Page 44 of Healer's Call

She hugs me. “Thanks for letting me. See you on the other side.”

I head to the meeting room to get mic’d up. Upon entering the conference room, I hear a low whistle, and my face heats. “Wow Healer, you clean up well!” Jacob says. My face burns, and I turn my face away from him and just happen to lock eyes with Maverick. He scowls at me, and I bite my lip. Then I decide I’m not going to let myself respond like that. I lift my chin. I want to be the old me, not thescared of her own shadowme. I walk confidently over to Cade, glad that wearing heels is kind of like riding a bike. It just comes back to me naturally.

“What do I need to do?” I ask him.

“Stu, it’s go time.”

I spend the next thirty minutes getting hooked up and tested. I feel like an undercover agent. I’m wearing a pair of dark glassesthat record picture and audio when I tap a tiny button on the side. I have a tiny earbud in my ear that you can’t see when I pull my hair over my ear. That’s so I can hear the team talking to me. Finally, they deem me ready to go. “What about the officer?” I ask.

“Mike?” Cade asks. “He’ll meet us at the restaurant.”

“Couldn’t he just be my co-worker or something? Why does he need to be my husband?”

“We put a fake company in your name. It wouldn’t be odd for your husband to attend a meeting with you. I think it will be smoother and easier to fake your way through.”

I nod. “Okay.”

Cade bends over Stu for a moment before standing up. “Okay, let’s go.”

Amber intercepts me and gives me a hug. “Thank you for doing this. Don’t worry; Cade will keep you safe. And Mav,” she whispers.

I follow the group of shifters out to the cars. “Healer, you’re with me,” Mav says as he strides towards one of the vehicles, and I follow him. Cade, Stu, and Eli climb in another car. Van opens the door to the backseat of our car and slides in.

It’s a silent ride into the city, and I do my best to keep my nerves at bay. But the closer we get to the city, the more nervous I get. Maverick glances over at me twice but doesn’t say anything; I have no doubt he can hear my racing heart. We pull onto a side street and park behind Cade’s car, and I climb out of the car and straighten my outfit. Van walks over to the other car and slides in the backseat, and I try not to fidget with my hands. Mav comes over and leans against the car beside me. “If you get worried at any point or fear for your safety, just stand up from the table. I'll get you out.” He doesn’t look at me as he says the words but rather, looks straight ahead. “For what it’s worth, I didn’t want you to do this.” I bite my lip, unsure what to say.

“Maverick,” a man’s voice says behind me. I turn and see a tall good-looking guy with a serious expression on his face.

Maverick steps forward and puts out his hand. “Mike.”

Mike turns to me. “Rose?”

“Yes.”

His face doesn’t change. “You ready for this?”

“I’m trying to be.”

“Hey, Mike,” Cade says, coming over to us. “Thank you for being willing to do this.” He hands him a small earpiece, and Mike immediately puts it in his ear.

“Of course.” They shake hands. “You have everything set? I’d like to get in there early.”

“Let me just get a signal from Stu, and we’ll send you in.” Cade walks back to the car.

Mike turns to me. “I take my roles seriously; I work undercover a lot. Whatever happens in there, just remember it’s all for show. And don’t forget, my name is Rick for this.”

I swallow and nod, wondering just what exactly I got into here. Before I can ask him to clarify, Cade walks back over. “Rose, try your glasses for me.”

“Oh, yeah.” I put on the glasses and push the button. I don’t have any indication that it’s working.

“It works,” a voice says in my ear, and I jump.

“Probably better work on that,” Mike says as he steps up next to me.

“I know. Sorry.”

“Rose, turn around,” I hear in my ear. I’m beginning to recognize Stu’s voice. “Turn all the way around giving me a 360—Slowly.” I slow my movements. “There you go. Perfect. We’re just bringing everything into focus. It looks good. Go ahead and speak for a moment.”

“Uh, hi this is Rose.”

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