Page 4 of Matrix

Pointing her gun at her heart, I narrow my gaze and ask the question I’ve been dying to ask since the ambush at the campground. “Who the fuck are you?”

Chapter 2: Daisy

This isn’t the first time someone’s pointed a gun at me, but it might be the last. I’ve never seen Matrix this furious. Now that my cover’s blown, I’m in a world of trouble. Underground Vengeance, Matrix’s MC, is one of the most secretive and deadliest clubs in Montana. The only other club that comes even close is the Demon Riders. That group of thugs is covertly funded by Jonathan Blackstone, the Silicon Valley billionaire who was just elected governor of Montana. At least one of the men at the campground is affiliated with the Demon Riders. I’ve seen their FBI files. I’d recognize their faces anywhere. But they aren’t my biggest problem right now; Matrix is. If I don’t talk fast, he’ll kill me and bury my body where no one will ever find it.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” The darkness in his gaze sends shivers down my spine. He’s not messing around. If I don’t tell him who I am, he’ll kill me. If I confess my secrets, he might murder me anyway. I’m screwed no matter what I do, so I might as well tell him the truth.

“I’m an undercover FBI agent.”

“No shit. Why?”

“It’s complicated.”

“We’ve got all night. I’m going to take my pants off. If you move a fucking hair, I’ll shoot.”

He glares until I shift uncomfortably. He keeps the gun trained on me while sliding his soaked sweatpants down past his muscular thighs. Although he’s wearing tan boxer briefs, he may as well be naked because the cloth is plastered to his skin. Everything is on display.Everything.

I tear my gaze away from his huge bulge, hoping he doesn’t notice the flush hitting my cheeks. When I glance back, he’s frowning. He saw it and clearly didn’t like it. I shouldn’t be looking at him like that anyway. He’s not someone I could ever date, not just because he’s pointing a gun at me but because he’s a criminal. I’m supposed to uphold the law, not break it. But every time I look at this man, all I want to do is break the rules.

His pants pool by his ankles as he removes his boots with one hand. I’m tempted to take advantage of the distraction. I could try to push him over so I can regain control of the situation, but he still has the gun, which makes it too risky. I’ve seen him in action. He’s faster than a hawk hunting a field mouse. I don’t stand a chance.

After setting his boots and socks in front of the fire, he stands with his back to the flames. He’s still wearing his black sweatshirt, probably because he’d have to set the gun down to remove it. That’s good because I don’t think I could handle him shirtless, too.

Our eyes lock. Heat rushes through me, pebbling my nipples before cascading to pool low and tight in my body. He has no idea what he does to me. Whenever he’s around, I can’t control myself. A single glance from him sets my body on fire. Frankly, it’s humiliating. I’ve been good about hiding my reaction to him because it’s my job to stay focused. It’s been hard to ignore the electricity between us, but it has to be done. I’ve got to focus. I can’t forget I’m a professional. This isn’t the worst situation I’ve been in, not even close. I’ll find a way out of this mess, too. I just need an escape plan.

“I am—was—part of a sting operation tasked with capturing local human traffickers.” I pause, unsure of exactly how much information I’ll need to disclose to gain his trust.

“Those girls at the campground.”

“Yes. They’re victims. We didn’t have intel on how many would be involved with this trade. We just knew they’d be there. Our objective was to stop the handoff, rescue the girls, and take the traffickers into custody.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No.” I sigh and drop my chin to my chest.

“Why not?”

“I was supposed to have backup. This wasn’t even my primary assignment.”

“What was?” He leans against the wall while keeping the gun trained on me.

A dozen responses pop into my mind, but only one is the truth. “Infiltrate Underground Vengeance.”

“For what purpose?”

“The official one?” When he nods, I continue, “We know Scar helped his wife, Julia, protect Max Curtis from his father. The field agent in charge of that case hasn’t given up on finding the boy.”

“Max is safe.”

“Where is he?” There’s no way he’ll tell me, but I’m asking anyway. Maybe he’ll let something slip that will lead us to the missing child.

“So, you lied to us so you could spy for the Feds?” he asks, ignoring my question.

“Yes.” I look away quickly, hoping he won’t see I’m still not telling him the full truth.

“How long were you planning on pretending to be a club girl?”

“There wasn’t a specific timeframe. They left it open-ended.”

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