The Payback (Team Zulu 2)

A slow smile spread across his lips. “We did.”

I shook my head. “I can hardly believe it.” This moment felt surreal. Of course, the trials would take time, but the evidence was irrefutable, so the cases would be open and shut. There’d be no weaseling out of charges because of corrupt law enforcement, no lab screwups, no questionable decisions from judges. The eyes of the entire country were on this. Philly’s dirty laundry was out there for everyone to see, and any mismanagement by the Justice Department would be scrutinized. Although, with Agent Williams coordinating the investigation, we didn’t need to worry about that.

We’d achieved something monumental, but there was still so much work ahead. Redistributing Dante’s wealth to his victims and tracking down those involved in the human trafficking ring could keep us busy for years.

“What now?” I asked. “Vaughn will be here soon, right? How quickly can we move on the traffickers?” My body was telling me I needed to sleep for a week, but each day sitting on our hands meant a day those women had to endure living as slaves.

“We’ll move as fast as we can. I’ve contacted a few guys from my old team. I’ll gather intel on each of the targets, then we’ll take them down one by one and hopefully bring the women home to their families. That’s oversimplifying what’s involved. There’ll be a lot of planning and coordination. That’s why I’ve brought Vaughn in. He’s a skilled pilot, but he’s also a master military strategist. He’ll know the best way to get the women out safely and bring down the assholes responsible.”

“I want to help.”

He nodded once. “I appreciate it, and I want you on board, but you should finish your degree first. Vaughn and I can handle the early phase.”

I snorted. “After what we’ve been through and everything that lies ahead, my degree seems a little inconsequential.”

“Sage, an achievement like that could never be inconsequential. I’ll support whatever decision you make, but you’ve worked hard to get where you are, and I think you should see it through. You’ve only got six months left. If you still want to work with me when you’re finished, I’ll be waiting.”

He was right. If I blew off finishing my criminology degree when I was so close, I knew I’d regret it in the years to come. As much as I wanted to go with them and help recover the women, I wasn’t a soldier. Despite my skills and desire to help, I lacked the military training Brandon and his former teammates had. I’d be a liability to them. It was better for me to let the professionals handle it.

I looped my arm through his and leaned my head against his shoulder. “I’m going to miss you.”

Brandon laughed. “Are you going somewhere?”

“What? No. It’s just…to rescue the women, you’ll be overseas a lot. And I guess I’ve gotten used to having you around.” It was selfish to want him all to myself when he had a far more important job to do. But this thing between us was so new and precious. The thought of Brandon leaving for months on end before we’d had a chance to explore it further made my heart ache. I guessed I still needed to work on my abandonment issues.

The moment that steel door had slammed down, trapping Brandon and separating us, my worst fears had resurfaced. All my training, everything I’d learned—I couldn’t use any of it to help him. The enemy’d had the upper hand and Brandon at their mercy. Feeling helpless in that situation, much the same as I had three years ago, had almost crushed me. So, being with him here, safe but with the knowledge I’d soon have to let him leave to be a hero, was bittersweet.

“You really like me, don’t you?”

I rolled my eyes. “I think we’ve established that.”

“No. I mean, you really, really like me.” He twisted, bringing us face-to-face. “Maybe more than that. I think you might even be in l—”

I covered his mouth with my palm, even as my face caught fire. “If you keep talking, I’ll kick you out of bed so fast you’ll get whiplash.” The crazy thing was, I was falling for him. Who was I fooling? I’d already stumbled right over that cliff. And I was…I was okay with that. Being in over my head with Brandon didn’t seem so scary anymore. There would still be moments when I’d worry about something bad happening to him, but I wouldn’t let it ruin what we were building.

Brandon peeled my hand from his lips. “Sweetness, I’m not going anywhere.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t think I could put your ass on the floor?”

“Maybe.” There was a devious glint in his eyes as he let them roam down my body and rubbed the dark stubble on his jaw. “It’d definitely be fun trying, but that’s not what I was referring to. I mean I’m not leaving Philly.”

“What? How?”

“Vaughn will lead the on-site missions. I’ll run intel from the apartment, where I have my tech gear and reliable internet. I can support the team better from here.”

“So you’re staying?” My heart beat in double time.

“I am.”

Both relief and excitement surged within me.

There was no point in trying to hide the enormous smile that lit my face. I launched myself at Brandon, throwing my arms around his neck while straddling him.

“Whoa.” He caught me and wrapped me in his warm embrace. “Breathing is important, but I’m willing to sacrifice it for this,” he said in a strained voice. I loosened my hold, but only a little. “So, you’re happy?” he asked.

“I am.” I nuzzled the spot below his ear and breathed him in. “So happy.” I pulled back and rested my forehead against his.

“Just remember that the next time I piss you off and you want to throttle me.”