Page 69 of Nixon’s Promise

“Nixon, you all right with your woman being involved in this op?” Alec asked, and I lost Nixon’s stare because his eyes snapped to his friend. And his smile had vanished, too.

“What do you mean involved?” he clipped.

“Intel only. We need eyes and she did in seconds what the DHS analyst couldn’t do in days.”

“No fucking way,” Nixon growled, and my heart sank.

26

Nixon watched as McKenna jerked back at the vehemence of his denial. There was no question McKenna was brilliant, but he would not allow her to be put in harm’s way.

“Think about it, Nix—”

“Not a chance my woman is putting herself out there,” Nix cut off Alec.

“She wouldn’t be out there. No one but us six would know.” Alec continued to plead his case.

“Bullshit, the DHS would know, which means her ass would be swinging if it ever leaked. She has two siblings she’s raising. No Goddamn way either of them will be pulled in to this.”

McKenna’s eyes widened and Nixon hoped she understood it had nothing to do with him not thinking she could do the job and everything to do with her safety.

“Do you think I’d put your woman in danger?” Alec bit out in obvious annoyance. “The only person at the DHS you need to trust is me. If I tell you she won’t be on record, she won’t be. She’ll be buried in your contract.”

“It has nothing to do with me not trusting you. I know how this shit works,” he rallied.

“Hate to say it, Nix. But Alec has a point, we could use her. If we only have a few weeks to…” Holden trailed off, realizing at the last second he couldn’t say more than he had.

Nixon hated that his friend was right. They had less than two weeks, if Alec was right about the marathon being the target timeframe, to stop whatever the group was planning. They were certainly on a time crunch, but that still didn’t mean he was willing to put McKenna in harm’s way.

“Is it that dangerous?”

Five men answered with a resounding, “Yes.”

Alec sugarcoated it and said, “It could be.”

There was no could about it. They were hunting an organization that, for reasons still unknown, wanted to kill American citizens. The group wouldn’t be happy if Nixon and his team shut down whatever they were planning. McKenna would be safer than the men executing the operation, but the potential for exposure was still there.

“Would you keep me safe?” she asked.

Nixon’s gaze snapped to hers and she was bearing down, steely determination firmly in place.

“I mean, if I were to help analyze the information. I’d just be working in the background. No one would know. But if someone were to find out, you’d protect me.”

Nixon’s body went solid. It wasn’t a question. McKenna simply trusted him to keep her safe. He could feel his pulse quicken as the knowledge settled in his chest. Her confidence in him was overwhelming, heating his skin and filling him with satisfaction.

“Damn right, I would,” he confirmed.

“Then if it will help, I’ll do it. I have the time.”

“No—”

“Nixon, be reasonable. If you didn’t know me, this wouldn’t be a question. So unless you simply don’t want me in your business—which I get—you know I can offer value to the investigation.”

“I do know you. That’s not something I can forget. I don’t want you in danger.”

“Then keep me safe.”

She shrugged like it was that simple, when it was anything but.