Page 95 of Ash Storm

He knows I’m not going to slug him.

“You want some popcorn?” Ash growled.

“Popcorn would be nice,” Griffin “Or, the two of you could shut up and let us get on with the planning.”

“It’s a perfect distraction,” Reka said. She turned from Ash to look at each of the men in turn, ending with Dash. Dark, Rogue, Griffin and Slate all held her gaze.

“No,” Ash growled. “No fucking way.”

“She’s my best friend, Ash. My best friend in the whole world. I need to be there. And it’s not just about Chloe, either. That place … those people … the way they processed us, like we were animals. They do this on a regular basis. They bragged about the hundreds of women who’d come before us. And most of the women there were not like us. They didn’t have people looking for them. They’re the kind of people who get lost in the system. We need to help them, too.”

Ash’s heart hurt for Reka.

But he couldn’t back down.

It was Dark who finally stepped in, his tone conciliatory. “We will help them, Reka. By bringing Afsan and his network down.”

“I want to be there,” she insisted testily.

“You can come with us,” Dark said. At Ash’s growl, his team leader raised his hand. “You can come with us, but you’ll stay behind until we find Chloe. You’ll do exactly what we tell you to. Is that clear?”

“That’s clear,” Reka said, her eyes shining.

“Give me any reason to doubt your word, and I’ll send you right back, Reka. I swear it.”

“Reynolds will kill us if something happens to her,” quipped Slate.

“If anything happens to her, it won’t be Reynolds killing you,” Ash promised quietly.