Page 38 of My Temptation

“If there was ever a case I should be taking, it would be this one.”

“You’re not in any physical condition to handle this.” Jax looked at Cam. “We takin’ this one or you?”

“We have no jurisdiction there and no reason to file a warrant. Nothing ties him to the arsenic unless we get something from the cell phone. You work on getting him back to New Hope while I find some fucking evidence to hold him.”

Jax nodded and shifted his attention back to Striker. “We’ll assign it, and you can help guide them from your apartment. Maybe if we’re lucky, he’ll fuck up and put us right where we need to be.”

“I’ve done a hell of a lot more than follow a guy and go to a few banks with a gunshot wound.”

“That was before you had someone worrying about you.” Jax pointed at Beth. “And I can tell from the look on her face that she wouldn’t handle it well if you were tracking in your condition. I also don’t want that shit on me. I haven’t lost a man, and I don’t intend to start.” He smirked. “Even if that man is the biggest pain in the ass I’ve ever worked with.”

“I think he just gave you a compliment.” Kyle laughed. “More than I ever got.”

“And more than you will if you keep stirring the fucking pot. I feel like I’m working with our brother Jake.”

“Now that”—Kyle pointed at him—“was a compliment.”

Jax ran his hands over his face but ignored him and moved on. “I think we should send Mila and Ethan.” I stiffened but tried to conceal it when Jax focused on me before moving back to Striker. “She’s more than able to track, and they’ve already been seen as a couple. Devil’s Lake is a tourist town, so they’ll blend in as being there on vacation. They’re also still new. I think whoever this is will recognize any of us who were around during Sullivan’s takedown. Neither of them were.”

Brody nodded his head. “I agree. Ethan can also set up any equipment Kyle needs back here to keep an eye on shit that’s going on. And Mila, you can keep in contact with Striker since he’s already been there and has the lay of the land.”

“I don’t like this,” Striker grumbled.

Brody lifted his eyebrows. “Next time, don’t get shot, and you can go.”

“When should we leave?” Mila sat forward and leaned her elbows on the table. She seemed unaffected by the new plan, but I wasn’t feeling the same.

Kyle held up his phone. “I’m booking you a room right now at the lakeside resort. You check in tomorrow morning at eleven.”

She glanced at me. “Guess we need to get packed.”

Kyle smirked. “Pack your bathing suits. They have a lot of lake shit to do there.”

Mila pushed to her feet. “We’re there to work.”

“All work and no play.” Kyle tsked. “You’re no fun.”

“We’ll meet here Tuesday morning at eight. Mila and Ethan should have something to report by then.” Brody raised his eyebrows and stared at Striker. “You’re off tomorrow, and Beth already has orders to call me if you give her any shit.” He glanced back and forth between them before settling on Beth. “I’d like to say this is over, but it isn’t. I need you to be more vigilant than ever. We have no idea where Samson is, and until Mila and Ethan locate him, you need to stay put.”

Cam nodded. “I’ll have police on your street until we get some reports back from the team. With any damn luck at all, they’ll find something useful in Devil’s Lake.”

“What if they don’t?” Beth asked.

Cam stood and leaned on his palms. “We’ll get him, Beth. Unlike before, lay low. Unless he had eyes on the bunker, he might not know you made it out alive. Let’s keep him out of the loop as much as possible. It gives us an advantage.”

Cam stood and shifted his attention to Jax after she nodded. “Gave you the lead on this case because you had leeway we didn’t, but you guys are walking a fine line with the department. You shouldn’t have entered that bunker before the police. We have no problem working together when it benefits the community, but if anyone in the department can prove you’re obtaining anything illegally, charges could be brought against you and the company.” Cam crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ll take the back seat for now. We don’t have shit on the guy responsible for the arsenic, and as private investigators, you are legally allowed to follow leads, but if we get anything from the cell phone, you need to back off and let us do our job.”

Jax jerked up his chin, which seemed to satisfy Cam, and he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Looking around, I knew everyone was expecting the lecture I was. Jax didn’t like being reprimanded by his brothers, who were cops, even when they were right. And Cam was right. We shouldn’t have entered that bunker without backup, but knowing everyone in the room as well as I did, I knew without a doubt they’d do it the same way again.

It was a surprise when Jax faced us and gestured back and forth between himself and Brody. “Nice work. We’ve spent years building this team, and it’s one we’re both proud of.”

“And the department?” Kyle asked.

“Just follow the assignments we give. Cam’s right. We do walk a fine line, and we all know that, but they need us. They’ll give us a little more slack than we probably deserve or would get elsewhere, so let’s remember that.”

With a few nods, we all stood, and Mila turned to face Kyle. “Did you book our flights?”

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