Page 25 of Raven’s Claw (Raven’s Cliff #2)

“My handler.” She tapped her chest. “My mistake. While I love you for trying to bear this weight, if he hurt anyone, it’s on me. And sooner or later, you’re going to have to accept what I’ve known all along.” She pushed past him, stopping at the door. “There’s only one way this ends — bloody.”

“Jordan…”

She kept moving. Walked out the door, headed to Zain’s truck then waited. Half-considering just hoofing it all the way to the café. Anything to stem the restless roil of her stomach.

This was bad.

She felt it.

The hint of something that had been lingering in the air in the hangar. She recognized it, now. Licorice. The same scent as Rook’s gun oil once it sat for a while. She’d gotten so used to it, she barely noticed it anymore. But it had clung to the surfaces inside the hangar. Waiting, like him.

Kash marched out a moment later, each step marking his displeasure. He stopped behind her, knuckles cracking. A measured exhale breezing past her.

She glanced at him, noting pinched lips and narrowed eyes. Slashes of red across his cheeks. “I promised you I wouldn’t run.”

“I came out here to finish our talk, not because I thought I’d have to chase you down.”

“I thought about it. I…” She let her head tilt back. “I don’t know how to do this. How to be Jordan and take on Rook. How to be part of team when every instinct wants me to face him alone. To end it by whatever means necessary.”

She took a breath, met him head-on. “How to love you without hurting you.”

He closed the distance. “How about you start by living? Because that’s all I need you to do. We’ll handle whatever this is. If Rook hurt people? We’ll make sure he pays. But sacrificing yourself when we have options isn’t the answer.”

“And if we run out of options?”

“Let’s see that we don’t.” He turned when his teammates bustled out of Bodie’s office, sporting only sidearms. What she assumed was necessary in order to meet Greer without looking as if they’d just waged war.

Kash focused on her, again. “We’ll listen to what Greer has to say. Go from there. However, it might mean bringing her into this.”

Jordan opened the door. “If this is Rook, she’s already part of it. Might as well give her a fighting chance at making it to the other side.”

Jordan scooted over, absently scratching Nyx when she wedged her way between Jordan and Kash, as if the dog needed to be connected to both of them to settle.

Another kick to Jordan’s heart because she’d fallen for the mutt, too.

Found Nyx’s presence oddly calming, despite her skill set.

A fact that made Jordan acutely aware of how human she’d become.

Greer stood outside the café doors as they pulled up, silently watching them pour out of the vehicles. Her gaze landed and held on Jordan, the unspoken weight nearly tripping her.

She’d been right.

The way Greer shifted on her feet. The unwavering focus.

How she took in Bodie as if she already knew where he’d been and what he’d been doing.

Hell, maybe she did. Maybe Bodie had confided in her.

Or maybe the woman was simply that gifted.

Sensed they’d all been recently engaged in a tactical maneuver.

Could all but smell their heightened awareness and the inevitable edginess that persisted after a fight.

Greer nodded at Bodie. “Thanks for bringing everyone. Though, I get the feeling you were already together.”

Chase stepped forward. He was the group’s go-to where Greer was involved.

It was obvious Chase wasn’t the only one who was interested.

Greer seemed equally taken by Chase, with his boyish good looks and easy charm.

He was definitely the most laid back of the bunch, though Jordan suspected he merely hid it better.

That he kept it coiled inside and sooner or later, something or someone would make it all snap.

Chase motioned to the diner. “Everything okay? Bodie’s message sounded cryptic.”

“That’s because it’s a freaking puzzle. First, there’s no obvious indication anyone’s been hurt.

Which is damn curious because the second part is there’s a burner cell in there, sitting on the counter with a flame drawn out of blood beside it.

” Greer’s gaze shifted to Jordan. “I don’t suppose that means anything to anyone? ”

Nothing.

Not a hushed breath or a glance her way.

Just Kash’s team standing strong. Waiting for her to decide if she wanted to let it all slide or confront the obvious answer that Rook had called her out.

Greer huffed. “Look, I know there’s way more going on here than you’ve let on. So, someone better start talking?—”

“It’s for me.” Jordan took a breath and stepped forward. “But you already knew that.”

Greer didn’t so much as blink. “You take down bikers and trained military men like they’re barely a speed bump along the road.

You have the situational awareness of a squirrel on crack, and I know, if I did a real deep dark dive on you, Jordan Archer wouldn’t have existed until seven months ago. So, yeah, I think it involves you.”

“Technically, you’d find a pretty convincing backstop, seeing as I made it myself, but you’re right.

” Jordan crossed her arms over her chest. “Now, we can either talk about it out here, where any asshole with a parabolic mic can hear us, or we can go inside, and you can let me assess what level of fucked we’re at. Your choice.”

“I want the truth.”

“You really don’t, but you deserve it.” She nodded at the café. “I just need to know what he left before I drag you down that rabbit hole.”

“And when you bolt on me?”

“She won’t.” Kash moved in beside her, Nyx hugging his leg. “You have my word.”

Greer eyed Kash, then looked at Chase. “What about your word? Because your buddy’s obviously in love with her and can’t see past his heart, bleeding out on his sleeve.”

Chase shrugged. “If Jordan wanted to ditch us, there’s nothing any of us could do to stop her. She chose to ride over here, with us, instead. Offered to bring you into the fold if it was necessary. She’s good.”

“All right.” Greer backed up and opened the door. “I’d appreciate it if no one touched anything, though, I doubt a forensics crew would find anything useful. Right, Jordan?”

Jordan sighed. “Nothing you’d want to run through AFIS or any other database without gaining the attention of the kind of agencies who shoot first, worry about who they’d buried, later.”

“And to think I was told working in a small town would lower my blood pressure.”

“Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll take care of the issue. That’s a promise.”

“ We’ll take care of it.” Kash gave her a pointed look. “I know. You’re still new to this team gig.”

“Or maybe, I’m trying to remind all of you that you’re crazy.” Jordan groaned when he simply stood there, unyielding.

She gave his hand a squeeze, then drew herself up — walked inside. Nothing looked out of place, other than the phone sitting near the front. Which only emphasized that this was Rook. That he was playing with her.

“The owner says it was the strangest thing. He got a notification that his freezer had lost power so, he came over, opened the rear door and went inside. He did a quick once-over of the place, swears that,” Greer pointed to the cell and blood stain, “wasn’t there.

He checked the freezer, found it working so, he did one more round, and in those thirty seconds, someone had left that behind. ”

Jordan walked over. Nothing telling, just a standard burner cell she knew Rook would call her on later, and that fire emblem written in blood. His way of addressing his message, she supposed. “Has anyone touched it?”

“Seriously? For all I know, opening it sets off a damn explosive. I’m curious about the flame, though.”

“It’s my code name.”

“Flame?”

“Ember.”

“I see.” Greer shuffled over to Jordan. “I’m starting to think you’re not with WITSEC like you’d hinted at. In fact, I’m betting it’s much darker. One of those agencies you said shoot first.”

Jordan didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. Besides, she knew they’d discuss it, ad nauseam , back at Bodie’s. “The cell’s not rigged.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he’s going to call me on it, later. Which makes me wonder… Why this seat? He had all of them to choose from, and the one at the end is closer to the rear door, especially considering he only had thirty seconds to get it set up. But he chose this one, specifically.”

“I assume this mystery guy doesn’t do anything by chance?”

“Never.” Jordan ran through the past several months — all the people she’d put into memory. The regulars who, like Kash’s team, always picked the same seats, when one image hit her hard.

She inhaled, replaying all the times he’d sat at the counter, chatting.

Friendly, without being overbearing. Like he knew she’d weathered hard times and understood she wasn’t ready for anyone to push.

He’d had a look when they’d first met, as if he’d just seen a ghost, but it had vanished just as quickly.

“Jordan?” Kash was at her side, letting Chase grab her arm — take her pulse. “Sweetheart, breathe because you look like you did back in the chopper a moment before you passed out.”

She gazed up at him, his words not quite making sense as she sorted through her memories, again — prayed she was wrong.

Fingers snapped in front of her. “Jordan!”

She blinked, tumbling against the counter once her lungs finally remembered how to suck in some air —clear the dots scattered across her vision. She glanced at his team, and she knew this was it. The straw that would break them. That she’d never recover from.

Chase shook his head. “Keep breathing, Jordan, or you’re gonna face plant.”

How could she breathe when her next words would ruin them?

Foster obviously recognized the look because he stepped forward, kept his gaze locked on hers. “Whatever you need to tell us, just say it.”

She swallowed, nearly puked, then focused on Foster and Mackenzie. “Mac, do me a favor? Call Atticus.”