Page 15 of My Temptation

“Maybe not,” Jax acknowledged. “But unless you have a better idea that’s legal, then we’re gonna give it a shot and see if there’s any movement on his part.”

“We’ll meet and hash out the details.” Brody glanced around the empty waiting room. “I don’t like talking about this out in the open even though this place is empty.”

“Agree.” Jax ran his hand through his hair. “I’m going. Keep me updated. I’ll catch up with Cam and see where we are.”

Kyle grinned at Striker. “I’d like to be the first to congratulate you on your engagement.”

I chuckled, not surprised in the least that Kyle attempted to use humor to settle Striker’s nerves. Moving past the guys, I sat in one of the waiting room chairs. Kyle followed and sat on one side of me while Brody sat on the other.

Striker’s eyes flicked among all of us. “You don’t have to wait.”

“You stayin’?” Kyle asked.

“You know I am.”

I smiled at him and crossed my right leg over the left in an effort to get comfortable. “Then your team’s staying.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brody’s grin and smiled to myself. I was determined to show Striker I was an asset to this team and one he could trust.

No matter what I had to do.

4

ETHAN

“Ethan!”

Turning, I faced the door to the gym and saw Brody. Popping out my earbuds, I slowed the treadmill. “Yeah?”

“You about done?”

I shrugged. “I can be.”

He jerked up his chin. “Meet me in my office.”

Grabbing the towel I had hanging from the arm of the treadmill, I wiped the sweat from my face and neck and stepped down. I wasn’t surprised that Brody wanted to talk to me. He’d been training me since I started a couple of years ago, but it was strange that he was in on a Saturday. Brody loves his wife and four daughters more than anything, so he doesn’t lose a weekend with them for work unless he doesn't have a choice.

Jumping from the treadmill, I pulled off my sweat-soaked T-shirt. I made my way to my gym bag and squatted beside it. I yanked a clean T-shirt out and put it on before tossing my other inside and zipping the bag closed. When I first started at Elite, I rarely used the gym Brody and Jax added, but after watching the guys I worked with and knowing I wanted to move beyond just installing security systems, I decided I needed to get into shape. I’d always been tall and lanky but didn’t carry any muscle until I committed to spending time in the gym, and that commitment had paid off. It wasn’t long before I felt like I could hold my own against the guys, and that was saying something, considering most of them had served in the military and brought the strict exercise regimens they learned home with them. Brody even spent some time training me, which he said was crucial if I ever wanted to do fieldwork.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I pushed open the door and headed down the hallway toward Brody’s office. His door was open, so I walked right in and sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, trying to act as if I wasn’t listening to the conversation he was having with his wife, Gia, but it was nearly impossible when he sat back in his seat and met my stare.

“I should be home in a half hour, and I’ll go look for him.” He rolled his eyes, but he was grinning.

Shaking my head, I chuckled to myself when he continued. “You called Dad?” He leaned his head against the chair and listened before replying. “I know.”

I heard my phone ding and dug it from my pocket while he continued to talk. Smiling, I read the text from my sister.

Everly: Guess what?

Me: What?

Everly: I got the job!!

Relief flooded me when I read those words. I’d been trying like hell to get my sister to leave Florida and come live near me, but she refused until she found a job. She’d applied for so many I lost count, so I had no idea which one she was talking about.

Me: Where?

Everly: The nursing position I told you about with Dr. Campbell.

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