Crusader (Impossible #9)
Page 24
“I can handle it,” I insisted quickly. I hated how upset Frank seemed over the situation, and I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t deal with the note. I didn’t want him to think I was afraid. “I’ll take it-”
“I didn’t ask for your permission,” he cut me off. I swallowed hard and took a step back. I had seen this domineering side of him before, but he never turned it on me. He sighed, and his expression softened to something more soothing. “I’ll take care of this, Katie.”
The paternal light in his eyes let me know the unspoken significance of those words: Let me take care of you.
The offer was too tempting to refuse. It was all I could do to stop myself from throwing myself in his arms and seeking his comfort, as I had done so many times after my father passed away.
I blinked hard to clear the tears that glossed over my deep green eyes. “Thanks, Frank.”
“I’m very proud of you for being so brave about this, Katie,” he told me kindly. “But this is serious, and you shouldn’t deal with it on your own.”
“That’s what Dex said. He convinced me to show you the note.”
“You should have come to me immediately.” His voice sharpened, and just like that, I felt like a chided child.
“I know,” I mumbled, dropping my eyes.
“You will tell me the next time something like this happens. Before you consult with anyone else. You’re my responsibility, Katie. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
It was the same thing Dex had said. He wasn’t the only alpha male in the office. Frank’s insistent protectiveness didn’t grate on me the way my partner’s had, though. If anything, the fatherly instinct to keep me safe was gratifying.
“I promise I’ll come to you first.”
“Good.” Frank nodded once, satisfied. “Now, there’s something else I need to discuss with you. One of the guys from the New York unit is coming in to work with you on The Mentor case.”
The Mentor. I suppressed a shudder at the name. Well, the man I was hunting didn’t have a name. He didn’t have a face, either. Not yet. But I was determined to identify him. If he was anything like his mentee – Carl Martel – he had likely abducted, raped, and killed dozens of women.
“Why?” I asked to distract myself from the images of battered women that raced across my mind. “Why am I not working with Dex?”
Frank’s lips twisted in distaste. He was obviously as unhappy with the assignment as I was. “Kennedy Carver – the New York unit director – suggested it. Martel’s last victim, Lydia Chase, was selected because of her interest in the BDSM lifestyle. Carver thought it would be helpful if someone with experience in that area was on hand to help here in Chicago.”
Martel had lived outside New York City, but Lydia Chase had been abducted from Chicago, so members of both units were searching for The Mentor. I nodded my agreement with the new agent’s assignment to our field office. We could use all the help we could get.
“Who’s the agent?” I asked.
“His name’s Reed Miller. He’s a rookie, barely four months with the Bureau. But Carver insists he’s experienced in the BDSM lifestyle and has done good work so far.” Frank’s frown deepened. “I want you to watch yourself around him, Katie. Professionally, I approve of his partnership with you. But he’s new, and I don’t know if I trust him with your safety. Be careful.”
“I will be,” I promised. “If Carver says he’s good, I’m sure he’ll have my back.”
Although I wish I could keep Dex at my back. I knew my current partner, and I trusted him with my life. Being paired with a stranger didn’t sit entirely well with me.
A knock at the door distracted me. Frank glanced past me to look through the glass wall at the front of his office. The blinds were open, revealing the man who stood just outside.
“Come in.” Frank’s tone lacked the warmth it held when he invited me in.
The man who stepped through the door wasn’t just a rookie; he was probably around my age. I hadn’t expected to be partnered with someone so young. Or so breathtakingly gorgeous. The man was as tall as Dex, but where my partner was all light and righteousness, Reed Miller was dark and positively sinful. His skin was golden, and his black hair matched his eyes. They were dark, fathomless pools. A woman could drown in those eyes.
“Katie, this is Reed Miller. Miller, this is your new partner, Agent Katherine Byrd.”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Agent Byrd. I’ve heard great things.” His voice was as sensual as the lips from which it issued.
Automatically, I reached my hand out to shake his, and strong heat enveloped my fingers. It raced up my arm, flooding my chest before finding its way down lower in my abdomen. The warmth pooled somewhere entirely unprofessional.
“Be careful.” Frank’s warning echoed in my mind.
Oh, I was going to have to be very careful when it came to Reed Miller.
Master is now available!
Also by Julia Sykes
The Impossible Series
Impossible: The Original Trilogy (Monster, Traitor, and Avenger)
Impossible: The Companion Trilogy (Sean’s POV)
Savior (An Impossible Novel)
Rogue (An Impossible Novel)
Knight (An Impossible Novel)
Mentor (An Impossible Novella)
Master (An Impossible Novel)
King (An Impossible Novel)
A Decadent Christmas (An Impossible Series Christmas Special)
Czar (An Impossible Novella)
Crusader (An Impossible Novel)
Torn (Caught between the Billionaires) (The Complete Collection: Lucas, Jonathan, The Choice, and Consequences)
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