Page 93 of S.O.S. Perk

“Hey,” Perk took her arm and led her off to the perimeter of the small, dirt lot where they all stood, conferring and making sure their equipment worked. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

“You can’t say that,” Sloane grumbled. “You know how these things can go sideways in a blink.”

“I do. But hey. It’s me, right? Six-foot, badass me against nerdy Jeremy and his spa-queen mother,” Perk quipped.

His teasing wasn’t working.

“A pair who kidnapped Kaelyn and probably killed Felix Nelsin,” Sloane growled. “Don’t underestimate them, Perk,” she warned, moving close, unable to keep herself from playing absently with the collar of his jacket.

There was nothing she wanted more than to grab Perk, throw him into her car, and drive away, but…it was probably just stupid fear making her so edgey, especially now that the investigation was escalating.

Still, Sloane wasn’t keen on sending Perk into the lioness’s den because of personal concerns, too; like having the bitch’s hands all over him. But she knew it was nearing “go” time onallfronts, and they couldn’t pick and choose their jobs, nor the side effects.

This afternoon Perk would make every effort to break into Mrs. Nelsin’s computer; a move he now knew exactly how to accomplish, thanks to Sarge, but first he’d definitely have to suck up to the woman, and Sloane would have to listen to it happening. Live.

Well, shit.

The last time Perk had braved Jennifer-the-bitch’s private lair, he hadn’t worn communication devices, but hehadworn a wire that had recorded their deeply unsettling conversation.

Sloane had listened to it once she’d had access, and every time she recalled the sick, overt moves Nelsin had put on Perk, it made her see red.

If the woman so much as touched Perk’s nether-parts today while Sloane wasactivelymonitoring, her fellow agents might have to hold her down to keep from going in to kill the fucking perv.

“Sloane? You going to be okay?” Perk asked, his brows scrunching together in concern as he carefully watched the play of poorly hidden emotions running across her face. “We do this kind of stuff all the time. You know that. There’s nothing different happening today that we haven’t seen and been a part of dozens and dozens of times.”

Then why was she having these creepy-crawly feelings that something was going to go wrong?

Were her heebie-jeebies real, or were they because the person heading into unknown, potential danger, was Perk? And should she shut her nervous, nervous-system down if it were just a knee-jerk reaction?Normallyshe wouldn’t dismiss the prickles on the back of her neck. Every agent, every operative, everyone in the field of defense learned to trust those instincts when they screamed “danger”. Was this one of those prescient times, or was Sloane just being super sensitive because it was Perk?

“I know.” Sloane drew in a huge, fortifying breath, acknowledging Perk’s reassurances. But… It was time she gave Perksomeindication of where her head was at. “I, uh, like you, Perk.”

That sounded lame, but he grinned in response, which gave her courage.

“I mean, Ireallylike you,” she amended, then watched that cocky grin of his turn soft.

“I like you, too,” Perk imparted tenderly, bending down to whisper. “And youknowI love you,” he added for her ears only. He lifted up and perused her face, almost daring her to declare it herself before they said goodbye.

But she couldn’t. Not yet.

“I’m almost there, Perk. I swear it. If I can just start trusting my instincts…” Her eyes snapped open wide.

Trust her instincts.

Yes.That’s exactly what she needed to do.

“Listen. I think you’re headed into trouble,” she blurted out. “I’m not sure why, but my gut is screaming at me that something bad is about to go down.”

Perk’s face grew serious.

“You’re armed, right?” she asked a little frantically.

“I am.” Perk bent again, this time to pat the inside of his left ankle before standing back up. He regarded her with a gravity that said he was taking her worries in earnest. “And I promise, I won’t take any chances.”

“Okay, then. Go.”

God, those were the hardest words she’d ever said. Probably even harder than—

Instead of blurting out something she might regret during a last second panic, Sloane used Perk’s lapels to pull him down, planting a firm kiss on his cold lips.

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