Page 64 of Covert Vengeance

She blamed Jesse. It was like he’d unlocked the vault she normally kept everything in back in the garage, and now she couldn’t shut the lid anymore.

Staring at her sister, her whole chest ached. “You were already taken away from me once,” she began, horrified by the way her voice cracked but unable to keep it even. “I can’t let it happen again.”

Megan’s whole demeanor shifted, understanding and empathy filling her expression. “Oh.”

Embarrassed, Amber glanced away and cleared her throat. “I can’t lose you again. I won’t.”

Megan pushed away from the sink and started toward her. Amber stiffened, feeling raw inside and out.

But Megan didn’t stop, she came right over and wrapped Amber up in a big hug that made the backs of her eyes burn. “You won’t lose me,” she murmured, sounding confident. “Because you and Tyler and the others will all be there to make sure I’m safe.”

“It’s too big a risk.” It should behertaking all the risk. She was responsible for Zoya’s death.Shewas the one Stanislav wanted. So she should be the one placing herself in immediate danger for this op.

“It’s our best shot. And you need to be working your techy magic to make it happen. Besides, we’re out of time,” Megan pointed out, her calm tone doing nothing to slow Amber’s racing pulse. “We need to get organized and start moving so everything’s in place. This is the best plan we came up with. Now we just have to execute it. And there’s no one I trust more to keep me safe than you and Tyler.”

God dammit, Amber hated that she was right. Stanislav hadn’t given them much time to plan this.

Knowing the argument was lost, Amber gave a heavy sigh and hugged her sister to her, the top of Megan’s head coming to Amber’s cheekbone. Her chest hurt, as if her ribs were compressing her organs, and her stomach was in a knot.

“If we do this, then you need to swear to me right here and now—on our parents’ lives—that you’ll put your safety before anything else. Or any of us, or Stanislav, whatever. If something goes sideways, you get out. Immediately.” She pulled back and arched a brow. “Hear me?”

Megan made a face. “On our parents’ lives? That’s harsh, even for you.”

Tough. “Swear it.” She wasn’t screwing around. She’d rather Stanislav escape and go free than risk anything happening to her sister. She’d rather die than let anything happen to Megan.

Megan’s expression sobered, and she nodded once. “Fine, I swear.”

It was the most assurance Amber was going to get. “All right.” She nudged Megan with her elbow. “You get hurt, I’ll kill you.”

Together they walked back into the room where the others were waiting. Megan went up to Ty, curved an arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest. He slid his around her shoulder, his expression hard. Distant. Definitely as unhappy about this whole thing as Amber was.

“So, it’s plan alpha?” Trinity asked them, and received dual nods in answer. “All right, then, let’s break it all down and get started.”

Amber spent the next hour organizing her electronics and planning her attack. She was going to have to clear the entire area around the meeting point and disable all the electronics and cameras in that area to hide them during the takedown.

Jesse would provide security and backup for her while she worked. Ty would be with Megan. Georgia and Bautista would act as sniper and spotter and provide the team with an extra set of eyes from above.

Trinity would be nearby handling logistics and comms, and Kiyomi would be back here at Laidlaw Hall providing overview and mission support with Marcus’s help. She wasn’t up to anything physical, and in Amber’s opinion should still be in bed recovering, but Kiyomi had insisted on helping somehow.

They broke into teams, ran through everything one last time as a group, then everyone else left the room to gather what they needed.

Megan paused and shot her a confident smile near the door. “See you on the other side, I guess?”

She meant after the op was over, but her wording sent a chill straight through Amber’s heart. “Remember what you promised.”

Megan snorted. “Yeah, I remember. Jeez, were you always this bossy?”

“Yes.” She met Ty’s gaze in the doorway, inwardly cringed at the accusation there.Are you seriously going to let this happen?his expression said.

When she didn’t respond he turned away and stalked down the hallway. Megan stared after him, winced when he slammed the front door behind him. “I should…” She pointed a thumb toward the door.

“Go after him,” Amber said, more guilt settling on her shoulders. She stood there staring at Megan’s back until her sister slipped out of sight and out of the house.

At the hushed footsteps beside her, she glanced over at Jesse. He came up, cupped her cheek in his big hand, his eyes searching hers. “You okay?”

She lowered her gaze. There was no point in lying or pretending, he already knew the truth. “I don’t like this.”

“I know you don’t. But she’s gonna be okay. Know why?”

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