people. Because of the trial and all, we won’t be able to tell anyone the whole story for a long time.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I just figured maybe…we should talk later. Want to come by my place?”

“Sure, what time?”

He looks at his watch. “I have to go work out and do some drills to make up for missing practice. Is 6:00 okay?”

“Yes, I’ll see you then.”

It’s become our habit to kiss each other goodbye. But now that our fake