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“Have him meet you at the diner,” Rayne suggested. “That way, you two can watch each other’s backs in case more of your fellow cops decide to take a run at you. Plus, you’ll be able to get Noah’s take on what went down at his house. You may not have a chance to do that once you meet up with The Brotherhood.”
“Good idea. I’ll send him a message and ask him to meet me.” He kissed Teagan lightly and headed for the front door. A moment later, he was gone.
That didn’t take long. She should feel fine with him being out of the house. As a decorated veteran and cop, Seth knew how to take care of himself. So why did she feel so uneasy? “Are you sure it was wise to send him out to get breakfast?” she asked her teammates.
“He’s angry, frustrated, and disappointed with his fellow cops,” Iona said. “He’ll do better with a task than sitting around here and brooding while waiting to meet the others at noon. He’s like us, Teagan. Seth would rather make things happen than wait for them. He needs freedom to do what he feels is best for himself and you.”
Yeah, she understood the feeling. One of the worst things she’d endured as a prisoner of the cult was the inability to move about freely. If she was being punished, which was most of the time, Teagan was restrained in some way, whether locked in or literally tied up. So, yeah, she understood how Seth felt right now.
Thirty minutes later, Seth returned with two bags of carry-out containers. He set them on the breakfast bar. “Didn’t know what you wanted, so I bought some of everything.”
“We’re not picky,” Iona said as she and Rayne unpacked the bags. “We eat whatever doesn’t eat us first.”
He chuckled. “Same.”
They opened the lids of each container and grabbed paper plates from Seth’s stack on the counter to divide up the food.
After breakfast, all of them pitched in to police the trash from the meal and ready the house for Seth’s absence.
Once they finished, Teagan said, “Fortress will have someone watch your house while we’re gone. If there’s a problem, they’ll notify you by text but will handle it themselves.”
His eyebrows rose. “Is that a common service?”
“It’s one perk of being in a relationship with a Fortress operative.”
A slow smile curved his mouth. “Smartest decision I ever made,” he murmured. Seth cupped her cheek with his palm.
“I hope you still feel the same way when this mission is finished.”
“My commitment to you will not change, Teagan.”
She hoped he still said as much when they figured out The Brotherhood’s agenda.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
SETH CIRCLED THEhood of Teagan’s SUV and opened her door. Richardson and Peters waited by a luxury SUV, watching their every move. His fellow detectives waited nearby, alert and ready for trouble. Also, if he wasn’t mistaken, three men with rifles watched the proceedings from the woods surrounding the meeting place. So much for trust. “Show time, babe,” he murmured. “Ready?”
“Bring it.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for a long, passionate kiss that made Seth’s blood run hot in his veins.
Holy smoke. This woman just did it for him. Although he’d love to stay right where he was and indulge in more sizzling kisses, Seth’s nape felt as though spiders crawled over his skin, a sign they were being observed. They wanted The Brotherhood leaders to believe he and Teagan were a couple. That didn’t mean he wanted these men at his back, watching as he romanced his woman.
Seth slowed their kisses to gentle brushes of his mouth over Teagan’s. “Please tell me we’re going to do that again at a more appropriate time.”
As he hoped, the beautiful woman in his arms laughed. She grasped his extended hand and slid from the vehicle.
He threaded their fingers together and, with Violet and Noah, walked toward Richardson and Peters.
The two men straightened. “Glad you could make it,” Peters said. “I understand you had some trouble overnight.”
“We handled it. Just convinced me we need to get out of Ardmore. No way we’ll get a fair shake in this two-horse town.” His voice was filled with bitterness and anger. Easy to dredge up the emotions because they were the truth. With the Fortress tech tinkering with his and Noah’s files, there was no way for them to get justice.
Richardson shook his head. “Sorry, my friend. Like I said, we’ll take care of your minor problem. If you decide you want to come back to Ardmore next year, you’ll be free to resume your life.”
Seth stared. Richardson was saying everything he wanted to hear except Seth knew for a fact that absolutely would never be possible unless someone higher in rank was dirty. If he and Noah had been guilty of murdering Pico, the evidence would be overwhelming. Fortress did nothing by halves.
Noah snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it. In the meantime, let’s get going. The last thing I want to do is draw the attention of more of Ardmore’s finest,” he said wryly.
Richardson held up a hand. “Before we go, did you bring firepower with you?” He smiled. “We need to put in an order for weapons and ammunition on the drive to our compound.”