Page 7 of Dangerous Devotion

“Then you’ll just have to convince everyone that Jason Adler has a doppelganger who happens to be dead.”

“Fine. That I can do. But this woman isn’t going to convince anyone that she’s with me. Why do I need her at all? I can gather intel on the bomb and she can show up later and defuse it if we need her.”

“Nice.” The sarcastic voice coming from behind him made him groan.

He swung around to see her standing in the open doorway with her bag in hand.

He cocked a brow in challenge. “Well, you started it.”

Into his ear came Con’s voice. “Stop tattling on each other.”

He pushed a breath through his nostrils. Henner was man enough to admit when he was acting like a child. Only it had never happened until now. This woman was driving him crazy and they’d only spent an hour in each other’s company. How the hell was he getting through an entire op with her?

“Focus on the mission, you two. I don’t have time for this. Charlie is rallying right now.”

Alarms blared in Henner’s body. “What’s happening, Con?”

At that moment, May’s phone vibrated with an incoming call. Tossing him a glare, she quickly closed the front door and rushed several feet away from him. She twisted her back to him before accepting the call.

“Chickie, there’s been another attack. Charlie is going now.”

“You need me. This is much more important. I’m coming now. Hold that chopper for me.”

“The Air Force was testing a new plane and there was an explosion.”

“A bomb planted on it?”

“We don’t know everything yet. People were there to watch the test, and some government workers died when shrapnel from the plane hit the crowd.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“They lost the pilot and the prototype.”

Pilots were a huge resource in the military. The government invested in their training as much as they did in aircraft or weapons.

Henner’s mind jumped between what had taken place before and what was happening now. He locked on May standing a short distance away, the phone pressed to her ear. But he wasn’t truly seeing her.

The terrorist they were after had a bomb headed to a military fort and a plane had just exploded with what they believed to be another bomb. Could the man have military connections and was making them a target?

He wanted to pose the question to Con but at that moment, May met his stare. He didn’t want her to overhear him ask so he chose to remain silent on the matter until a better time.

“Your order stands, Chickie. Go to the gala, gather intel. Find the exact location where that bomb is coming in and at what time. Then follow it. Your success is more important now than ever.”

* * * * *

May frowned at her phone, her brows pinching together. She wasn’t easily rattled.

That call she just took rattled her.

The tension between her and Henner seemed to shift on the breeze rustling the trees on her family’s property.

He took a step closer. “We have to go—now.”

She gave him a jerky nod.

A far-off expression filled his eyes. “You’re not arguing with me?”

“No.” Gripping her bag, she took off in a fast clip to the SUV. She whipped open the back door and set her bag inside just as Henner caught up.

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