Page 30 of Security Breach

“How does the company survive without advertising?”

“Word of mouth recommendations only. Maddox’s teams are the best in the black ops community and in high demand. They don’t need to advertise.”

“How did you hear about them?”

“Maddox is a SEAL, and the spec ops community is close knit. I heard about Maddox and his company before I left the Navy.”

“Did you apply for a job with Fortress when you came home?”

He smiled. “Maddox doesn’t accept applications. The only way into Fortress is for Maddox to ask you to come in for an interview.”

“And he wants you and your brothers to interview with him. Will you do it?”

“I’m busy at the moment.” He sent her a meaningful glance. He’d missed so much time with Emma, and he wouldn’t leave her until she was safe.

“You won’t always be distracted with my situation. Do you want to work for Fortress?”

His smile faded. The idea would be a dream come true except for two things. One, he loved his job as sheriff. Keeping Morgan County citizens safe was a high honor. Two, he didn’t want to cause Emma undue stress with his absences. As a Fortress employee, he’d spend more time away from Emma. His responsibilities as sheriff didn’t fit into traditional office hours. He’d lost count of the number of nights he got off shift late because of a crisis or paperwork. “Would it bother you if I accepted the job?”

“I want you to be happy, David. If working for Fortress is what you want, go for it.”

“I’ll be gone for a few days each month.”

“If the Butcher is behind bars, I’ll be safe. If he’s still loose, you can arrange protection for me while you’re gone.”

If the Butcher was still free and looking for Emma, David wouldn’t accept Fortress missions. Trusting her safety to someone else wasn’t happening.

He couldn’t make the decision now. Other factors were at play along with other people to consult before he could decide.

David wouldn’t let Emma slip from his life again. If him doing black ops work a few days a month distressed her, he’d refuse the offer.

Another factor in accepting the offer was his brothers’ agreement to join him. The Montgomerys were a team. He trusted them to have his back just as he would have theirs. If his brothers refused the offer, so would David. “I haven’t decided yet, but if you don’t want me to take the job, I’ll refuse the offer without discussing the option with my brothers.”

She brushed her lips over his. “I handled your deployments for months at a time as a SEAL. I’ll deal with absences for a few days a month. The only thing I want is for you to be happy.”

“You make me happy,” he murmured, and captured her mouth in a series of long, deep, drugging kisses. His hand cradled the back of her head. Man, he adored this woman.

When he lifted his head, Emma moaned. “No, not yet.”

He started to lower his head for more pulse-pounding kisses when his phone rang. He sighed. Lousy timing.

David checked the readout on his screen. A blocked number. Had to be someone from Fortress. He swiped his thumb across the screen and hit the speaker button. “Montgomery.”

“Zane Murphy. Maddox asked me to help with online searches, Sheriff.”

“It’s David, and you’re on speaker with Emma.”

“Hello, Emma.”

“Hi, Zane. Thanks for helping us.”

“Glad to do it. The boss tells me you’re a tough lady.”

She drew in a sharp breath. “Really?”

“He says exactly what he means, Emma. David, how can I help?”

David summarized what had happened since Emma’s family was attacked at the beach. “This guy keeps finding Emma even when the Marshals gave her a new identity and moved her to another location. I need to capture the killer before he finishes this sick game or crawls into a hole so deep I won’t find him until he strikes at us or another innocent person. How much of a rule follower are you?”

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