Page 12 of Breaking Into Love

“And Emma and Sophia became Enforcers,” Tor said. “The first two females to participate in the Enforcer project you’ve been helping with, I believe.”

“You did do your research,” I agreed then sat up straighter as I realized what he’d said. “Who sent you the orders to come get me?”

“Liege Commander Diamato,” Tor replied without pause. “Direct order from his personal unit.”

I shook my head. “I just spoke with him this morning. He never sent that order.”

“What?” Now, it was Tor who sat up straight, almost tipping me off his lap.

“I spoke with the Commander this morning. He said he never sent you to get me.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Webb and I wouldn’t have just gone after you on our own. We were obeying orders.”

“I believe you,” I assured him. “I’m just wondering who sent you the message and why.”

“It had to be someone with access to his personal communication unit,” Tor added. “That limits the possibilities.”

“I’ll mention that when I talk to him in the morning. He hasn’t contacted you?”

Tor shook his head. “Not sure why not since you spoke with him earlier. Surely, he doesn’t think Webb and I would go rogue and come after you.”

“When did you find out about my part in analyzing the list of Enforcers for the Alpha Squad Project?”

“Weeks ago. Webb mentioned our desire to take part in it, and the Commander told us we’d been assessed and declined for it. Webb was a little angry,” Tor offered, and I snorted. I could only imagine how mad Webb had been then. “We did a little digging and were given your name.”

“Maybe, the Commander thinks you’ve been plotting to make me pay for that,” I suggested.

He shook his head. “Not possible. He knows the men we are. He knows better than to think either Webb or I would be capable of such subterfuge.”

“So maybe, he thinks you were coming to change my mind?”

“We’d like to. I hope we’ve already begun that. But it was a play of circumstance, not something we plotted well in advance. No, I think it’s more that he doesn’t know who sent the message and wants to check before contacting us. He knows you’re safe with us.”

I lifted a brow. “He did ask me if I thought I was in any danger.”

“Are you?”

I shook my head. “No, of course not.”

“I’m not speaking of Webb and me. I mean is there anyone who would want you to disappear? Are you working on anything that someone might not want you to figure out?”

“No, my current project is to decipher the code that’s coming out of the Fifth. I’m not the only intelligence officer working on it, though.”

“Then maybe, it has something to do with Webb and me.”

“Made many enemies?”

“More than I can count, but most of them are dead or locked away never to see the stars again, much less travel them. They wouldn’t be able to get the Commander’s unit and send a message.”

“I can’t imagine he leaves it lying around anywhere,” I guessed. “It would have to be someone close to him.”

“What about the Fifth? Did you mention where we were headed?”

I nodded. “Yes. He said he’d find out exactly where and meet us there.”

“So he’s worried something’s up,” Tor said. “I’ll see if I can send him a coded message. Take us a little off course, if possible. The coordinates are locked in, but there are ways to change them. You said you’re speaking with him again in the morning?”

“He said he wanted to hear from me every morning.”