Page 28 of Silent Sins

“It’s completely necessary. I’m not leaving you or Kellen for the moment.”

“You have six days before the hearing, and I’m planning the party. Kellen and I will be fine.”

“I know you will. But I won’t.” Bridger raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. Whatever Mason needed to finish this op, Bridger wasn’t necessary to it. If things changed, he could fly down in a matter of hours.

But until forced to leave, he wasn’t giving up one second of time with his precious new family.

The rest of the team could easily handle this. Then, after the adoption, he’d dive back in and they could get back to the business of bringing Jane’s brother home. It wouldn’t be easy, but with God’s help and the support of his team, they could accomplish anything.

Even the seemingly impossible. Like getting Jason to let them help bring the Consortium to justice before the guy ended up dead.

Because after that, the cabal would come after the rest of them.

16

Avery blinked awake,disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. The silky sheets felt cool against her skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the sleek, modern bedroom and the heavenly, high-thread-count sheets. She sat up, the luxurious fabric pooling around her waist as memories of the previous day flooded back. Another Rain Bay employee dead, and at least one semi-truck full of stolen––or counterfeit––medication heading for the black market.

And here she was, in a borrowed mansion on the shores of Lake Washington, a world away from the gritty reality of her investigation. She slipped out of bed, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpet as she padded across the room. After a quick change of clothes, she headed down the floating staircase, the aroma of rich, freshly brewed coffee luring her toward the kitchen.

Whatever Bridger did before building the personal security firm with Mason and the others must have been highly lucrative. Either that, or the man was a trust-fund baby. No way SEAL pay stretched to cover an eight-figure home he didn’t even use.

A puzzle for another day.

She paused in the doorway, taking in the sight of Mason, his broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his t-shirt as he worked the espresso machine with the precision of a barista. The same way he seemed to do everything else. Perfectly.

As much as she appreciated his assistance, she would need to rein in his special ops tendencies to do whatever it took to obtain the objective. She needed to keep their search for evidence as legal as possible, or risk jeopardizing the entire case. It was a delicate balance, one she would have to navigate carefully as they moved forward.

He glanced up, his emerald eyes locking with hers. “Coffee’s on, or I can whip you up a cappuccino? Latte? Macchiato?”

She moved into the kitchen, brain on overload with so many choices. She pointed at the tiny cup in front of him. “Whatever you’re having is fine.”

He whistled. “Going for the straight espresso. Impressive.”

She made a face. “Belay that. Coffee’s good.” Despite spending her entire life in Seattle, in her opinion, good coffee was more cream than brew. Espresso was way out of her league.

As he poured her coffee, he nodded toward the laptop open on the granite countertop. “Say hello to the team. I’m updating them. Team, Avery. Avery, team.”

Avery leaned in, smiling at the faces on the screen. Bridger, the leader, was undeniably handsome, with a winning smile behind the dusting of stubble that only added to his rugged charm. His blue eyes sparkled with warmth and intelligence, making it easy to see why he commanded such loyalty from his team.

“Thanks for the house, Bridger. It’s incredible.”

“Mi casa es su casa,” he replied with a playful wink.

The other two men on the screen were equally impressive. The first, tall and dark-skinned with a neatly tied man-bun, exuded a quiet strength and intensity. His deep green eyes seemed to miss nothing. Avery had no doubt that he was a formidable presence both on and off the battlefield.

The second man had a lean, classical face that could have graced the pages of a high-end fashion magazine. His arresting eyes, a striking blend of green and gold, held a glint of mischief that hinted at a quick wit and a penchant for trouble. Despite his almost too-pretty appearance, there was an unmistakable air of competence about him, suggesting that he was just as skilled as his teammates.

Man-Bun loomed closer to the camera, eyebrows raised. “Yo, Mason. You didn’t mention that your mysterious FBI agent was a knockout.”

Mason’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “Avery, meet Tai. Tai, Avery.”

Tai winked at her. “Careful, bro. Keep spending time with a woman like that, you might just end up––”

“Can it, Kaholo,” Mason growled.

Their other teammate leaned into the frame. “I’m Fenn. A pleasure, Agent Ellis. I’m here to say, we’re not all as rough around the edges as my man Mason. If he gives you a hard time, feel free to let us know. Mason’s almost house trained, but we’re still working on a few of the details. Don’t let his bark––”

“Okay, briefing complete. Bye-bye.” Mason collapsed the screen.

---