Page 3 of Lost (Powertools: The Shields 2)

“I believe you know our target.” Jordan cleared his throat then nodded to James, who displayed a picture on the giant screen.

Kennedy’s breath left her lungs in a whoosh and she doubled over as if someone had punched her in the stomach. The hardened face, the tattoos, the broad shoulders and cut muscles—those were all new. But those eyes. She would never forget those eyes as long as she lived.

“Knox?” Her response sounded strangled even to herself. She couldn’t believe she’d uttered his name nearly ten years after swearing to forget it. Forget him. Forget the wounds he’d inflicted that had long since scarred over.

Then suddenly she was laughing, maybe a bit hysterically. She swiped a tear from the corner of one eye, hoping her teammates thought it was from her cackling and not the bittersweet memories that rushed her at the sight of his world-weary expression.

Sola leaned in. She put her hand on Kennedy’s shoulder and murmured, “You don’t have to do this. It’s not as easy as I make it seem sometimes. Especially if you have a history with this dude.”

Kennedy winged a glance at Marcus, who stewed.

It was the dead last thing she should do in the world, but she found herself saying, “I don’t know why you think this is going to work, Jordan. Knox left me without a look back. He loves drugs more than anything and I can’t imagine that’s gotten any better hanging around the Vipers for the past ten years.”

Marcus snarled under his breath, “Fucking dumbass.”

“He’s sick.” Kennedy whipped her stare to him. The problem had been that she hadn’t been able to cure him. Not then and she wouldn’t be able to now no matter how much training she had. That wasn’t what they were asking of her, though. They were only requesting she help keep him alive long enough so he could in turn provide information that would save hundreds or thousands of others.

Son of a bitch.

“I understand,” Jordan’s quiet compassion was almost harder to bear than Marcus’s righteous anger. “But you’re our best shot. And Ransom is right—these guys don’t fuck around. He’s on borrowed time. Try to persuade him, however necessary, to come here with you and cooperate with us. If all else fails, we need you to distract him long enough that we can take him into protective custody and go from there.”

So it was either seduce him and risk breaking herself, or don’t and watch him die.

It was no choice at all. Hell, she’d regretted nearly half her life not being able to save him the first time around. Maybe she could at least have a second chance at that. There wasn’t a single waver left in her voice when she confirmed, loud enough for everyone in the room to clearly hear, “I’m in.”

“Thank you.” Jordan relaxed ever so slightly. “And if you change your mind, tell me. We’ll figure something else out.”

Marcus stared at her, but she shook her head. She wasn’t going to back out. Not because she felt pressured, but because a part of her she didn’t want to acknowledge was more excited than it should be about her latest assignment.

She hated Knox. But she loved him too. Even after all this time and how thoroughly he’d shattered her heart.

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