Brazen (B-Squad 1)

His brothers avoid

ed his gaze, but their questions would come. They always did. When Freddie died, it had devastated him and his brothers, all of whom were rotating out of secret military units by then. They’d found themselves again at the Devil’s Dip Gym looking for an outlet for their unique skills. Bianca had provided that to them by welcoming them into B-Squad Security and Investigations. She’d given him so much more.

And he’d fucked it up royally—with help, of course. He glanced over at Tamara sitting next to him as if that was her rightful place.

“If everyone’s done staring at Taz’s secret wife, I say we get moving,” Lexie said from her spot at the front of the room.

Without waiting for an answer, she launched into the plan they’d been working on for the past few days. He and Bianca had jumped through a thousand hoops and a background check about as invasive as a colonoscopy performed by aliens. Only Keir and Lexie’s fast work had made getting through that a possibility. Everything relied on their cover as Trey and Bethany Alderson giving them enough leeway to perform a full search of the resort and an up-close-and-personal investigation of the Indulge Resort’s guests.

“So once Mr. and Mrs. Adlerson arrive, they will join in on the inclusive aspects of the resort,” Lexie said as photos of the Indulgence Resort flashed behind her. “As you know, the resort is welcoming lifestylers this month so you might be invited to participate in the sexual games. However, your status as honeymooners will make it easier for you to decline without arousing suspicion…” She paused and smirked in Bianca’s direction. “If you choose to.”

His muscles clenched and he fisted his hands. The idea of someone else touching Bianca’s soft skin, tasting her sweet center or hearing her moan out their name ate a hole six miles wide in his belly. That was not going to happen. He’d find a way to get her back. He would.

“The rest of the team will be on the Sutherland Industries corporate yacht,” Lexie said. “Thanks again, Bianca, for biting the bullet on that one and finding a way to get your dysfunctional family to loan it out to us.”

Oh yeah, nothing like Bianca having to deal with the turmoil of his nonexistent divorce right on the heels of a Sutherland family interaction. Her asshole parents, William and Becca, had put her through the ringer, throwing her into St. B’s as an eleven-year-old when she began acting out after her brother committed suicide. They hadn’t gotten any more loving after the cops closed St. B’s. Saying Bianca’s interactions with her parents were limited was putting it mildly—and he’d be in for the same if he couldn’t find a way to show her he deserved a second chance.

“Okay,” Lexie continued. “So here’s how we’ll run the search while we’re on site.”

Lexie launched into the nitty-gritty and Taz mentally checked out. The parts of the plan he hadn’t developed, he’d memorized already. This was for the rest of the team, to make sure everyone understood exactly how it was all going to go down if they found Gidget—and that was a big if.

He wasn’t doing this to find someone he’d never met. He was doing it for Bianca.

“That about wraps it up,” Lexie said, planting her hands on her hips as she surveyed the room—narrowing her eyes when her gaze passed over him. “If there aren’t any questions—”

“Hold up,” Marko said as he held up his cell. “Just got this from my contact at the resort.”

He plugged a cord attached to the projector to his phone. A photo of a group of people standing on a beach appeared in place of the map taking up the entire wall. Everyone was smiling, tan and in swimsuits.

Vivi leaned forward in her seat, her gaze intense. “What are we looking at?”

“It’s from the Indulgence,” Marko said. “My contact is doing a little early recon.”

Taz searched the screen, examining every face for someone on a law enforcement most-wanted list or who appeared in one of the cabinet full of drug-dealing bad guy dossiers Lexie and Keir had put together over the past few months. No matter how hard he looked, however, it seemed like a gathering of trust-fund babies, rich hipsters and trophy wives.

Fuck. How many dead ends were there going to be in this case?

“Oh my God,” Bianca whispered in a quiet, broken voice that made his lungs seize.

He was on his feet and beside her before he knew it, one hand on her shoulder.

Her face had turned white, but she still brushed his hand away and stood up, taking several steps closer to the projected image. “Is it him?”

“Who?” Elisa asked, getting up from her own chair.

“Off to the left away from the group.” Bianca pointed with a wavering hand. “He’s in the hat.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Lexie said as she plopped down in a chair as if her legs suddenly stopped working.

Taz peered at the man in the white fedora and the pastel Hawaiian shirt. The picture was super high-resolution, catching every detail but he didn’t look like anyone he’d ever seen before or anyone who should be able to cause that reaction from Bianca. “Who is he?”

“Sterling Walsh,” Vivi said, all the sass and snark drained away from her voice.

He glanced at his brothers. They had the same blank expressions on their faces as he did.

“Who in the hell is Sterling Walsh?” Duke asked, pulling on his short ginger beard.

“He was the headmaster from St. B’s.” Lexie grabbed her laptop and began typing lightning fast.