Page 79 of Between Love and Honor

This is home. This was who the real Quinn Darby was. The woman Ben Segar loved. The woman made better by his love. Now that he’d found that woman, he was never letting her go.

* * *

ADAM HANDED QUINN a Glock.

“How comfortable are you with this type of handgun?” he asked.

Across the room, Ben’s chest swelled with pride. “Comfortable enough to fire a perfect kill shot twice yesterday.”

“You took those guys down?” The awe in his friend’s voice was unmistakable.

“Ben was occupied in both instances.”

He appreciated how she tried to downplay the incident.

“In that case,” Adam laid a cache of guns on the table.

“Choose your poison.”

“Hey, Bennett, are you paying attention over here?” Griffin demanded.

“Yeah, sorry.” He inserted the earwig into his ear.

“This device functions similarly to a standard-issue Secret Service comm,” Griffin explained. “But it’s undetectable. You’ll be able to hear us, but you won’t have the advantage of an attached microphone, but that’s what this little beauty is for.”

He slid what looked like a button cover over the second button on Ben’s golf shirt.

“This will record your conversation with Ronoff. We’ll know the instant anything goes south. See if you can get him to talk about his other illegal enterprises. Specifically, the money laundering and the cryptocurrency schemes.

Whatever you can get will bolster our case.”

“It’s probably better if I play dumb and let him do the talking. The more pointed questions I ask, the more likely he is to catch on to what I’m really doing.”

“Huh.” Griffin donned an impressed look. “I forgot you’re more in touch with your covert side than either of us are. Do what you do best, Boy Genius, and the rest of us will listen in with awe.”

“Too bad Kevlar would be noticeable beneath his shirt,” Adam said. “I’d feel a lot better if he wore a vest.”

Ben shook his head. “Too risky. But the secretary needs to be wrapped in it.”

Secretary Lyle chose that moment to enter the room with Dorothy in tow. “Thank you for the confidence, Agent Segar.”

Dorothy shot Ben a withering look.

“I’ll be taking my detail in with us,” the secretary announced. “Agent Lockett, will you please fill the two agents in before you make your way to the harbor?”

She rounded the conference table to where Quinn was inspecting the weapons.

“I guess we should make your boyfriend happy.” She handed Quinn a vest. “But make sure you can fit it under your blouse. I don’t want the tourists to get jumpy.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Quinn shot him a saucy look and mouthed the word “boyfriend” as she took the vest and headed into the restroom to put it on.

“Ronoff will expect you to arrive via your boat,” the secretary continued.

“We’ve already got that covered.” Griff pulled up video of the National Harbor on the screen. “Once Ronoff’s yacht drops anchor, Ben will sail in.”

“I’m headed to Fort McNair now to wait on Agent Keller’s signal.”

The secretary gestured to his shoulder. “Are you okay to sail with your injury?”

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