Page 3 of Jonas

Now that name fit her.

“Private or government?” Zane asked Nebraska.

“Highest bidder.”

Derrika’s mouth curved up. Her hands came up off the table before she made a ‘what can I say’ gesture.

Then she followed that through by saying just that. “Can’t blame a girl for needing to eat.”

“A girl might have to eat, but her appetite…now that says something about her.”

Derrika’s gaze snapped to mine. I felt a strange twinge in my gut. I hadn’t meant for that to sound as suggestive as it sounded. But since she was smiling at me with humor dancing in her eyes, I couldn’t say I regretted it.

“Are we talking chicken or steak here?” she quipped.

“No,” Zane cut in. “He’s asking if you eat your young.”

“Actually,” Cash drawled. “I think what he’s really asking is if she eats her mate like that spider.”

“I swear to Christ, if this shit is going to cost me money, I’m retiring,” Zane said. “Just cut the bullshit and tell me what you want and what you’ll give me in return.”

“I need Kira Cain on the inside. Two of your men to work security at the center, and the rest on standby for backup.”

“Oh, shit, that’s all. Why didn’t you just lead with that?”

“What you’ll get in return is all access to Delcon and the intel you want.”

“How is it you’ll get Kira in?”

Derrika smiled, this time like the cat who got her cream and she was enjoying the fuck out of it.

“I’ve worked at Delcon in HR for six months. I was placed there by the board of directors. I have authorization to bring you in and get Kira inside.”

Well, fuck.

“You mentioned information for protection. Who needs protection?”

“Me.”

Zane glanced at Layla, then to Nebraska. Obviously, they gave him something because when he looked back at Derrika, he nodded.

“You can have Jonas and Cash for security. It might take a few weeks to build a legend for Kira.”

For the first time since we’d started this charade of a meeting, Derrika relaxed.

“Thank you.”

“Can I take it to mean since Treasury offered you their conference room, they’re paying?”

“Yes.”

Zane looked around the ostentatious room that exuded over-the-top waste and smiled.

“How soon can your men be in Virginia?”

“Tomorrow,” I answered for Layla.

“In a hurry?” Cash mumbled from beside me.