“She’ll be a positive addition to the team.”
“That’s the hope.” Since he knew Kate always had a double, sometimes triple, agenda, he asked, “You got something for OZ?”
“Maybe. I’m handling it myself for right now. I might send you some notes soon. Get your take.”
“Always happy to give my opinion.”
Kate snorted. “Don’t I know it.”
Ash grinned at the jibe. “What else?”
“Anything on our mutual enemy on your end?”
“Not much more than since we last talked. You?”
“Actually, yes. I have a couple of meetings set up. I think they might give us what we need.”
“Take care, Kate. You know what she’s capable of.”
“Yes, unfortunately, we both know. Her days are numbered, Ash. I promise you that.”
“I hope you’re right, but once you have the intel, let me take it from there. I’ll take the heat. She’s already got me in her crosshairs. No need to add you to her list of targets.”
“It won’t come to that. We can’t let her go that far. She’s gone way too far already.”
Kate was right about that. But Ash didn’t discount anything when it came to the senator. He and Turner became enemies long before Ash created OZ. Though enemy was a mild word for what he felt for the woman. It was more, much more, than that. Not being able to prove anything didn’t make the facts any less true.
Twice now, Nora Turner had tried to destroy him. The first time hadn’t been personal, but the second attempt had been target-specific. She had wanted Asher Drake out of the way. She had succeeded, but not in the way she planned. Turner might think that the third time would be the charm, but Ash was going to do everything within his power to see that the senator went down instead. It was way past time for her to pay.
The woman was an extremely influential politician with connections that reached far and wide. Ash was a man who knew how to root out intel that Turner would kill to keep buried. It was a race to see who would get to the finish line first.
“I’m getting closer on my end, too,” Ash continued. “There’s no need for you to be involved, but whatever intel you can send will only help.”
“You’ll know as soon as I have anything. In the meantime, I’m only a phone call or text away. Just say the word. I’ve got your back.”
“You’re the best of the best, Kate.”
“Keep in touch, my friend.”
“Will do.”
Ash ended the call, and like many times when his mind was on something else, he’d made an unconscious decision. OZ would take the job he’d been reviewing when Kate called. Now he just needed to talk with the operatives who would be working the case with him.
And when Jules Stone arrived, she’d be thrown into the deep end of the pool very quickly. He had no doubt that she was an excellent swimmer.
Chapter Seventeen
Brooklyn, Ohio
Entering the small, nondescript hotel lobby, Jules made her way to the single elevator. She hadn’t planned on seeing Turner before she headed to Montana. She’d spent two days in a flurry of packing and making arrangements for her indefinite absence. Then she had flown to an obscure little town in rural Virginia, where for three days she endured the requirements to become a full-fledged OZ operative.
She had flown back to Arizona yesterday, looking forward to one last day of peace and quiet before leaving for her new job. The tests she had endured had been exhausting. A grueling five-hour physical and endurance test had left her aching in every muscle, but it had been the psych evaluations that left her drained. Her answers had not been challenged, and though she hadn’t been uncomfortable with the questions asked, by the time she was finished, all those aching muscles had been knotted with tension.
She topped off her time there by getting a small implant under her left arm. As much as she needed and wanted to do this job, she was close to her limit on the invasion of her personal space. Having been on her own for so long, making her own choices and relying only on herself, this new job with OZ was going to be a challenge.
After all of that, a girl wanted to have at least one day to herself. She had walked into her house with only two things on her mind—a long, hot shower and a small glass of wine. Those plans were destroyed when the last person she wanted to hear from called and demanded a meeting the next day.
As tough as the OZ tests had been, she’d repeat them ten times over to avoid seeing the woman she despised with every fiber of her being. But that was the job. One she had worked and manipulated herself. She would do what she had to do no matter how distasteful.
She dressed for the meeting in a red power suit. Clothes did not make the woman, but they could be used as armor to hide the truth. And since almost every word that was to come out of her mouth during this meeting would be a lie, Jules needed all the help she could get.
The door to the hotel room opened before she could knock, telling her that once again Senator Turner had informants everywhere. Another reminder of the thin tightrope Jules walked.
“Ms. Diamond, please come this way.”
Lisa Steiner, Turner’s personal aide, was a young, ambitious-looking woman who walked with a bounce in her step and wore a perpetual wrinkle between her brows. Her light brown hair was pulled away from her face in a no-nonsense bun. She wore a sedate navy skirt paired with a blue-and-white-pinstriped blouse and sensible two-inch heels. Thick black-rimmed glasses finished off the serious look.
“The senator can give you seven minutes.”
Reminding the aide that it was Turner, not Jules, who requested the meeting was pointless. If it were up to Jules, she’d be in her vehicle headed to Montana.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Jules answered. “I don’t have anything to report.” Those were the exact words she’d used when Turner had called her. Since she had been on the job exactly one day, she wasn’t quite sure what intel Turner thought she could have gathered. However, alienating the woman so soon after being hired was not the best way to ensure long-term employment. So Jules would play the game until it was no longer necessary.
The aide didn’t bother to respond. She knocked on a door and then opened it to reveal Senator Nora Turner sitting at a desk, peering at her laptop. She raised her head when Steiner announced, “Ms. Diamond has arrived.”
“Excellent. Please make sure we’re not disturbed, Lisa.”
“Of course.”
The instant the door closed, the senator stood. In her late forties, Turner wore minimal makeup and was attractive without being pretty. She was medium height and a little on the thin side. Her dark brown hair was straight and glossy and fell to her shoulders with a slight curl. Her business suit of baby blue was both feminine and professional.
Jules had studied the woman almost as much as she had studied Asher Drake. Once the president and CEO of a large tech company she had started, Turner held years of experience in the private sector before she threw her hat in the ring to run for her first political office. She’d served as a state representative for two terms and had been a senator for one so far. Her chances looked good for reelection in another landslide.
She was single, had no children, and apparently no real family. When asked once how she could identify with people with children when she had none of her own, she’d said she had given all of that up so others could have what she didn’t. Those words became an unofficial campaign slogan and had ended up making her a household name. The dedicated public servant who lived only to serve others had somehow played well and was believed by the masses.
Ridiculously ironic words for a woman who was directly responsible for destroying Asher Drake’s family.
“Well?” Turner snapped.
“Well, what?”
“What have you learned?”
Jules and Kate had worked hard to create just the right kind of amoral mercenary in Jessie Diamond. Kate had used her expertise in creating a new identity and a rock-soli
d backstory. A dishonorable discharge from the military, gun for hire on occasion, and a slight gambling problem made for the perfect cover. With almost no ethics and a need for a constant flow of cash, Jessie Diamond was the type of woman who would do just about anything for the right price.
While Jules had prepped herself on the backstory, making sure she knew Jessie’s life as if she’d lived every moment of it, Kate had used her contacts to spread the word, oh-so-subtly, that Jessie Diamond was good at squirreling out information others couldn’t and that she had few limits on just how low she would go.
Even though they’d cultivated Diamond’s reputation as a woman who worked fast and efficiently to get the job done, the senator expecting results this soon was beyond ridiculous. Turner knew that. So was this more of her power games or something else?
“Nothing yet.”
“But you’ve been with him for several days. Even went away with him somewhere. Surely my name came up.”
Seriously? The woman’s ego knew no bounds.
“No, your name didn’t come up. I just started working there. Mentioning you would definitely make Drake suspicious. It’s going to take some time.”
“How much time? I’m paying you for results, not a good time.”
Grinding her teeth to stop the words stuck in her throat, Jules reminded herself what she was working toward and why. Losing her cool now would ruin everything. She could not, however, let this woman believe she was at her beck and call. Hard-hitting Jessie Diamond was no pushover.
“If I’m going to do my job, I need full autonomy.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I won’t be contacting you until I have intel to report. And do not contact me again. Ever.”
“I am paying your salary, young woman. I do not appreciate your attitude.”
“Then find someone else to do the job.”
Jules didn’t dare show an ounce of weakness. Her ground wasn’t as shaky as it could be. The senator would find it difficult to get someone else to infiltrate OZ. Even if Turner fired her, Jules would continue at OZ. Still, for this part of her plan to work, she needed to have Turner’s ear. And she needed to make damn sure no one else tried to infiltrate OZ.
For several silent moments, it was a staring contest between two very stubborn women. Finally, a sparkle of appreciation gleamed in Turner’s eyes. “I respect a person who can stand up to me. Not many can. Don’t disappoint me.”
Jules gave a brief nod. “I’ll let you know as soon as I have something.”
Before Turner could respond, Jules was out the door. If she had to stay one more moment in the woman’s insufferable presence, she would not be responsible for the consequences.
Now she needed to fly back home, get her car, and head to Montana. She had a job to do. One way or the other, Turner would pay for what she had done to Asher Drake. No matter what it took, Jules would make sure of that.
Frowning, Nora stared at the door through which Jessie Diamond had just exited. There was something about the young woman she didn’t quite trust. The girl had certainly stood her ground, which Nora admired, but there was something…
Ms. Diamond had the kind of reputation that Nora admired. She was known as one who got the job done, kept her mouth shut and her wits about her, and didn’t let pesky ethics or a conscience get in her way. Those kinds of people were Nora’s favorite kind.
She reassured herself that Diamond could do the job for which she’d been hired. Once she was through with him, Asher Drake wouldn’t know what hit him.
Drake blamed her for what happened in Colombia. She had honestly thought all those men died. It had been a messy, ill-thought-out plan, and she wanted nothing more than to put that day behind her.
Nora and her associates had been lucky to get out alive. Chaos had surrounded them as glass and debris zoomed through the air. It had taken every bit of her courage and willpower to escape. She still bore a horrible scar from a cut on her arm.
Drake wasn’t the only one who blamed Nora for the debacle. In her opinion, that was grossly unfair. Okay, yes, she coordinated the meeting, but she also brought in extra security to keep everyone safe. Was it her fault they failed? Instead of placing the blame where it belonged, she was held responsible for the entire disaster.
In hindsight, she should have ensured there were no survivors. When the helicopter had lifted from the ground, she had looked down at the destruction and believed that no one would survive. The cartel that had attacked them had been closing in. Even though she’d seen a couple of men running around, she had assumed they’d be dead in moments. How was she to know that Asher Drake would live to tell the tale?
Putting that horrendous day behind her had been her only option. And if Drake had been killed that day, she would have been able to do so. Instead, he was the sole survivor and refused to let that day die a natural death. He continued to chisel away at what happened, trying to uncover the truth.
Despite all the frustration and aggravation, Drake and his people wouldn’t succeed. The truth was buried so deep that no one, not even the OZ organization, could dig that far. All the people who’d been there were either dead or had as much to lose as Nora. No one was going to talk. But that didn’t mean Drake couldn’t cause problems.
While Drake had some influential friends, they weren’t even close to being as powerful as Nora’s. Plus, Drake had his organization to be concerned with. He had people to protect and a lot to lose.
She needed to rid herself of Asher Drake for good. The first time she’d tried had been an abysmal failure. At the time, it had looked like the perfect solution, and she hadn’t gotten her hands dirty at all. A serial killer bent on revenge escapes and goes after the man who put him away? It should have worked. But it didn’t. Instead of Drake dying, his wife died instead. What a mess that had been. All that remained was a man even more bent on revenge than before and another black mark on Nora’s record.
This time, she was going with a professional. Jessie Diamond was going to fix her problem. Once Drake was ruined, she could put all that nasty business behind her, once and for all.
If that didn’t work out, Nora had one last option. She had been assured that Diamond could handle that as well. No matter what, Asher Drake had to be stopped. If that meant he had to stop breathing, then so be it.
Chapter Eighteen
Montana
OZ Headquarters
The instant the SUV entered OZ territory, Ash had the vehicle on his radar and a visual on the security monitor. The newest member of OZ had arrived. He had wondered if she would make it in time. The plane was fueled up and ready to go. With regret, he’d had to put a hold on the job he had originally chosen. Liam Stryker was on an op and needed backup now.
Ash met Jules at the door and had to ignore the gut-punch of attraction. Dressed in an above-the-knee multicolored dress, she looked like she’d be much more comfortable at an afternoon social than on an OZ op. For just an instant, he had the unusual wish that they could be two people with nothing more on their minds than going out for an enjoyable evening while they explored this sizzle of heat between them. Instead, they were headed into darkness.
Which was, he reminded himself, exactly where he was the most comfortable.
“You have any trouble finding the place?”
She gave a light laugh. “Since this place doesn’t even have an address, finding it without the coordinates you sent would have been impossible.”
“That’s the point. Keeps us off the radar.” He glanced over to the small parking area where she’d left her SUV. “You got stuff to unload?”
“Not a lot. Just a couple of boxes and suitcases. I put most of my personal stuff in storage.”
“Got your go bag with you?”
She shifted a bag hanging from her left shoulder. “Always.”
“Good. We’re going. Leave your vehicle unlocked, and someone will unload your stuff and store it till you get back.”
“Whe
re are we going?”
“Washington.”
“DC?”
“No. State.”
She stood on her toes to peer over his shoulder. “Just us?”
“Jazz and Xavier are already on the plane. I’ll brief you on the way.” He shifted the duffel bag on his shoulder. “Let’s go. Our pilot’s waiting.”
She followed him to his vehicle and, on the way, clicked her key fob to unlock her car. “Tell whomever unloads my car that the candy wrappers in the floorboard are from the previous owner.”
He sent her a grin as they got into his vehicle. “You a chocoholic, Stone?”
“Recovering. I’ve now gone half chocolate, half caramel.”
“There’s a difference?”
“If you have to ask, then there’s no hope for you to understand.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Other than your sugar overload, did you have a successful trip?”
“Yes. I got everything done that I needed to.”
“I got your reports in. You’ll be pleased to know that despite your chocolate addiction, you passed your physical with flying colors. You scored in the top twenty percent on your skill and endurance tests.”
She grimaced. “Just the top twenty?”
“If it helps, you’re competing against a couple of SEALs and an Army Ranger. I’d say that’s damn good.”
Looking more than a little pleased with herself, she nodded. “That definitely helps.”
He veered out onto the main highway. The small airport they used was only a few miles away. “Any difficulty with the tracker implant?”
She grimaced, revealing her distaste. “Yes and no.”
“Explain.”
“It was basically painless, but—”
“But you feel it’s an invasion of your privacy.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Understandable, but it saves lives. Talk to Jazz about it sometime.”
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