“We opened a private security company. It started with an airport consulting contract that grew into more.”

She didn’t point out that he wasn’t exactly working on an airport job. She pointed out what was important to her, what her instincts had told her from the beginning with Blake. “You’re not a criminal.”

“Not yet.”

“What does that mean?”

He didn’t look at her. “I’m going to kill Alvarez and I don’t care what the consequences are.”

His bitterness poured over her and into her, adding to the same tainted emotions she already felt, enhancing them. Kara didn’t ask him why he wanted to kill Alvarez. She knew now that Alvarez had burned some deep ache into his soul. She saw the pain bleed from his eyes every time she looked at him. Alvarez had taken her sister, too. And other people’s sisters and daughters. Even after her parents had been killed by a man like Alvarez, she’d lived to please her father, to support the law, the system. Not anymore. Men like Alvarez always got by the system.

“Good,” she whispered, letting her head fall back against the window. She didn’t say more. He didn’t say more. Silence carried them to the other side of the Bay Bridge.

Chapter Four

Blake parked his truck several rows back from the black sedan sitting in the exact spot Kyle had told him it would be in. “That’s them?” Kara asked.

Blake checked the plate against the license Kyle had managed to text him and nodded. “That’s them.” He keyed in Kyle’s cell.

Kyle answered on the first ring. “You’re here?”

“With eyes on our target,” Blake confirmed. “Get the girls out of here while we distract the jerk offs.”

“Will do,” Kyle agreed. “Luke set up rooms at the Oakland Marriott, so we’re headed there. He and Royce already have a team headed to the airport. They’ll be here in a few hours.”

The muscles in Blake’s shoulders bunched just thinking about Luke and Royce showing up. “Then what are you talking to me for? Get the hell over there.”

“Right. Reading beneath your ass**leness, I’m stressed about them showing up too. You better stay alive tonight. Your brothers want to kill you themselves.” He hung up.

Blake ground his teeth and settled his phone back onto his belt.

“We need a plan,” Kara said instantly. “If they saw us helping the girls—”

“We have to assume they did. And we have a plan. You stay here and I go confront them.”

“I’m not staying here.” Stubborn determination laced the words.

Blake turned to her. “You’re supposed to be a secretary, Kara. The idea is that we convince them that’s exactly what you are.”

“You aren’t going out there alone. We don’t know how many of them there are.”

“You’re staying.”

“I’ll just follow you, Blake. This is what I do. I’m an agent. I’m—”

“Sweet Jesus, woman, I swear I want to beat your ass way too often. Fine, you can back me up. Keep your hand on your gun and fire the damn thing if you have to.” She was already getting out of the truck and Blake cursed. He couldn’t function at one hundred percent when he was afraid he’d get more than himself killed. When he was afraid he’d get her killed.

Blake exited the truck, meeting Kara at the hood, scanning the deserted parking lot at the same time. “You take the passenger side of their car,” he ordered Kara, his hand sliding under his leather jacket to feel the cold steel comfort of his weapon.

“Copy that,” Kara said, and Blake noted that her purse was strapped cross-body to free her hands, one of which was inside it, no doubt, closed over her weapon as well. She knew what she was doing. He wanted that to be comforting. Instead, it told him that getting her out of this wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d wanted it to be.

Blake started walking briskly and he assumed with Kara’s skills, she’d automatically keep pace. She did, cutting over on the opposite side of the cars from him so that she was aligned with her target. Once the sedan was in view, Blake and Kara exchanged a look, pulled their weapons, and charged forward, both aiming at the front window and slowly moving to the side windows.

“Roll it down or I’ll shoot it out,” Blake shouted.

The window came down and Eduardo, the manager of the restaurant they had just been to, was revealed. “What’s this about?” he demanded.

Blake quickly assessed the car to find only one other man he didn’t recognize inside. “Other window down,” he ordered, not about to let Kara stand outside, unable to see what the guy was doing.

The man didn't move. Blake held the gun between Eduardo’s eyes and Eduardo grunted and said, “Roll it down, Juan.”

Blake kept the gun on Eduardo’s head, aware of Kara shoving her weapon into Juan’s face. “And here I thought you only knew how to grill burgers,” Blake observed. “Seems your job duties are much more vast.”

“Ignacio is going to kill you for interfering. You and the bitch over here who ran off with two of our women.”

“One of them was wired from the feds,” Kara hissed. “I saved your piece of shit ass by getting them away from you.”

Blake was impressed with her big fat white lie and ran with it. “In other words, she saved you from bringing the heat on the rest of the operation over some sideline profit gig you’re running on Mendez’s clock.”