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“I need you at BTS. Now.” Oh. That wasn’t worry she heard. That was Flint’s command center voice, the one he put on when the situation was about to go crazy and someone needed to keep things together.
“I’ll be there. Thirty minutes,” she promised.
Cole hung up the call.
She stood quickly, straightening her skirt. “I better go,” she said.
He rolled his eyes. “Let’s go. I’ll text Jared on the way down.”
“You don’t have to drive me,” she insisted.
“Of course I do. Don’t forget, we’re still at high alert, Joey. Just because we got to come to work today doesn’t mean things are normal.” He punched the button to call the elevator. “We’ve still got a dead body and a sabotaged drug trial.”
How could she forget?
Oh yeah, probably the kiss.
When they reached the first floor, Joey saw Tank sitting in the lobby. He slowly rose from a tiny modern chair that looked like it was about to surrender under the assault of his body mass.
“Where have you been, Joey?” Tank’s question was barked as much as it was asked, which wasn’t unusual. But there was extra agitation there this time. “Raven and Ross have been trying to get a hold of you for an hour.”
She looked around helplessly. “No phones upstairs. You know that. Why are you here anyway?”
“You’re not supposed to be alone, remember?” Tank’s gaze slid to Kensington. “Although, apparently, you’ve got that taken care of. You’ll have to take your date another night. I’ve got orders to bring her to Black Tower.”
“I’m taking her to Black Tower now, Mr. Olson. Would you like to ride with us?”
Joey’s mouth fell open, and she turned to Cole. In the five years she’d known Tank, she’d never heard him called anything but the moniker. Sometimes, she forgot he had a real name. Anthony Olson. She was honestly impressed that Cole knew it. And remembered it.
Tank grunted in response. The testosterone-fueled territorial vibes were starting to give her a headache. Tank turned to Joey, looking for her to make the call. She smiled softly and reached for Cole’s hand. “It’s okay. He’s a good guy.”
Tank looked apprehensive, then shrugged. “If you say so.”
Joey squeezed Cole’s hand. “You don’t have to come. I’ll be safe with him.”
Cole smiled. “I don’t doubt that. But I’d like to come. I’d like to know what is so urgent too.”
After another short power struggle, Joey rode to BTS in Cole’s town car, with Tank leading the way in the imposing black SUV. It was rumored to be armored as well as the presidential motorcade, but that was something Miranda handled as their logistics expert. Knowing her connections, she’d probably purchased it directly from the secret service the last time they upgraded their own fleet.
“Any idea what this is about?” Cole’s question echoed her own as they made their way around DC to Alexandria.
Joey had been flipping through her phone, catching up on the notifications from the outside world. It was so strange to be without the device while she was inside Zia.
“None.” Her messages revealed Flint’s attempts to get ahold of her. She even had missed calls from Ross McClain, who she rarely interacted with. Flint might be the operational leader of BTS, but Ross McClain was the one steering the ship, using his numerous government contacts to win business and his wife’s women’s defense outreach to find pro-bono work.
Why would Ross be calling her? Whatever this meeting was about, it had to be big.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Cole sawthe surprise on Flint’s face when they all walked into the conference room.
“Cole, I didn’t realize you came too. This is really confidential BTS business,” he explained apologetically.
He understood, truly, but it didn’t stop him from pushing back. He and Flint were close enough friends that he was willing to risk the confrontation.
“If this concerns Joey, then it concerns me.”
Flint shook his head. “She works for me, Cole. Don’t forget that.”
