Page 18 of Marked for Danger

“I don’t disagree.” Izzy held the other woman’s empathetic stare. “I just don’t think Olly is the guy to stop him.”

“Maybe not.” Sgt. Riedell sat back in his chair. “But right now, your brother’s our best option.”

Her chest felt tight and the nausea was growing stronger. “How do you know he’ll even agree to work for you?”

“We don’t.” Hunt rested his hands on his narrow hips. “That’s why we’d like you to be the one to talk him into it.”

Forget the nausea, Izzy suddenly found herself struggling to catch her breath. “You just spent the last several minutes telling me how disgustingly dangerous Dante Valdez is. Now you’re telling me you want me to talk my brother into getting close to the guy so he can record his confession to murder and…all the other stuff you say this man’s done?”

“Yes.” Cam’s expression softened with understanding. “It’s a big ask, we know. But this man has to be stopped, hopefully sooner rather than later.”

It wasn’t a big ask. It was massive. And even if Izzy wanted to play along with the whole crazy scheme…

“I haven’t seen or spoken to my brother in over two years. I-I…I didn’t even know he was in town.” She swallowed the painful knot that admission created and went on. “How can you be so sure he’ll even talk to me?”

“He nearly killed a man to protect you.”

Looking up at the man still standing to her right, Izzy didn’t bother asking how he knew about that. “Yes, Agent Hunt. He did. And his life has been nothing but jail, drugs, and heartache ever since. All because he wanted to help me. To think he’d want to put himself in danger like that again simply because I asked him to…”

“That’s all we’re looking for here, Izzy.” Cam’s petite hand rested on Izzy’s shoulder. “We’re just asking you to try.”

She considered this for a moment and then, “I don’t even know where he’s staying. Like I said, Olly never even called to let me know he was back in Denver.”

Right on cue, Hunt held out a small piece of paper with an address scribbled across it in black ink. “This is where your brother’s currently staying. It’s a low-income housing unit down on XXX. I’ll give you two guesses as to who owns the building.”

Izzy didn’t need two guesses. She didn’t need toguessat all. Dante Valdez owned the building where Olly was staying.

He worked for the guy and lived in an apartment owned by him. It might not take much to get close enough for a taped confession…

“What if I did it?”

All three sets of eyes lasered in on her, but it was Hunt who spoke up first.

“What if you did what?”

“Is Valdez single?” Izzy didn’t wait for an actual response. “If he is, you could use me. I could reconnect with Olly, make sure to put myself in a position to be introduced to Valdez…I flirt a little and try to get him to ask me out. You fit me with the wire and camera, he and I go on a date…I work him until I get what you need. That way you get your guy and Olly stays safe.”

“I appreciate the offer, Izzy, but no.” Sgt. Riedell shot her idea down without hesitation. “It’s too dangerous.”

“You’re willing to risk my brother’s life to get what you want. Why not mine?”

“It’s different.”

“A life is a life, Sergeant.”

From across the desk, Grady’s boss stared her down. “I know what you’re trying to do, and I get it. I also respect you for it. But it’s not going to happen.”

“What about you?” She looked over at Hunt. “You said the FBI’s been after Valdez for a long time. Don’t you have a say in the decision?”

“I do.” The man’s expression was as stiff as his neatly pressed suit. “And I agree with Sgt. Riedell. The whole reason we called you in here was to explain the situation in hopes that you’d convince your brother to help us. Not so you could use yourself as bate.”

“Who does or doesn’t put themselves in the line of fire shouldn’t matter. What’s important is theresults. I’m telling you, I can get them.”

“The offer is appreciated, but your request is denied.”

When Izzy looked back at the man behind the desk, she realized any further argument would be futile. Riedell had made up his mind, as had SAC Hunt.

“We understand your need to protect your brother.” Cam rejoined the conversation. “But we’ve looked at this from every possible angle. Trust me when I say Olly is our best option. And if he is involved with Valdez’s illegal dealings, I think it’s safe to say your brother’s in way over his head.”

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