Strategic Maneuvers - Jemma Westbrook Page 0,59
had. “I want to bring Shadow in.”
Cade’s head snapped up. “Fuck Shadow. There’s no room for them to play fucking sides in this.”
“They’re not playing sides.” He thought the same thing Cade did initially. Believed Zeke and the rest of Shadow’s allegiance leaned to Vincent and the protections he could offer them.
“You willing to bet her life on it?” Cade’s expression was hard. “Because that’s what you’re fucking doing if you bring Shadow into this.”
“We have to do something.” He should have done it before now, but the risk of exposing Amelia’s location was too great.
Now he had no choice.
His options for keeping Amelia safe without taking all the innocence he tried to provide her were shrinking with each passing second. “I will come up with something.”
“You better do it quick, because if he finds her then there’s going to be a lot of death to deal with.” Henry was serious as he stared through the screen.
Each man would willingly give his life for Amelia. There was no doubt in Pierce’s mind.
“I’ll be in touch.” Pierce shut down the secured line and sat staring at the blank screen.
He’d created this mess. Every bit of it was done with the best of intentions.
But he’d been willfully blind. Purposely shut out the possibility that this could all come back to the one thing he always knew might happen.
But he’d been certain he’d done everything to keep her location from being tied to him in any way.
All in the mistaken belief he was powerful enough to protect her.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it free and swiped across the screen, connecting the call from Dutch.
“Courtney just landed.”
Pierce rubbed his eyes. “Who the fuck is Courtney?”
“She’s Vasquez’s daughter that you authorized to bring here. That ringing a bell?”
One more fucking thing. “Fine. Find her a place to stay and lock her down.”
“You want me to lock her in a room?” Dutch didn’t even try to hide his unhappiness with the plan. “I think you know how that’s going to play out.”
Pierce leaned forward, resting his head on one hand, squeezing his temples as he tried to work up the gumption to care about this girl.
He was unsuccessful. “Then you decide what we do with her.”
Dutch was silent for a minute. “Something bothering you?”
Of course something was bothering him. Everything was falling apart. The framework he’d so carefully built was collapsing around him, putting everything he cared about at risk. “Just do something with Courtney.” He disconnected the call and tossed his phone to the sofa beside him.
He’d called in every favor he had building this place. Taken advantage of every connection his family hadn’t managed to take from him.
Borrowed begged and stolen to keep Amelia safe.
Now it could all be for nothing.
And Amelia’s life wasn’t the only one on the line.
Pierce stood, grabbing his phone from the sofa. He had only one choice. One way to end this without risking someone he cared about.
He pulled open the door of the theater room and nearly fell back.
Mona stared at him, her arms crossed tight to her chest.
“What’s wrong?” He reached for her, disguising the touch as something she might need, instead of what it was.
A desperate man trying to meet his own needs.
“You come here every morning at the same time.”
“I can’t recall.” Pierce ran his hands down her arms, focusing on the soft pile of her sweater. “It’s possible.”
“It’s not just possible. It’s a fact.” Mona lifted a brow as she looked up at him. “I checked the security footage.”
“I will take your word for it then.” He smoothed back up her arms, stopping to let his hands rest under each side of her jaw. “Why does that upset you?”
“No one knows about her, do they?”
He traced along her skin with the pad of one thumb. “There are people who know about her.”
“Shawn?”
Her tone was almost accusatory, but what she might be accusing him of was unclear. “No.”
“Zeke?”
“No.” Pierce stepped in closer, seeking the scent of her to calm the upset tearing through him.
“Who besides me then?”
Pierce rested his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. “Men you don’t know.”
“So there’s an entire team here no one knows exists.”
“They are not technically a part of Alaskan Security.” Pierce opened his eyes. “They are not connected to me in any way.”
Her brows came together. “You now that’s not true, Pierce. Not anymore. Anything can be connected if someone knows where to look.”
“Vincent hasn’t made the connection.”
“That’s what you’re going off of? If GHOST hasn’t