Page 43 of Being Bold (Tactical Operations & Protection (TOP) Security #1)

Bo

Bo and Selene walked into Tactical Operations & Protection’s conference room in Charlottesville, Virginia.

They were the first to arrive for the operation debrief.

No bodies filled the matching slim black leather chairs surrounding the shiny silver tabletop, and the television hanging on the wood-paneled accent wall remained dark.

Bo hadn’t been inside this room or TOP headquarters since he’d been hired three years ago. They typically debriefed in the field or via videocall, but Victor had insisted everyone meet here for this one. He mulled over why.

“Where do we sit?” Selene’s question pulled him from his thoughts. She hovered in front of the windows, twisting her fingers together.

Clearly, he needed to make her relax. Grinning at how he planned to do that, he advanced on her.

Backing her into the corner, he boxed her in and leaned down to steal her lips in a kiss that he’d been waiting the last several hours to give her.

After wrapping up in Montreal, they’d flown straight here.

He was ready to get this over with and find a hotel room for some alone time with her.

She returned the embrace with fervor. Wanting more, he slid his hand underneath her shirt to trace the skin just under her breasts.

Her mouth popped off his with a gasp. “We can’t do that here!” she cautioned with a smile that told him she’d like to, though.

His hand was still up her shirt. He was pretty sure they could do this here. He craved her enough to want to but . . .

He huffed, “Yeah, you’re right. I’m pretty sure there are cameras.”

“What?” she shrieked, head swiveling to look for them. “Bo!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at her panic. Removing his hands, he tugged at her waist. “Let’s find a hotel before we give them a show.”

She shook her head with a smile. “Afterward.”

As much as he didn’t want to wait, he figured walking out on his team after what they’d done for Selene wouldn’t sit well. “Fine,” he grumbled.

Reaching for her hand, he led her to the table. He chose the seat closest to the door and parked her beside him. She chuckled when he pulled her chair closer so that he could keep his hand on her thigh.

A smile made his lips twitch as he thought about how he planned to spend the time in their hotel room. It started with slowly undressing Selene, and then—

“Who are you and what have you done with Bo?”

Crane’s humor-filled voice broke into his fantasy. He turned to see the newlyweds had entered the conference room. Pushing back from the table, Bo stood, offering his hand to the tall, dark-haired Marine. “Crane.”

After a flicker of surprise flashed on his face, they clasped hands. Then Bo nodded a welcome to Rogue. The dark-eyed blonde seemed as confused as her husband. He knew he deserved their scrutiny after he’d been so reserved for years.

Clearing his throat, he gestured to Selene. “This is Selene Coleman.” She stood and offered her hand with a friendly smile. He touched her arm and added, “Selene, this is Crane and Rogue. They were the ones watching over your parents.”

Her eyes filled with tears at his announcement, but she blinked them back. Her voice effused gratitude as she clasped both of their hands. “Thank you so much! I don’t know how to repay you, but if you ever need anything, I’m in your debt.”

Rogue shook her head with a smile. “You’re welcome, but we were just doing our job.” With a glance at Bo, she added, “Besides, TOP protects its own.”

The sentiment behind her words had regret knotting his stomach.

She knew what it felt like to be desperate for someone to help the person you loved.

Pushing past it, he scrubbed a hand over his beard.

“I, uh, wanted to apologize for missing your celebration. I don’t know if I said, but .

. . I’m really happy for both of you.” He shifted on his feet as Crane and Rogue’s gazes locked on him and tried for another smile.

“Congratulations. I’ll be better about attending things like that in the future.

” Especially now that he had Selene to go with.

A deep rumble of laughter rolled from Crane’s lips. With a grin, he joked, “Maybe the next occasion will be your wedding.”

“Crane!” Rogue elbowed her husband in the side while Bo heard Selene gasp next to him.

He only shrugged. “May-be.”

Duke strolled in and halted. Eyeing them all with his cocky smirk. “What did I miss?”

No one answered, but Bo couldn’t take his eyes off Selene. A blush colored the apple of her cheeks. The look in her ocean depths . . . it made him want to drop to one knee right then and there.

If only I had a ring . . .

Herc broke the silence when he lumbered in carrying a basket filled with snacks he’d likely stolen from one of TOP’s reception rooms. He munched on something as he set it on the table and mumbled, “Help yourselves.”

Romeo followed, carrying coffees for everyone. Those were snatched up fast, and then they all settled into seats.

Glancing at Selene, Bo asked, “Do you want anything?”

She shook her head, still looking a little dazed. Because his stomach was growling, he snagged a protein bar and ate it while they waited for Victor.

Conversation buzzed around the table, but his thoughts strayed to how and when he could procure a ring for Selene. There was zero doubt in his mind that he wanted to marry her.

What kind would she like? Should I ask her?

Victor swept into the room, heading for the end of the table in front of the TV. “Okay, people, I know you’re tired. I’ll keep this short, then we can all take a breather for a few days.”

Calls of “hallelujah” and “fuck yeah” filled the air. Bo frowned. He wanted more than a few days.

Victor raised a hand, and the room fell silent. “But first, we have a problem.”

That tripped Bo’s pucker factor. What the hell had happened from the time they’d touched down ’til now?

Victor pinched the bridge of his nose, then sighed. “The CIA blacklisted Yumi Nakano. She’s currently MIA.”

Selene jerked, sitting up straighter in her chair. “We have to find her!”

Hating her distress, Bo reached for her hand and held on. “We will,” he murmured, stroking his thumb across her skin.

“Did she take out the servers?”

“What happened?”

As the questions started firing, Victor raised his hands again. “Here’s what we know.” He waited for quiet before continuing, “At twenty hundred last night, she infiltrated the Chinese embassy in D.C., breached their server room, then disappeared.”

“But I thought she just found the servers? Her message was from a few hours ago.” Selene frowned, and Bo squeezed her hand in comfort.

“Spoofing,” Romeo blurted, then looked to Victor for confirmation.

“Yeah,” his gaze returned to Selene, explaining, “that message wasn’t really from her. Someone just wanted it to look like it was.”

“Who would do that?” Selene asked, but no one had an answer for her.

Bo could hazard a guess, but he was shooting in the dark without knowing more about Yumi’s background.

“Why wouldn’t she tell us if she’d already found the servers? We could’ve helped take them out,” Herc grumbled.

Heads nodded around the table in agreement. In the beginning, Bo had doubts about the agent, but she’d proven him wrong. She’d done everything she’d said she would—helped them find Dao, protected Selene, and if she’d found the servers, he’d wager she destroyed the AI.

Unless someone prevented her from doing so.

He didn’t want to voice that option and make Selene worry more. With all of TOP searching, they’d find Yumi.

Rogue frowned, a thoughtful crease forming between her brows.

“Maybe she didn’t have time to, or she didn’t have a secure way to let us know.

” She tapped a finger to her bottom lip.

“The CIA dropped her, so she won’t have access to their resources anymore.

She won’t be easy to find if she’s gone dark. ”

Bo spoke up for Selene’s sake. “We’ll find her. Yumi’s one of us now.”

Victor’s stern expression didn’t waver. “TOP leadership wants confirmation Yumi succeeded in wiping Sentient Shadow from existence. If she didn’t . . .”

Bo swore under his breath. Not fucking good.

“So much for R&R,” Duke commented.

Crane’s phone rang, breaking the tension in the room. “Sorry,” he said before glancing at the caller ID. Wearing a slight frown, he silenced it only for it to ring again seconds later. Concern etched his features, and he lifted his head, probably to ask Victor to step out.

He didn’t have to say the words, though.

Their team leader gave a curt nod, then zeroed in on Selene.

The intensity on his face had Bo shifting in his seat.

“Selene, TOP would like to offer you a job as a translator. You could work remotely, and there’d be travel involved if your language skills were needed for an op. ”

Fear sweat broke out on Bo’s neck, and he opened his mouth to demand, “Behind the scenes, right? No more playing bait or taking risks with her safety.”

Victor smiled, but it was brief. “It’d be a strictly non-operational role.”

When she shivered as if the mere idea of being in danger brought back unpleasant memories, Bo gripped her hand tighter. She closed her eyes, then opened them after blowing out a breath. “I’m good with that.”

Bo squeezed the hand he held. “Then I’d love to have you in my ear.”

A genuine smile spread across her lips. Relief that she’d be safe, and he wouldn’t have to disappear on her for his job, made him return the smile. As the team congratulated her, she blushed at the attention.

Victor’s commanding voice spoke over the celebrations. “Everyone take today but meet back here at zero eight tomorrow morning. By then, we should have a bead on Yumi’s location.”

Bo assumed that meant asking favors from contacts at the three-letter agencies, but he didn’t need to know. All he needed was Selene.