Scoundrel (McCallan Brothers Book 3)

by Lea Hart

  “Tessa, it’s good to see you again.”

  “You too.”

  “Ready?”

  “Absolutely.” Feeling Seth tense along her side, she let her eyes bounce between the two and felt an arc of mistrust pass between them. Intriguing, she thought, wondering if people in this line of work ever truly trusted one another.

  Seth shook Daisy’s hand. “Good to see you, D.”

  “That’s a lie, but I appreciate the effort at civility.”

  “Every time I see you, my life expectancy is shortened, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to spill blood, so please forgive my lack of excitement.”

  “Really?” Tessa squawked. “I wasn’t planning on bleeding out on some side street in the middle of the Valley. Was that a mistake?”

  “Not at all,” Daisy replied. “This is strictly a low-risk op.”

  Seth slid his hand to Tessa’s back. “That was pretty specific and makes me think you’ve spent some time thinking about it.”

  Nodding, she leaned into his touch. “When the CIA comes calling, you’re pretty much duty-bound to run a few ‘what ifs’ through your mind and bleeding out is one that kept coming up.”

  “Any scenarios end in unimaginable glory?”

  “Not one.”

  “Good, ‘cause there’s no ticker tape parade at the end of this gig,” he replied, pulling her against his side.

  “If I could just not end up with any visible scars, I’ll call it a win.”

  “That I can do.”

  Tessa watched Daisy’s eyebrows raise and guessed it had something to do with the physical closeness they were displaying. Not sure what the policy was, she stepped away and folded her hands together.

  “Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s go find an empty room, so we can go over a few details,” Daisy said as she spun on her heel and strode down the hall.

  Following the woman who was responsible for the massive change her life was about to go through, she prayed that the right decision had been made.

  Because as far as she knew, there was no dipping out on CIA black ops.

  Tessa pulled out her pink notebook and sat back as Daisy put the first image up on a monitor that dominated the wall. Doing her best to quell the anger that swirled in her stomach as her boss’s face filled the screen, she tapped her pen against the table.

  Daisy cleared her throat and then looked at Seth. “Ian Kane is the man of the hour.”

  “Misogynist and narcist extraordinaire, in case you were wondering,” Tessa mumbled. “Which unfortunately makes him in no way unique.”

  “Without a doubt,” Daisy replied. “Seth, did Anthony give you a download on our target?”

  “No, he just said it was a short gig that required my special touch with computers.”

  “I’ll give a short synopsis, then.” Daisy opened a folder and ran her finger down the page. “Ian inherited the family’s private jet company two years ago when his father passed away and is currently using the fleet to traffic all sorts of illegal items. Seems drugs and guns weren’t filling the coffers like he’d hoped and has turned to more lucrative items to transport in the belly of the private jets he sends around the country. He’s recently found a new set of friends that deal in much more objectional materials, like radioactive substances, and he has decided to get in on the game.”

  “Do we know if the materials are meant for a domestic or international objective?”

  “Intel suggests the initial targets are domestic and the material is going to be used in a weapon of mass disruption with contamination and anxiety as the main objectives.”

  “Why is Tick Tock taking this on and not the FBI, DEA, or Homeland Security?” Seth asked.

  “We are acting at the behest of Homeland Security and the other agencies will get their piece of the pie when everything shakes out. Homeland felt we were best suited for the assignment since the immediate threat of those materials finding a home precludes the usual solution.”

  “No time for subpoenas and nasty legal formalities?” Seth asked.

  “In a nutshell,” Daisy replied. “Sig intel was picked up on a group out of New York that recently wiped out a hospital’s supply of radioactive materials. There’s also reason to believe they have a strain of weaponized Ebola on hand and no one has been able to get a bead on where it’s being stored. The group has been in contact with Ian’s new bestie, and we think PJ Aviation is going to start moving the material around the country as sales are made. Once we own Ian’s network, we can work backward and determine where the material is being stored.”

  Leaning forward, Seth folded his hands. “Why the low-tech approach on something that’s clearly a significant threat?”

  “Sometimes, explosions and bullets flying are not the only way to get things done,” Daisy replied as she put another image up. “Tessa was the one who brought her suspicions about Ian’s shenanigans to our attention, and her extensive knowledge of his activities as well as the company’s has allowed us to come up with a plan that we’re confident will succeed.”

  “No shit?” Seth exclaimed.

  Tessa turned and raised an eyebrow. “What, like it was hard?”

  Putting up his hands, Seth let his gaze slowly move over her face. “Tagging someone who’s got a mind to traffic in this shit isn’t for wimps.”

  “I worked at Disneyland for five years and bore the weight of millions of girls’ dreams and that, my friend, was a lot harder than putting this puzzle together. You want to discover what you’re capable of, work in the Magic Kingdom for more than a week, and you’ll find out.” Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she smirked. “Don’t ever underestimate a woman who can wear a crown all day and never let it slip.”

  “Never considered it for a moment.”

  Knowing that was a big fat lie, she decided not to say more because being underestimated was actually one of her best superpowers. “Good!”

  Daisy looked between the two and then sat up. “I love nothing better than seeing an operator be schooled by a civilian.”

  “And why’s that?” Seth asked.

  “Reminds everyone that a team is how we get shit done. Lone wolf bravado is great for the movies but doesn’t mean a thing in the cold light of day.”

  “Did Isabel teach you that?”

  “Every day,” Daisy replied quietly.

  “So, what are we in for?” Seth asked.

  “Tessa has access to Ian’s private network as well as the one at the office. We believe most of the information we need resides on his home network and the sooner we own it, the better.”

  “Do I need to do anything with the company network or have you already sent someone in?”

  “We have access to the network, and the FBI has their people digging through it, but if you can take a pass at it and see if anything was missed, then it would be a hell of a bonus.”

  “Are we dropping audio devices in Ian’s residence?”

  “Affirmative,” Daisy replied.

  “I wanted to do it before you got here, but Daisy wouldn’t let me,” Tessa added.

  Seth leaned back in his chair and looked between the women. “How many guns are we likely to run into if shit goes south?”

  “Three people who worked for the company have disappeared, and each one of them suspected something was up and brought their concerns to Ian,” Tessa replied. “I’d prefer not to be the fourth, so anything you can do to make that possible would be much appreciated.”

  Seth covered her hand under the table and nodded. “Got it.”

  “We don’t expect shit to go sideways,” Daisy said, “but as we both know, that’s when it usually happens. According to Tessa, he’s recently installed some haphazard surveillance, so you’ll need to take care of anything encountered on site.”

  “What’s the plan for going in?”

  A smile split Daisy’s face. “You, my friend, get to do something you’ve never attempted.”

  “And what’s that?”


  “You two are entering through the front door in broad daylight.”

  “Crazy, right?” Tessa commented. “I was hoping we could scrabble down one of those rope thingies from a helicopter, but the idea was nixed.”

  “That’s a shame,” Seth replied with a cough.

  “Ian lives in Hidden Hills, which is a gated community at the West end of the Valley. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a celebrity, and the place is covered in private CCTV cameras and brigades of personal security,” Daisy said.

  “So, not getting noticed is just about impossible,” Seth commented.

  “Pretty much,” Tessa replied. “Drake lives on one side of Ian with Kylie Jenner on the other, so there’s not a square inch of space that’s not covered by cameras and very enthusiastic security guards.”

  “And that means going through the front door is the least obvious way to gain entry,” Seth said as he draped his arm over the back of Tessa’s chair.

  Daisy flicked off the monitor and nodded. “We don’t need any operative’s faces ending up on TMZ because they were mistaken for a celebrity stalker. Also, tipping Ian off would put all of our asses in the fire, which is something I’d very much like to avoid.”

  Seth snorted. “And yet every time we work together, it seems inevitable.”

  “Let’s make this the exception to the rule,” Daisy replied. “We need to find out who Ian’s talking to and then find out who that person is talking to, and so on and so forth until we have a nice long list of people who think buying bioweapons is an acceptable activity.”

  “Any reason to believe Ian is dangerous and not just stupid?” Seth asked.

  “He’s got a temper and likes to throw tantrums on a semi-regular basis, but I’ve never seen him lash out with his fists. His new friends, however, seem like the type to settle their disputes with guns,” Tessa supplied as she sat back.

  “What’s the intel on the new friends, Daisy?”

  “High-level operatives from a nasty local syndicate. More muscle than brains as far as we can tell, but loyal to the guy they work for, so that means they like to spill blood. We believe they’re nothing more than middlemen and therefore have little value. We’ve got a team on them in the event that changes, but we’re not expecting it to.”

  Tessa checked the calendar on her phone and then glanced up. “Ian will be golfing tomorrow, and the cleaning service is usually done by one, so that should give us plenty of time to go in without interruptions.”

  “Will he think it’s unusual that you’re in his home on a Friday afternoon?” Seth asked.

  “No. I run every aspect of his life, and I always go by on Friday afternoons to make sure that everything is set for the weekend.”

  Seth turned to Tessa. “Do you want to stop by the office tonight and see what we can do?”

  “Sure. The CFO usually is gone by five and the admin staff is gone by five-thirty, so you should have a chance tonight.”

  “We’ve got Ian’s phone and car tagged, so if we pick up something, you’ll be notified,” Daisy added. “This should be wrapped up by tomorrow night at the latest, and you’ll be back in Vegas by Saturday morning, Seth.” Standing, she moved toward the door. “I’ve got another meeting, so I’ll check in as the situation develops.”

  Tessa watched her walk out of the room and let out a breath. “Let’s go see if luck is on our side.”

  “I brought a little from Vegas, so Lord willing, it’s enough.”

  She watched him stand and hold out his hand. “Are you practicing your part?”

  “Meaning?”

  “Boyfriend role,” she replied as she stood.

  “Not really, I’m just being a gentleman.”

  Letting her eyes move over his six-foot frame packed with muscles, she bit her bottom lip and wondered what his ungentlemanly side was like. “Mmmm.”

  “I feel like you’ve got a whole lot more to say than that.”

  “Nothing I’m ready to share.”

  Seth took a step closer and lifted Tessa’s hand. “You ready to deal with the thing that’s sparking between us?”

  Deciding not to lay every card she had on the table, she played innocent. “Wasn’t aware there was anything.”

  He moved closer still. “Is that why your pupils are dilatated, your skin is flush, and your pulse is fluttering against your neck?”

  “That’s just excitement about the assignment finally starting.” Smoothing out her features like she was a medicated housewife from the Valley, she lifted her hand away from his and checked her manicure. “Not every woman you work with is guaranteed to fall for your smoldering whiskey eyes, silky brown hair, and tattoos.”

  “That’s a lot of adjectives.”

  “I have four more, but I’m keeping them to myself since it would just add fuel to the fire.”

  “So, you admit there’s a fire!”

  “I admit exactly nothing.”

  “Which is just another way of admitting everything.”

  “If that’s what you need to believe, go on ahead.”

  “Denial won’t last for long.”

  “Maybe so, but I’m holding onto it for as long as I can.”

  “All right, Tessa, we’ll play it your way for now and let this thing simmer.”

  “I think giving something time to cook is always best because the result is always so much more satisfying.” She took a step back and lifted her chin. “Not that we’re cooking anything since we’re just going to be…”

  “Amazing together.” Seth bent down and put his mouth against her ear. “We’ll just have to keep a close eye on it because the last thing we want is for it to burn out of control.”

  “Burning would be bad,” she replied as his breath feathered against her skin, raising a trail of goosebumps. “And dangerous.”

  “So very, very dangerous,” he said as he lightly skimmed his lips over the shell of her ear.

  “One might not survive.”

  “If done correctly.”

  Bracing her hand on his chest, she locked her knees and reminded herself that kissing the hell out of someone inside a CIA conference room wasn’t a good idea, especially when you weren’t interested. “Let’s go and get this mission started.”

  “With pleasure,” he replied.

  How much, she thought as she pulled away and walked out of the conference room. And will it be something I survive?

  CHAPTER THREE

  Seth stepped into the elevator and was glad he didn’t live in a cement box of apartments. Tessa’s building was as nice as any, but it sat on one of the busiest streets in the Valley, cradled by the 405 and 101 freeways.

  It was basically hell.

  At least it would be for him.

  But it probably made a lot of sense for an actress, especially if she was running all over the city auditioning. Which he wasn’t sure she was doing that much of since the subject of their careers hadn’t come up yet. Something he hoped would change before they parted ways, since he had a mind to discover as many of her secrets and desires as he could.

  Which meant he was going to take his time with the assignment. He’d been thorough and meticulous last night with the Trojans he’d sent into the office network and planned on doing the same thing today.

  The elevator doors opened, and he stepped off, thinking about the burgers they’d shared last night as well as the lingering touches.

  It had been torture and bliss in equal measure and, for the first time in his life, he didn’t care how long it took to get a woman interested. He was ready to work for what he wanted and planned on not relenting until she felt the same way about him.

  Walking down the hall, he noticed the place was fairly quiet and assumed most people were at work, grinding hard so they could afford the beautiful Southern California lifestyle. Something he really didn’t understand the appeal of.

  He arrived at Tessa’s door and knocked firmly, praying she’d be happy to see his face at seven in the morning. Hearing foot
steps, he jammed his hands into his pockets and smiled widely as she opened the door. “Morning.”

  “You’re not Garett.”

  Putting his hand on her waist, he stepped her back as he entered the apartment. “Who the hell is Garett?”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as she tightened the tie on her robe and walked into the small galley kitchen. “We’re not supposed to meet for several hours.”

  “I thought we’d have breakfast before we head out for the day.”

  “Did you lose your phone?”

  “No,” he replied as he watched her fill an enormous mug with coffee.

  “Why didn’t you call, text, or email to let me know the change of plans?”

  “I see you’re a ray of sunshine in the morning.”

  “I usually don’t speak until I’ve finished my first cup of coffee.”

  “Looks more like a vat,” he replied as he stepped around her, opened the cupboard, and pulled out a cup. “Can you spare a drop for your boyfriend?”

  “I suppose,” she replied with a small smile as she filled his cup.

  He leaned against the counter and watched her eyes close as she drank her coffee quietly. “Who’s Garrett?”

  “My…”

  There was a knock on the door, and he guessed that he was about to see for himself. When a man dressed in a suit walked in and gave him a questioning gaze, he figured a story of unrequited love would soon be told. “Good morning.”

  “You don’t look like a Marine?”

  Pushing himself off the counter, he set his coffee cup down and rolled his shoulders. “Looks don’t tell you shit about what a person is capable of.”

  Tessa shuffled back into the kitchen and put her hand on his chest. “Down, tiger, he meant it as a compliment.”

  Narrowing his eyes, he looked between them. “Well…that’s…”

  “Nice,” she replied.

  Garrett unbuttoned his jacket and sat on a barstool, accepting a cup of coffee from Tessa. “He’s yummy, T. I hope you’re going to take advantage of the time you two have together and…make the most of it.”

  Seth stifled a snort and watched Tessa’s face bloom red as she gave Garret some serious stank face. “Thanks for the compliment…I think.”