Page 40 of My Temptation

I exhaled loudly. “It’s not a time I like to remember, that’s all, but if it helps us now, then let’s use it.”

“This gonna be a problem with the FBI since it was an alias they created?” Ethan asked me.

“Not sure,” I replied honestly. “They won’t reuse it, so I don’t think they care much about it, but I could ask.”

“Not asking anyone.” Brody shook his head. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”

“Except they could know,” I admitted.

Brody narrowed his eyes. “You think he’s watching you?”

“He knew I was working for Elite without me telling him.”

“Who?” Ethan looked between Brody and me.

I sighed. “My father.”

“Why is he watching you?”

I glanced between Jax and Brody. I hadn’t shared any details about the meeting I had with my father. When Jax asked how it went, I’d said it was fine. With everything going on with Beth and this case, I hadn’t wanted to add more to his plate.

“I wasn’t sure he was, and he would never admit he had been, but he knew I had Beth under my protection, and he could've only had that information one way.”

“He said that?” Jax asked.

“Not in so many words, but when he asked me to go to DC to see him, and I declined, saying it was because of my assignment, he referenced her.”

“Why does he have eyes on you?” Jax inquired, and I could tell from his expression that he knew I was holding back. “What aren’t you telling us?”

I hesitated and realized I didn’t want to tell them. I didn’t want them to know that I was offered an opportunity with the FBI because I didn’t want them to have any reason to ask me to leave Elite. "I didn't know it at the time, but my father told me the FBI wants me back, specifically the director who my father reports to.”

“They need you undercover?” Brody asked.

“He told me the director needs my skill set and instructed my father to offer me whatever I wanted to come back. I knew exactly what that meant and where they would put me.”

“What did you say?”

“I turned them down. Told my father there was nothing he could offer that would bring me back and that I liked working with Elite.”

“Why are we just hearing about this now?” Jax asked.

I sighed. “Elite was dealing with enough. I figured my problem with my father could wait until we were sure Beth was safe.”

“What’s bothering you about it?” Brody watched me closely, and it was obvious he saw what I was trying so hard to conceal. He’s shown time and time again why he was a leader on his SEAL team. He didn’t seem to miss anything, even the shit everyone thinks they’re hiding well.

“I don’t want to leave Elite,” I answered honestly.

“Good,” Jax answered. “Because we don’t want that either.”

Some of the tension I’d been feeling lifted, but more was still bothering me. “Nobody tells my father no. Especially me.”

“What did he say when you declined?”

“Only that the director wouldn’t be happy.”

“What can he do?” Ethan asked. “You don’t work for him anymore.”

I considered that before I spoke. “My father has the ability and the resources to make my life difficult if he wants to.” I shrugged. “He doesn’t want me back at the FBI, but the director does, and from my experience, what the director wants, he gets. To be honest, I have no idea what that means for me.”

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