Page 8 of Matrix

“I think we can work together. We both want to take down Blackstone but for different reasons.”

“Do you know why we want him locked up or dead?” he asks slowly.

“No, but it doesn’t matter to me. I want to find my sister. I took this undercover job when I heard you were watching Blackstone. You have information I can’t access, and I have resources you could never dream of. If we work together—”

“We don’t ride with Feds.”

“I’m not asking you to ride with us. I’m asking you to help me find my sister. The FBI hasn’t made any headway in months. I know you’re the one who leaked the video of Blackstone and Senator McNash talking about trafficking kids.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Liar.”

His smirk makes my belly flip. I hate that my body reacts to him so viscerally. It’s ridiculous. He’s so disgustingly sexy that I cream the hell out of my panties every time he walks into the room, but I can’t ever let him touch me. Not that he wants to. He’s had every opportunity to make a move in the last few months, yet he never did. Going undercover as a club girl included the possibility that I’d have to seduce one of the members. I never could pull the trigger on that because the only guy who sets my body on fire also seems to hate me. Now that he knows I’m a Fed, Matrix probably despises me.

Outside, the sound of a truck cuts through the night. Matrix grabs my weapon and walks to the window. He pushes back the curtain with the barrel of the gun. “Boys are here.”

“Yours?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you going to tell them?”

“Don’t know yet.”

Footsteps pound up the porch. A hard knock sounds on the door. When Matrix opens it, Scar, Nitro, Talon, and Reaper storm in with guns drawn. They encircle me with enough firepower to blow me into the next county.

“We got the distress signal,” Scar says, not taking his eyes off me.

“Why the hell are we here at …” Nitro glances at his watch. “The ass-crack of dawn?”

“Because she’s a Fed,” Matrix says, pointing at me.

“The fuck?” Talon gasps.

“No way,” Nitro says.

“Basement?” Reaper asks in that low, deadly tone that terrifies me to the core.

“Yep,” Matrix says.

“Wait! I can explain!”

Reaper pulls a zip tie out of his cut while Talon grabs my arms and pulls them behind my back. I’m trussed up before I even have the chance to put up a fight. They’re a lethal team, and I’m at their complete mercy.

As Reaper pushes me toward the door, Matrix grabs his semi-dry pants and pulls them on.

“Why’s your ass hanging out anyway?” Talon asks.

“Long story.” Matrix’s silver eyes meet mine. “I’ll tell you when we get back to the clubhouse.”

“Can’t wait to hear this shit,” Scar grumbles.

Reaper opens the rear hatch of the SUV and pushes me inside. As I scramble to right myself, he gets in beside me and pulls the hatch closed, locking us in. The others get in, and soon, we’re headed back toward the clubhouse. I don’t know what Matrix will do with me. It might not even be up to him. Federal agents are usually killed when their cover is blown. Will that be my fate? If I die today, how will my sister ever be rescued?

I blink back tears because the last thing I want is to show any weakness. I can’t worry about my sister until I get away from these men. That’s priority number one. After I escape, I’ll report back to the bureau and find out why backup didn’t come. Then I’ll get back to searching for my sister.

Today couldn’t have gone any worse, but it’s not over until I’m six feet under. Until that happens, I’ve still got a chance to make it out of this mess alive.

---