Page 66 of Guarded from Corruption

“It’s fine with me,” Dante adds with a smile. “When are you going to ask?”

Erik gives me an approving nod. “It makes sense. She’ll be safe here, too.”

I answer Dante. “I’m not sure. With everything… She’s been cooped up here for weeks. Maybe she wants to live on her own again.”

“Nah.” Xavier’s tone is confident. “I think if you ask, she’ll say yes.”

“I think so, too,” Rhiannon adds, and she reaches across the table to pat my arm. Her smile softens. “I’m happy for you, Niall.”

Well. With that kind of response, maybe I should ask her sooner than later.

“I hate to interrupt,” Matt says while glancing at his laptop, “but Cruz is online. He’s ready to start the meeting if we are.”

“Yes.” Dante opens his folder again. “Of course.”

The conversation stops as we all straighten and turn toward the projection screen.

A few seconds later, a dark-haired man appears, unsmiling and serious. He has the look of law enforcement, but with a hint of danger in his eyes. Considering what I’ve heard about the FBI agent, and some of the things he’s had to do in the past, it makes sense.

But as soon as he sees us, his features relax into a smile. “Hey guys. How’s it going? Settling in okay?”

“We’re good, Cruz.” Dante lifts his chin. “Thanks for asking. HQ is basically done and we’ve got jobs lined up for the next six months already, so… it’s going really well.”

“Glad to hear that.” Cruz glances around at everyone. “And I’m looking forward to seeing the place myself, now that it’s done.”

Dante nods. “Anytime you want to stop by, you’re more than welcome.” He pauses. “And thanks for this meeting. We appreciate you taking the time to give us an update.”

“Of course.” Cruz smirks. “Now. Some of this is supposed to be kept in-house, but with what you guys did for the case… and we all know Blade and Arrow. We know what you do. We’re glad to have the new branch here in San Antonio.”

Cruz is one of the connections Cole talked about—Cole worked as a cop in San Antonio right after leaving the Army and became good friends with him then. We’re thankful to have an ally in the FBI, not just to get information about Jade’s case, but for a multitude of cases that could come up in the future.

“We’re glad to be here,” answers Dante. He glances over at me briefly. “And we’re very invested in the outcome of this case. We want to know that Jade is going to be safe.”

“Absolutely.” Cruz’s expression turns serious. “And I have to say, everyone is so impressed with what she did. Escaping on her own like that. Willingly using herself as bait. It’s really something.”

Pride fills my chest. “Jade’s special.”

Cruz meets my gaze. “I bet. My wife, Mickie; she really wants to meet her. In fact, I know a lot of people who do.”

“Maybe when things settle down,” I hedge, not wanting to volunteer Jade for anything she’s not ready for.

“Of course.” Understanding fills his eyes. “No rush. But sometime. If Jade’s up to it.” He pauses, then changes the subject. “Anyway. As for updates on the case, we have ten more clients in custody. Our computer experts have gone through all the files, so we believe we should have all the men who made a”—he scowls—“purchase tracked down within the next week or so.”

“Good.” Dante gives a brisk nod. “And what about the people within the organization?”

“Well, thanks to what we found, and the information we got from you, it’s looking like we have all the major players. It’s all white-collar guys—attorneys, executives, even some CEOs—that used their connections to create this sort of elite trafficking group. From what a few of them admitted, they saw it as a premium service. High-class women for their top-notch clients.”

That familiar anger bubbles up, but I take a deep breath and force it down. Jaw clenching, I ask, “And you think you have all of them?”

Cruz looks at me. “We think so. Many of the people involved have turned on each other, hoping for plea agreements. If they knew of someone who wasn’t caught yet, I think they’d throw them under the bus. But?—”

“I’m still going to be keeping a close eye on Jade.” My teammates all nod in agreement.

“I’d do the same thing.” The FBI agent gives me a solemn nod. “I believe she’s safe. The organization has been completely dismantled. We have over fifty people in custody. Twenty more women have been rescued. But if it were my Mickie, I’d want to keep her close for a while longer, too.”

Ah. Even Cruz agrees.

I should ask Jade to move in with me.

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