Page 49 of Rescued By the Operative

A silence hangs in the air. I clear my throat. “I know you have questions, Ennis…”

“I sure do,” Ennis says suspiciously. “Especially since you refuse to see what’s going on here. You know that group has planted people in law enforcement before. How do you all know she’s not playing you?”

There is no doubt in my mind that Blondie is the real deal, and my brother is dead wrong. I’m so sure that I’m flush with anger at the suggestion she might be screwing us over somehow.

I don’t know what comes over me, but I’m across the kitchen and pinning my brother against the fridge.

Everyone reacts with shouts, while some of the men try to step in to break us up. Wylie tries to pull me back, but he can’t. Not when I’m this worked up.

Blondie shrieks. “Jake! What is wrong with you?”

“Your girlfriend thinks you’re overreacting, Jake,” Ennis says.

“Apologize to her.”

Ennis laughs. “To who? You don’t even know her name!”

“Nelly, OK! My name is Nelly!”

All eyes turn to Blondie.

“Nelly?” I ask.

You could hear a pin drop.

She smiles, and her throat bobs. “That’s me,” she breathes.

“Yeah, I knew that,” I hear Joaquin mutter.

“My brain hurts,” Jasmyn whispers.

A long moment follows where nobody says anything.

“Nice to meet you, Nelly,” I say, still pinning my brother against the fridge.

“Son, apologize to Special Agent Nelly Carter, whom I handpicked for this assignment. Understand?” Curly orders.

Ennis wheezes, “I understand. I’m sorry, Nelly.”

Nelly is unfazed. “It’s no problem. I understand why everyone in this room is supremely annoyed with me and suspicious of me,” she says. “I’m used to it.”

I let go of my brother, and Wylie backs off. Ennis huffily adjusts his shirt. Most of us take seats around the table while Ennis raids the pantry for snacks.

“If you two are done, let’s get down to business. Whatever you’re planning,” Curly says, “We have to do it fast before they figure out that our operative walked out of the hospital undetected.”

And had an overnight tryst with a cowboy soon after that. I will say, Nelly and I know how to make good use of our minimal time together.

She catches my eye across the table, and I get the feeling we’re both thinking about the same thing. I give her a wink, and she looks away, blushing.

“It’s best to assume, based on cases like this, that Moffatt’s already dead,” Curly says. “Angry mob justice usually doesn’t end well. How do we use that to our advantage?”

Ennis tosses a piece of popcorn in the air and catches it in his mouth. “Oh. Orlyn Moffatt is very much alive,” he says.

All heads turn to look at Ennis.

“How do you know that, son?” Curly says.

Ennis chews on his popcorn, considering whether to tell us what he knows.