NINE

Zarek

"Are you fucking insane?" I bellowed at Logan as I quickly followed Leora to my bedroom, anger coursing through me.

The moment I entered, I realized my grave mistake—I hadn't knocked. Leora had taken off the T-shirt I had given her, her bare back exposed to me, clad only in her black panties as she turned her dress inside out. Hastily, I shut the door behind me to prevent anyone else from walking in on this private moment.

She glanced over her shoulder, a shudder rippling through her. "I guess it's your turn to watch me change and then get the fuck out of your space," she said, her voice laced with icy detachment.

"You're not leaving. It's not safe," I insisted, my concern peaking.

"Didn't you already neutralize the threat? Isn't that guy in your custody?" she huffed, frustration evident in her tone .

I sighed deeply, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "No. He ran away. And he has more people on your tail. On my tail , fuck. Just… stay. Please, Leora."

Then, in a move that completely shattered my defenses, she turned around, exposing her breasts to me. I struggled to maintain eye contact, but my gaze involuntarily dropped, despite my best efforts. I swallowed as I studied the soft curves of her ample breasts, the tempting brown peeks desperate for my mouth. A small, knowing smile played on her lips.

"Like what you see?" She whispered softly.

A ragged breath escaped me as I felt my cock harden under my sweatpants.

God, these sweatpants won't stop from tenting.

As I approached her, my eyes involuntarily drifted to the bruise on her neck—a vivid reminder of yesterday's fuck up. A surge of fury washed over me again, momentarily overshadowing the fact that she was half-naked in my bedroom, on the verge of leaving.

Gently, I brushed the back of my hand against her throat, tracing the line down to the bruise on her shoulder. Leaning in close, my jaw brushed her arm as I picked up my T-shirt from the bed and draped it over her, covering her. Her eyes held mine in a steady gaze, and when she finally closed them as the fabric settled over her skin, I nearly lost it.

Thoughts of pressing my lips to hers left me momentarily dizzy with longing.

"You're not going anywhere, Leora. Not until this case is wrapped up," I said, my voice tight with an effort to keep steady.

"And what about my work? I have a job, you know?"

I nodded. "For now, you need to stay hidden. They were probably following you this whole time."

"And what about you? Have you been following me these past few weeks, too?" Her question was direct.

"Yes," I admitted, feeling the weight of the confession.

She just nodded, her expression unreadable.

I rushed to justify my actions, "I needed to ensure—"

"Did you trash my apartment, too?"

I slowly shook my head, averting her icy gaze. "No. That was Calzone. One of the guys from that night."

"And the car, tailing me?"

"That was me." I said. "Leora. You need to understand—"

She raised her hand, silencing me. "I need to know what all you did. Were you following me prior to that night?"

"No. That was the first time I met you." Then I corrected myself. "Saw you."

"And after that?"

I took a deep breath, ready to take the plunge. "After that night, I followed you around work and tailed you during your commute. Then I saw Calzone entering your apartment and we had a…disagreement at your place. I'm sorry for the mess, by the way."

"Continue." She said blankly.

I cleared my throat off the lump that was lodged there. I knew my next words would make her hate me. Well, more than she already did. "I installed a camera in your living room." I heard her gasp, but I forced myself to continue. "And your balcony. And your bedroom."

She was shaking with anger, now. Her nostrils flared. "So, you saw me. Heard me calling you a fucking coward, which you are, by the way."

I closed my eyes and nodded, cursing myself for admitting that I'd been watching her.

Fuck. Stalking her.

"Why? You said you weren't flirting. So, why did you go to all these lengths? In the name of protection?"

"It started out that way." I said, the guilt becoming unbearable. "But I wanted to see you more. Protect you. Because it was my fault you were in this mess."

Her nod was contemplative. She studied my face for a bit and then, out of nowhere, threw me a curveball. "Do you have 14oz boxing gloves?"

Her question was so unexpected it momentarily wiped the guilt from my face.

"I'm sorry?" I blinked, confused.

"Boxing gloves. I want to punch this anger away. Or would you rather me punch your face right now?" she hissed.

I hesitated. "I–uh–only have the regular 16oz. Are you sure you're okay, though? Yesterday was—"

"That Logan guy can spar with me," she said curtly, ignoring my concerns.

"I can spar with you, too?" I asked gently, knowing I'd be shut down.

"No. I'd rather spar with someone who isn't a coward."

I managed a nod.

"Just tell him to keep his thoughts to himself," she added sharply .

I nodded again, still confused at her random request and left her in the room. Once downstairs, I sought out Amelia for some gym clothes. She handed them over with a knowing smirk.

Returning to my room, I found Leora had put the T-shirt back on and was waiting.

"Here," I handed her the clothes. "These are Amelia's."

"Is that her alias?"

"No. It's her real name… I think. Maybe she lied to us, who knows," I said with a light smile.

"What is this place? You're clearly not a cop," she asked, pulling the T-shirt over her head to change into the gym clothes. I turned around, playing the role of a gentleman, giving her privacy.

"It's a safe house and the headquarters of an intelligence division of law enforcement." I told her half the truth.

"So, you're like the FBI?"

"Sort of."

"And is stalking civilians part of your job description?"

"Only the ones that are in danger." I replied, turning back to face her just as she finished slipping into the shorts. "And don't ever show that body to anyone else like you did with me."

"Why?" she said defiantly.

My gaze hardened, unable to tear away from her, "Because not everyone will be as unaffected by it."

"So you were unaffected by it?"

"I'm trained not to get distracted by mere breasts, Leora."

Her face fell but kept her chin up.

"Understood. Now, tell your little Logan to bring his best in the ring," she challenged, her tone light yet determined.

I forced a smile, "There's no ring. It's just a matted gym."

She nodded, then headed to the door, poised and ready, leaving me to stew in my stupidity.

???

Thirty minutes later, I entered the gym to find Logan and Leora sparring. Logan was clearly holding back, his punches pulled and combinations far from lethal. Leora, on the other hand, displayed competent skills, though her punches seemed more like extensions of her arms rather than powerful blows originating from her core. When she attempted a body kick, I noticed the lack of protection on her shins. Grabbing the smallest shin guards that Amelia used, I walked over to intervene.

"Here. You need these before you injure yourself," I handed them over.

"Thanks," Leora said, panting.

I nodded at them to continue and walked back to a buzzing phone.

"Rivera 32577," I answered with my squad code.

"Brewer 28190, I have intel on Casteel. He was in contact with his cousin, Jerome Tyson. Son of Garret Tyson."

"Fuck," I muttered, frustration boiling inside me. Garret Tyson was a thorn in our side, deeply entrenched with the US and Chinese governments, facilitating critical trade routes for electronic goods and services. Rumors had even linked him to the 2024 US Presidential candidate George Aiden and the Chinese President Xi Xiaxu. Our mission in Alpha Squad Six was to disrupt these trade routes without touching his other operations. For now.

Out of the nine original Bridgewood Alpha Squads, only three were operational and two were active, Squad Six, my crew, and Squad Two, Lancaster Brewer's crew.

"Copy. What's the current status of Jerome and Garret?"

Brewer continued. "Alive. The hideout is in Bali, Indonesia. They're keeping ops open using Casteel. You won't believe what they're trading now. Twenty-five units of Crazon were imported last Friday that you tried to intercept. It's an AI-based pocket watch. Does anything you would expect of a fucking high-end security unit."

"Is it available for sale? I'm assuming no, but need to confirm," I asked.

"Affirmative. Not for sale," after a moment's silence Lancaster cursed, "Fuck. There's another shipment approved by Candor Imports Inc. in Florida. It's owned by Jerome Tyson."

"Brewer, I need your squad in Florida. What's the destination?"

"You're not going to like this. It's Toronto. I think you should keep HQ safe. Move to a different safe house."

"Copy. I'll send you our new links in 48 hours. Goodbye."

I hung up and lowered my head at the gym table. Logan walked up behind me.

"Any developments?"

"Casteel is Jerome Tyson's cousin. Trading in new units of Crazon through Candor Imports in Florida. Squad Two to intercept. We're on delivery as backup. We gotta move to a secondary location. Get the crew ready."

"What about her?" Logan jerked his chin up at Leora.

Fuck . Leaving her behind could make her a target again for Jerome and Casteel, who would use her to draw us out.

"She comes with us." I decided. She needed to be close, where I could ensure her safety.

Leaving Logan to relay the plan to Leora, I made a beeline for my room. I packed with military precision, stuffing essentials into a duffel bag. Every second counted.

As I thundered down the stairs, ready to swap the plates on our long-commuter SUVs, Amelia intercepted me. Her presence was a calm amidst the storm.

"Dylan and Kabir are ready to leave," she reported crisply.

"Great. Leave emergency ammo in the X6 and get the Escalade ready for me, Logan, and Leora. Can Leora borrow your clothes?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.

"I got Kabir to pick up some essentials from her apartment this afternoon," Amelia responded efficiently, her tone light but her eyes sharp with focus.

I nodded appreciatively. "This is why you're my best member."

Amelia's lips twitched. "Can I tell that to Logan?"

"Tell him after we're out of this mess," I quipped back, the corner of my mouth lifting in a rare smile despite the tension.