Lifeline

“I need to get Armand and Vaso Bregu,” I murmur, trying to figure out how the hell I’m going to do that. Then there’s Zef Rama, whom I’m most worried about. He guards the Bregu brothers, and there’s no getting to them without going through him.

“Briggs, JJ, and I can pretend to be your girls,” Rossi jokes, drawing chuckles from everyone.

“Can you imagine me in stilettos?” Briggs asks, letting out a burst of laughter.

My eyes land on JJ. “JJ can pull it off.”

JJ’s eyes grow wide as fuck, glancing at the team before staring at me. “Me? Go undercover?”

Shit, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s way too fucking soon and dangerous. Never mind the fact that JJ’s beautiful. She wouldn’t stand a chance against the Albanians. The second she’s in their hands, she’s gone.

My muscles tighten, my heartbeat speeding up.

“Never happening.” I shake my head then add, “Our best bet is finding out more about Hoxha and Kurti. They’re new and might give us a way in.”

“Eric, let us know the second you find anything on Hoxha and Kurti,” Chief instructs as he gets up from the chair. “Rossi, check with other teams if they have any information on the Bregus we can use.” Chief’s eyes lock on me. “You taking JJ out on surveillance?”

If she’s with me, she’s safe. And the quicker she gets used to the filth we’re dealing with, the better. “Yes.”

“Briggs, you’re with me. Let’s see if we can get Kelmendi to talk.” Chief leaves with Briggs, and Finch joins Eric while Rossi starts making calls.

When I walk out of the office, I hear JJ right behind me. Wanting to fuck with her a little, I head for the men’s restroom, and as my hand pushes against the door, I glance at her. “You coming with?”

Her eyes snap from me to the door. Seeing the sign, a blush spreads like a wildfire over her face. “Crap. Sorry.” She spins around, looking flustered, and it almost draws a chuckle from me. “Ah… I’ll get some coffee.”

“One sugar. Cream,” I say, taking too much pleasure in her awkwardness.

So fucking cute when she’s rattled.

While relieving myself, the grin fades, quickly replaced by a frown. I’ve thrown myself so deep into my work, relationships of any kind, besides the ones I have with my team, are an absolute no-go.

But fuck, JJ’s presence is disarming, and the protective feeling grows every single time I lay eyes on her. She’s so damn feminine, making me experience emotions I’d forgotten I could feel. It’s unwelcome to the point that I’m annoyed with her just for breathing near me.

Shaking my head, I wash my hands before locking eyes with myself in the mirror.

She’s just another team member. Part of the family. Nothing else.

Squaring my shoulders, I head to the kitchen where I find JJ sipping on a cup of coffee. She gestures to the other cup, which I swipe up before heading out the side door toward the outdoor smoking area for our floor.

Lighting up a cigarette, I take a drag while walking to the edge.

“I didn’t smell smoke on you yesterday,” JJ remarks. “When you were on top of me.”

Jesus.

My eyes snap to her face in time to see her cheeks flush when she realizes how that sounded.

“It’s a habit I picked up while undercover.” I glare at the cigarette. “Trying to quit is a bitch.”

JJ clears her throat, and coming to stand next to me, she glances at nearby buildings and down at the busy street. “What you said in the meeting… about me going undercover –”

“Never happening,” I snap, considering the subject closed.

“Why?” I feel her eyes on my face and slowly turn my gaze to hers.

“Because someone looking like you wouldn’t last a day with the Albanians.”

A frown forms on her forehead, and she lifts her chin, bracing herself for an argument.

I take a drag as I turn to face her and slowly exhale. “You’re young, blonde, and blue-eyed. Perfect for trafficking. They’d pay thousands, if not millions, for a piece of you. There’s no fucking way I’m letting you close to those fuckers. I don’t need that shit on my conscience.”

Her face sets in a stubborn scowl. “I’m not just any woman, O’Brien. I’ve been trai –”

Stepping into her personal space, I know I’m being intimidating, but fuck, I need to kill the idea before it takes root in that pretty little head of hers. “You’re not strong enough to fight off one man, let alone a group. Day one, you’d be gang-raped. Day two, you’d be shot up on blow and so fucking high you wouldn’t be able to differentiate between the faces fucking you.”

My jaw clenches just from associating the words with her, anger creeping into my veins.

“That’s if you’re lucky.” My eyes burn over her face and body that will have the sadistic fucks losing their minds. “You look like a virgin, so they’d sell you to some fucker who’d break you for his pleasure until there’s not a single fucking trace left of the woman you’re now. When he gets you pregnant, it would either be an abortion, or you’d be forced to give birth so the baby can be sold on the black market. This will be your life until he grows tired of you and finally puts a bullet in your head.”