Page 49 of Dangerous Lies

18

GINGER

Ginger entered the Rogue Mercenary side entrance. His mind was still on the conversation he had with his handler. They agreed to part ways. He thought he would be sad when he stepped away from the only life he knew for years, but he was excited to see what his next chapter would bring.

Lucas had popped the lock the second he came near the door. This wasn’t his first time in the building. It looked like a warehouse from the outside, but inside, everything was sleek and modern. The place had a state-of-the-art gym. Hell, it even had an indoor pool and ice tubs.

He understood why so many wanted to work for Xavier. The man also paid his people top dollar. But it wasn’t like the man had a job board. They recruited every person who worked for him.

Ginger headed straight for the large conference room down the hall.Several of the team members were already there.

Lucas had a Cherry Coke and a bag of M&M’s next to him. Xavier was in basketball shorts and a white shirt.

Ginger stopped, realizing he’d never seen the man in anything but a suit.

Grim was typing away on her computer as he took a seat across from Lucas.

“We have any updates?”Ginger asked,

Xavier downed a bottle of water before he spoke. “Brittany’s back in San Diego, which makes me think Carter’s here. She didn’t hide. The damn woman looked right in the camera and winked. Shit’s going to go down.”

Ginger thought about Rose. “I should get to the house.”

Lucas hit a couple of keys on his keyboard, and the cameras from the safe house came up on the screen. Rose was washing cups at the sink.

Ginger scowled. “Not sure how I feel about you having access to see whenever you want.”

After they tucked Tyler into bed one night, he’d laid Rose out on the kitchen counter and licked whipped cream and chocolate off her body.

“Your sex tapes are safe with us.” Lucas laughed. “Heaven knows the boss man has enough to fill a vault.”

Ginger hadn’t ever seen Xavier with a woman, but he hadn’t seen the man outside of work much either.

Xavier didn’t respond to the jab. “How did the meeting with your handler go, Ginger?”

“They said my medical records aren’t an issue, and I can work for them. I told them I wanted out. He didn’t seem very happy, but in the end, he agreed. I’m officially unemployed.”

Xavier nodded. “I have connections to get you back into SEAL training if you want, but the doctors have to clear you first.”

Ginger opened his mouth to respond when a car pulled up to his house on the screen, which caught his attention. “Who’s that?”

Lucas zoomed in, and Ginger’s gut dropped as Evan stepped out of the vehicle and a second man stepped out the passenger side.

“Who is the other person?” His hands shook as he stood from the table. He was at least an hour away from the house. Rose was at the door by the time he had his phone out of his pocket. “Fuck!”

“I have to agree,” Lucas said. “Not sure how, but that is Aden. The fucker isn’t dead, and this explains the accomplice shit.”

Ginger turned to leave when Xavier placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You can’t drive.”

Xavier was taller and probably quicker, but nobody would stop Ginger from getting to Rose and Tyler. God, his son, was in the house.

“Like fuck you will stop me.”

“From driving? Yes, I will. From jumping in my helicopter? No. Let’s go.”

Ginger’s shoulders relaxed a smidge as Lucas stood with his laptop in one hand and his soda in the other.

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