His jaw clenched, the muscle in his temple jumping as he hissed out a breath. “He wants her back.”
“Yes, but it’s not quite that simple. Riven’s the connection between Langley and the Herrera cartel. Not just the intel she smuggled back, but everything she witnessed, heard — hell, lived, while undercover. And it’s started a wildfire that’s quickly burning through parts of the DoJ. They need to debrief her, follow the digital trail she established — see if there are any other moles in their operation.”
“So, that’s it? She goes back to Virginia without anyone watching her six? Because we both know there’re definitely more moles.”
Savvy huffed. “Did I say I was allowing them to collect her without backup? Hale’s gonna be her wingman for the next few weeks while the DEA brings her back from the dead.”
His gaze stayed locked on her, as if he thought she’d bolt if he wasn’t actively watching her. “And once that’s done?”
The question hung in the air, the weight of it making it hard for Riven to breathe. To do anything other than stare at him.
He tilted his head, looked as if he was reading her through her silence as he directed the question at her. “I imagine they’d give you options?”
“They should, except…”
He waited, then grunted when she didn’t answer. “Except what?”
Riven squeezed his hand. “Like I said. We crippled Herrera’s operation, but…”
McGuire mumbled under his breath. “But we didn’t stophim. He’s still on the board.”
“They’ll try to bring him in, but it’s complicated. And considering it’s likely we didn’t round up every member of his cartel who’s loyal to him…”
“You’ll always have a bullseye on your back if you take a job at the New Orlean’s office. Hell, anywhere south.”
She moved closer. “That’s how my boss is spinning it. That I should be going somewhere new. Like Thailand or Belgium, which I told him was insane. I suspect there’ll be a lot of discussions over it.”
He didn’t react, his features locking in as if she’d placed him in front of a firing squad. “When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow.” She held up her hand. “But like Savvy said. It’s only for a couple weeks. Just long enough to do all the legal stuff. I’ve already told him I need time. That I’m not even sure if I want to go back. Go undercover, again, after…”
Savvy cleared her throat. “I promise, I’ll pull whatever levers I can. But it’ll take some time.”
McGuire sat there, brooding before grabbing the blankets and heaving them aside. “Fine, then I’ll go. Be your backup.”
Riven lunged forward, stopped him from swinging his feet off the edge. “Are you insane? You’re hurt. Besides, you’re still dead, remember? You can’t go to Virginia.”
“Langley’s dead. Don’t much care, anymore.”
Riven groaned. “Savvy? A bit of help?”
Savvy snorted. “McGuire’s as stubborn as a damn mule and twice as ornery. There’s no reasoning with him. But on the off chance you might listen, big brother, Riven’s right. I’m still going through all the shit my task force uncovered. We’ve got a paper trail back to Herrera that’s a mile wide. I’m fairly confident, once I go through it, I’ll be able to prove your team was set up. Clear your names. After that…”
McGuire tried to vault out of the bed again, until Riven stepped in front. “While that sounds encouraging, it’s not helping this current situation. Not that I doubt Hale’s skill set, but I doubt he’s as motivated as I am to keep her breathing.”
“See? Stubborn. I’ll let you and Riven hammer it out, but until I know the full extent of what we’ve uncovered, your ass stays in the bayou.”
She ended the call, the sudden silence weighing heavy in the air.
Patch stood, looked between them. “And that’s my cue to do a perimeter check. Give you two some privacy, just… Don’t make me walk in on anything.”
Riven rolled her eyes. “He’s ten shades of blue. Give me a bit of credit.”
Patch chuckled. “With the way you two eye-fuck each other, anything’s possible.”
McGuire flipped off his buddy, looking over at her once Patch had left. “He’s an ass.”
She smiled, moved in close. “But he’s not wrong.” She rested her forehead on his. “You know that I’m not leaving because I want to, right? That I plan on coming back?” She eased away enough she could look him in the eyes. “If that’s what you want, too?”
