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The rest of Artemis paid their tab and left the coffee shop as Ari returned to the alcove. “Can I get you to-go cups of coffee?”
“No, ma’am.” Seth handed her money to cover their bill and a good tip. “We appreciate the offer, though.”
“Of course. Y’all come back again.”
An hour later, Seth opened his back door to Knight, Marsh, and Bowen. He motioned them inside. “Come in and join the party.” He introduced his three friends to the rest of Artemis and handed them all bottles of water. “To offset the coffee we’ve been mainlining today,” he muttered and dropped into the empty seat beside Teagan. He draped his arm across the back of her chair.
“What was that?” Noah glared at Knight.
“You didn’t like Richardson and Peters?” His friend gave a mocking smile.
“Not funny, man. Who takes a deal like they offered us?”
“Desperate men who don’t mind selling their soul.”
“What’s their goal?” Seth asked.
“According to my cousin and his buddies, no one knows except those in the inner circle, and they aren’t talking.”
“That doesn’t make me feel all warm and cozy about our chances of success,” Bowen said.
“No kidding.” Marsh drank a third of his water. “Got any other good news for us?”
A wry smile curved Knight’s mouth. “Yeah. Takes a while to get access to the inner circle.”
Fantastic. Not. “How long are we talking about?”
A shrug. “A few weeks at least.”
“Weeks?” Noah scowled. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Afraid not.”
“According to the feds, The Brotherhood has an agenda that’s coming to a head soon. I don’t think we have weeks to wait for an invitation to the power circle.”
Seth shook his head. “This makes little sense. Why is the militia after our team so hot and heavy?”
Knight finished his water and set the empty bottle aside. “We have the skills they need for whatever operation they want to set in motion. Even more important, we’re already trained and work well together as a unit. My cousin has been pushing me to consider joining the group for months.”
“Is he part of the inner circle?” Violet asked.
“Yeah, he is, and he’s not talking about The Brotherhood’s agenda. Before you push me on it, I’ve asked. He wouldn’t give me anything except the party line.”
Teagan studied Knight for a moment. “How close are you to this cousin?”
“Not very,” he admitted. “We were rivals growing up. Frankly, I’m surprised Jace is pushing so hard for me to join their cause with my team.”
Seth’s eyebrows rose. “Your team?”
The other man held up a hand. “He doesn’t know you’re the team leader. I never told him anything about how our unit worked or our missions. Jace only knows we were a Special Forces unit assigned to missions we can’t and won’t discuss with anyone outside our circle.”
“It’s a setup,” Teagan said flatly.
“Why do you say that?” Marsh folded his arms on his chest.
“Rivals don’t invite their worst enemies into the camp without an agenda.”
“Family is family.”