Page 85 of Kyle

“Fuck,” Zane clipped.

“We got this. We’re talking to the woman in a controlled environment. If it turns out she’s one of the bad guys, Anaya and I leave, and Jeremy will have what he needs.”

“I’m gonna come with you.”

“No, you’re not. Your wife just had a baby and she needs you. As you said, you have a team deployed and need to be ready to take their backs if something should happen. Besides, Garrett is unravelling the Omni network and you’re needed here. Myles will drive us up. Look around, if he feels something’s off, he puts us back in the car and we’re gone. We have a plan and it’s a good one.”

“If—”

“Zane, honest to God, stop. If we were two of your men, this wouldn’t be a conversation,” Emerson pressed.

“But you’re not two of my men. You’re two women who mean something to my men. If shit goes sideways, it’s on me.”

“What do you need from us to make you feel better?” I asked.

“Promise me you’ll follow orders. Don’t question Myles, don’t argue with Jeremy if he tells you something, and you listen to me if I tell you to bug out. Without hesitation or question you follow directions to the T.”

“Promise,” we both said in unison.

“Goddamn.” Zane shook his head. “You two be safe. Myles, they’re all yours. Check in.”

“Copy that, boss.”

Zane made his way to the front door, then he turned back and stared at Myles.

“Don’t get any fuckin’ ideas. And if your team does, castrate them immediately. No more goddamn women.”

“No worries from us, LT. Living free and wild, just the way we all like.”

“Famous last fucking words,” Zane grumbled and slammed the door behind him.

I glanced over at Emerson and I returned her smile. “That was easier than I thought.”

“You just have to know how to handle him,” she returned.

“Handle Zane Lewis.” Myles barked out a laugh. “Never thought I’d hear someone utter those words.”

* * *

“Why are we driving again?” I complained from the back seat.

We’d just passed Newark, New Jersey. It should’ve taken just over three hours from Annapolis but Myles was avoiding toll roads which had tacked another thirty minutes onto the drive so far.

“You’re worse than a five-year-old.” Myles laughed.

“Something’s not sitting right with me,” Emerson said. “You read the file on Monica, right?”

Emerson glanced over her shoulder waiting for my response.

“Yeah. But nothing stuck out.”

“Monica went missing from Ontario when she was thirteen. Her parents didn’t alert the police right away.”

“Maybe they thought she ran away? How was her homelife?” Myles asked before I could.

“Everything looks copasetic on paper. But we all know that can be bullshit. Here’s the weird part, the missing person’s report was closed.”

“Do you have information on why?” Myles further inquired.