Page 40 of Protected Hearts

His gaze flashed to hers. “You’re serious?”

She nodded. “I don’t think I’m wrong. See the next date six weeks later? Look what happened the week after that.”

He jerked his head up. “Jesus Christ. A bombing.”

“I realized that almost a week, or sometimes even less, after one of William’s meetings that something big always happened. But that isn’t why he’s after me.”

“Why is he after you?” His words were chillingly calm as he set the phone down on the table between them.

“Because I found the money trail and figured out everything. He’s filtering crypto into their accounts. And I can prove it.”

“Fuck. That’s why you were so concerned about me using crypto to buy you. Shiloh, this is huge.”

She nodded, her stomach feeling wobbly. “I reached out to the CIA. I told my first handler everything, but then he disappeared. Andhissuperior never showed either.”

“Collette Drummond.”

Again, she nodded.

“I have to share this with Carson.”

She started pushing back her chair. “I’ll go with you.”

He shook his head. “You’re going for a horseback ride with my brother, Colt.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re just trying to get rid of me so the grownups can talk, right? If you think I’m going to let you tell me what to do, you’redead wrong.”

“Honey, I never would dare to try. You’re more than capable of sitting in every meeting we have at Black Heart Security.” His stare serious. “Actually, I can see how knotted up all this has made you. You know things like that concern me a lot. I’d like you to go out on the ranch and try to find peace.”

She gulped down any more protests she’d thought to make before. How could she argue with someone caring about her wellbeing?

“I see.”

He brushed his knuckles across her cheek with so much tenderness that tears formed in her eyes. “Seriously, Shiloh. You amaze me.”

* * * * *

Carson leaned against his desk, arms crossed. Heavy creases of responsibility were etched on his face. Now that they knew what was going on, they both knew the matter was much, much bigger than protecting a woman from a kidnapping threat.

The ceiling fan whirred overhead. It wasn’t even a warm day, but the clouds rolling in made the atmosphere heavy.

Oaks eyed his brother. “What are you thinking?”

“This is bigger than what I thought.”

He nodded. “I’ve suspected it’s pretty big. It’s highly unusual for a handler to disappear. We’d better make some inquiries into Collette Drummond.”

Carson drew out his desk chair. The wheels whirred across the floor. When he took a seat, his fingers went straight to his keyboard.

“Get out your phone,” he told Oaks. “Call this contact.” Carson read off the number.

Oaks dialed. While he spoke to that person and was transferred to several more, Carson performed online searches. Though a counterintelligence agent would be well buried in the system, Carson and Oaks both knew people.

A year or so back, they believed their younger brother Denver dead, killed during a mission. But Oaks had a hunch that the record was false, and he’d been correct. After some digging, they learned Denver was really part of SEAL Team Blackout, a special ops unit so deeply undercover that they were known as dead men walking.

Through some very obscure channels, Oaks managed to get word to their brother and they reconnected for a single phone call. It was enough to ease the minds of all the Malones, especially Willow’s. She and Denver were close, and his death had shut her down for a long time.

Oaks was pretty sure the minute Willow set eyes on Denver again, she would probably deliver a swift kick to the balls for causing them all pain.

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