Page 44 of Juan

“What?” Juan said.

“Antonia Ewing reached out to me the other day,” North said.

Juan frowned. “Toni? What’d she want?” At one point, years ago, he and his brothers had all thought the woman worked for the CIA. She’d hung around their teams far more than normal and asked way too many questions. But the day she literally dropped from the sky into one of their ops and single-handedly managed to wipe out a terrorist cell that had slowly been backing them into a corner, all with a grin and her makeup intact, had shattered that belief. Toni was something. A bit crazy, for sure. But she wasn’t CIA.

“She’s been spending time in DC, doing the rounds,” North said.

Juan winced. “If anyone should not be doing the political rounds, it’s Toni. If she gets bored, she’s likely to steal a helicopter and go for a joyride, or parachute into Camp David just to prove it can be done unnoticed.”

North grinned and Scipio’s lips twitched. “She did break into the Oval Office, said hi to the president, then read the riot act to the head of his Secret Service team before waltzing out,” Scipio said.

Juan had zero problems picturing that scene. “I can’t imagine that went over well,” he said, chuckling.

“It did not. Thankfully, the Secret Service was aware there’d be security drills, so didn’t shoot first and ask questions later,” Scipio said.

“There’d be a team of dead Secret Service if they’d done that,” North replied. Both Juan and Scipio nodded.

“Why’d she call you?” he asked.

“She wanted to know if our network needed any help. She’s bored and looking for something to do. Her boss suggested she find something that was useful to society.” North paused, smiled, then added, “Of course, she then had to point out how interesting it was that he didn’t view finding gaps in the president’s security as useful.”

Juan chuckled again. Toni lived her life without a filter. And possibly a bit of a death wish. Although he and his brothers long ago agreed that the Grim Reaper had decided she was too much for him to handle, so he’d leave her to this earthly plane.

“If anyone can infiltrate Anthony’s life, whether in person or electronically, Toni can,” Scipio said.

“And we’d be performing a community service if we give her something to do,” North added.

“Will we tell her why?” he asked. “The murders will get her back up, but I’m a little concerned she’ll go rogue if she finds out what Anthony did to Amber. And Zoe.”

North studied him as he took a sip of his beer. “Do you really care if she does?”

Juan paused. Did he? Toni going rogue could mean all sorts of things, none of which would end well for Anthony. It would be nice to get justice for the murders, but at the end of the day, what did he really care about? Not even a question: Amber and Zoe.

“No,” he said slowly. “I guess I don’t.” He didn’t want Toni to put her life or her career at risk, but Toni was Toni. She’d make whatever damn decisions she wanted to when she wanted to.

Both Scipio and North watched him, as if waiting to see if he’d change his mind. He appreciated the caution because once they unleashed Toni, she couldn’t be reined in. But the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. As crazy as the woman was, he trusted her. Her moral compass was fixed firmly on true north.

“Call her,” he said.

North pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. A few seconds later, a ring echoed in the cavernous space.

“North,” a familiar voice answered. Both husky and a little raspy, Toni always sounded as if she was ready to step on stage and croon out a Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald tune. Or Adele.

“Please tell me you have a woman and six children that need to be extracted from a cult?” she continued. “Not that I want a woman and six children to be trapped in that kind of fucked-up situation, but since shit happens and women get trapped all the time, the least I can do is help get them out.”

“Hey, Toni,” Juan said.

Silence. “Juan? Is that you, you sexy beast? I’m still holding a grudge about that night in Kabul.”

He laughed. “Bullshit. That was not a legit offer. You just enjoyed seeing me squirm.”

A husky chuckle filled the line. “That was fun. You didn’t know how to escape me.”

“Ha, I did so, but I didn’t want to embarrass you in public. I like living too much.”

She laughed outright, her unrestrained guffaw pulling smiles from all of them. “Good choice, soldier. Now please tell me you have something interesting for me?”

North and Scipio looked to him. He took a deep breath. “Funny you should ask. Your timing couldn’t be better. We have a little project for you.”