“Is that your way of telling me I should just let you have this one?”
“How about we settle for a tie?”
“Kiss me again, and you’ve got a deal.”
He grinned, brushed his thumb along her jaw, then captured her mouth, leaving her feeling as if the room was spinning, only not from blood loss.
A throat cleared behind them, Dalton tsking as he sauntered in, a tray of coffee cups in his hands. “Jesus, we can’t leave you two alone for a moment.”
He stopped on the other side of the bed, waited until Nick had raised the back, stuffed some pillows behind her, before handing them both a cup, watching her take a cautious sip as if he expected her to drop the cup in her lap or maybe just randomly pass out.
She hummed her approval. “God, I needed the hit. Thanks.”
“Just don’t hit anything else until you two are alone.”
Sloane rolled her eyes as Bodie, Avery, and Buck walked in. Avery headed over, glared at Nick as she crossed in front of him, hugged Sloane, then circled the bed, smiling at Dalton when he handed her some coffee.
Nick reclaimed her hand, took what looked like a fortifying breath, then turned to his teammates. “While I appreciate the coffee, something tells me this isn’t just a check-in visit.”
Bodie laughed. “Glad we can always count on you to cut through the bullshit, Nick. And yeah, we thought we’d bring you both up-to-speed before you spirit Sloane away.”
“Can’t keep her safe if I can’t guarantee the venue.”
“Spoken like a true spy.” Bodie gestured toward Avery. “The floor’s yours.”
Avery took a sip, looking like she needed an IV of the stuff hooked up to her arm. “I know you’re both anxious for an update on Hill’s situation. As of this morning, the U.S. Attorney for DC has filed a multi-count federal indictment against him for conspiracy to commit murder, embezzlement of Agency funds, and treason to name the top contenders. He’s being held in an undisclosed military brig until his arraignment. And the bastard’s been denied bail.”
Nick grunted. “Still better than he deserves, but it’s a start. And the merger?”
“It cratered five minutes after my colleagues walked into the board meeting with a sample of Kessler’s ledgers. The company’s in a death spiral to put it mildly.”
Sloane straightened. “What about Kessler? I assume Tierney didn’t end up killing him for breathing her air.”
Avery laughed. “Thankfully, unlike you two, she has restraint. Kessler’s been funneled into a high security pipeline until the trial. But he’ll definitely be given the option to join WITSEC. And based on how pale he was when I handed him off, he’ll accept.”
“Are we sure he’s going to talk? Because he didn’t seem that motivated back in Prague.”
“I guess nearly getting killed by a shadow team, then having to shack up with a bunch of former operatives changed his mind. The guy’s singing, and the DOJ’s recording every note.”
Bodie cleared his throat. “Now, before you start asking for a laptop so you can bust through a bunch of firewalls and cruiseall those dark web ledger sites, we’ve confirmed that directive seven was officially purged once Hill’s funds were frozen. The post was removed a few days ago. And the CIA had their cyber unit rescind the burn orders. They’re citing an intelligence error, which we know is just a coverup for one of their own going rogue.”
Sloane sighed. “Sounds like it’s all wrapped up.”
Bodie glanced at Nick, then back to her. “Just one loose end.”
Sloane swallowed, coughed. “Me.”
Nick huffed. “You’re not a loose end, sweetheart. You’re proof that they screwed up. And you know how the Agency is.”
She nodded. “They don’t like their mistakes staring back at them from across a briefing room.”
“Which is why I’m not in the same position. You can go back. I personally talked to Director Swanson, and he agrees that they’d be foolish to lose someone with your skill set. So, if that’s where your heart still lies, all I need to do is make one phone call.”
“You’d do that? After everything?”
Nick snorted. “Do I want you to leave? Fuck, no. We’ve both been living on borrowed time as far as the CIA is concerned. Pushing the boundaries a bit too far with every mission. But if you need the Agency to be happy…”
“I need you, jackass. And more coffee, but mostly you.”
