Page 78 of Death Wish

“What there was of it.” Tegan dropped into the nearest chair. “Please tell me you have coffee strong enough to peel paint off the walls. I need a big dose of caffeine.”

“Same,” Simone said as she set omelets and fruit in front of Tegan and Iona.

“I’ll pour the coffee,” Jesse said. “Did your teammates get Allison and Beckett to the airstrip?”

Iona nodded. “No issues. This thing is heating up pretty fast. Will you need backup inside Dragon Alley?”

“Shouldn’t.”

“If you do, let us know.”

Sawyer scowled over his shoulder. “Hey, what about me?”

“You’re busy with another task,” Jesse said as he set the mugs in front of the Artemis team members.

“Trevor?”

“We need to find him before he blows our cover.”

“Do I have a starting point?”

“I can find out where he disappeared but I don’t see the point. White will make his way back to Sayulita if he hasn’t already reached the town limits. He’s obsessed with Simone.”

She rolled her eyes. “He’s interested in payback because I sent him to prison. Trevor doesn’t want me.”

Jesse shook his head. “I believe you’re wrong about that.”

“How do you know?”

“You’re the one who got away. He’s all about control, and you slipped the leash.”

“Good for you,” Iona said. “I hope you’re not even considering taking him back.”

Simone smiled at Jesse. “I had a better offer.”

“Excellent.” Tegan pointed at Simone with her fork. “Good job. I wondered when someone would snag Jesse’s interest.”

When they finished eating, Jesse and Simone sent the others back to their tasks while they cleaned up the kitchen.

Minutes later, they were on the road to Dragon Alley. “Last chance to back out,” Jesse said as they neared the gate. “No one will think less of you for changing your mind.”

“I will. I have to finish this, Jesse. Too many innocent people will die if I fail.”

He stopped by the guard shack and showed their credentials, then headed for their assigned parking space.

Jesse came around to open Simone’s door. “I’ll be close all day if you need me. If I’m not available, don’t forget you have an emergency button on your watch so you can speak to someone at Fortress.”

She nodded.

He bent his head and captured her mouth with his. A long minute later, he came up for air. “Let’s go. We have someone watching us on the fifth floor.”

“What else is new?”

Jesse helped Simone to the asphalt and locked the vehicle.

They walked into the building and checked in at the receptionist’s desk. Together, they rode the elevator to the Special Projects division.

As soon as they stepped onto the fifth floor, Bastien Boudreax and one of the other men who worked security met them. Boudreax’s eyes glittered. “Mr. Daley wants to speak to you both.”

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