Prologue

T heir new digs in San Francisco were epic. Thanks to Braxton—who claimed a friend of his owned the building and owed him a favor—the team, plus one feline named Neo, were now living in a three-story warehouse that had been converted into individual apartment units. They also had a common area where they set up and held their meetings. Or, just hung out.

But, now that half the team had coupled up, Inda found herself mostly hanging out with just Saint and Pharaoh. And, sometimes, those two weren’t nearly as fun or lighthearted as Rip and Banshee. And, God knew she needed some light after all the darkness she’d seen in her life. But she couldn’t hold it against them. It was merely who they were as a result of what they’d seen and done. Like her, both men had dark pasts, and she understood how that affected a person better than anyone.

Although she never pried either of them for information, she saw it in their eyes. The guilt from letting people down and not being able to save everyone. The unmistakable weight that resulted after taking so many lives. She’d lost count herself.

But, you never forget your first, she thought. And the first time Inda had killed someone, she’d only been seventeen years old. She didn’t like to think about that, though.

After sharing space with her teammates for so long, Inda enjoyed having a new apartment all to herself. But even more, she loved the gym with its rock climbing wall that took up the entire third floor. She liked being active and had a passion for rock climbing. It started as a way to challenge herself when she joined the military, and she quickly found out she had a knack for it. Since she was fast, agile and small, she could usually scale the wall faster than anyone else. Climbing consistently helped her develop skills, technique and strength. It also helped clear her head, work up a sweat and quell the demons. Granted, she knew they wouldn’t ever go away completely, but she could settle them down when she exerted herself on the wall.

After a shitty night’s sleep, all she wanted to do was climb. Forget the nightmare that woke her up in a pool of sweat.

Reaching down, she dipped her hand into the chalk bag around her waist, drying off the sweat so her hand wouldn’t slip. Keeping her weight on her feet, hip against the wall, Inda reached up and grasped the handhold above her. Then she pulled herself up and found a new foothold, trusting the rubber on her climbing shoes.

Eyeing the next handhold, judging the distance, she made the calculation then leaped. Her fingertips grabbed the boulder and she swung, breathing deeply and keeping her arms straight, giving her muscles a chance to relax as she searched for a new foothold.

“Pulling on plastic” was vastly different from climbing outdoors, but one of these days, Inda wanted to try her skill on a mountain or boulder out in the wilderness. One day… In the meantime, Ex Nihilo kept her busy killing bad guys and laying low.

“Where’s your bouldering pad?”

Inda smiled at the wall when she heard Zane’s voice behind her. As happy as she was that he and River had found their way back to each other, it meant that now she had less time with him. And the truth was she missed her buddy. Maybe she needed to find a man of her own.

Ha! Like that would ever happen.

“Don’t need one,” she retorted, ascending to the final hold and then pushing off the wall. Her harness caught her and she slowly dropped to the floor in a graceful landing. Turning to Zane, she gave him a curtsy. “Beat my fastest time.”

“Congratulations.”

Inda shrugged a shoulder. “I’d ask if you want to spar, but I don’t think River would appreciate that much. Seems a little inappropriate now that you have a fiancée.”

Zane chuckled. “No, I don’t think she’d care much for us rolling around on the mat together. Besides, you’re the Krav Maga expert and I really don’t feel like getting my ass handed to me.”

She chuckled. Even though she was small, she was mighty, and all the men on Ex Nihilo knew it. She’d flattened each one of them on the mat on more than one occasion. Even humongous Gray. And that takedown made her especially proud.

“What’s up? You don’t look like you came up here to work out.”

Zane glanced down at his T-shirt and jeans. “No. I came to tell you I found some new intel. Just gathering the troops so we can have a meeting.”

“What did you find out?” Inda didn’t like surprises and she’d never been very patient.

“At long last, our elusive Mr. Smith has an identity.”

“Anyone I might know?”

“The same guy who owns the plating company where we faced off with Camille Mercier, and the one in the picture with Benedict and Elizabeth Salinger—Chadwick Carlisle.”

“Really? So, Smith AKA Carlisle is based right here in San Francisco.” Hmm. Interesting.

“That’s right. And we’re about to do a little recon on his ass.”

“Let me grab a shower. I’ll be down in ten minutes.”

After removing the harness, Inda stripped her sweaty clothes off and took a quick shower in the locker room. She’d always considered herself one of the boys, never lingering too long in the bathroom or in front of the mirror when it came time to get ready. Luckily, her genetics blessed her with a perfectly bronzed complexion, thick dark hair and an ass for days. Tits not so much, but her ass more than made up for a small chest. And, she’d certainly never gotten any complaints.

After soaping up and rinsing off, she quickly washed her long ebony hair. Done. She kept her routine simple and since there was no man in her life, she didn’t waste time shaving her legs. She also skipped any makeup and pulled on a sports bra, leggings and an oversized tee. It took her less than a minute to slick her wet hair back and knot it on top of her head. Then she headed down to their meeting room.

◆◆◆

Inda sat on the floor, legs crossed, mulling over the intel Zane had just shared with the group. Mr. Smith was actually a billionaire baddy whose real name was Chadwick Carlisle. River’s picture proved Carlisle knew Benedict Salinger, a known member of The Agency, so the same question was on everyone’s mind—was Carlisle a part of The Agency, too?

“When he’s not traveling, he normally goes to work in the skyscraper he owns downtown, otherwise known as C.C. Towers,” River informed them. “It’s twenty-eight floors tall and holds dozens of businesses, all of them belonging to Carlisle.”

“With that much money to burn, he’s probably financing The Agency,” Zane stated. “I’m still checking into large sums of money wired from his company, but they’re leading me all over the place. From banks in the Cayman Islands to Switzerland.”

“We need a way to get up close and personal to him. Observe and investigate him without his ever knowing,” Braxton said. “An insider.”

“I’ll do it,” Inda volunteered. She needed something to focus on and this would be perfect. It would allow her to get out of the warehouse and put her time to better use. Sitting around and waiting had never been her style. “Banshee, can you get me hired at his office?”

Zane nodded. “I can do that. A little hacker magic and we can swap your resume for someone else’s. Easiest thing I’ve ever done.” He began typing away and Inda grinned at River who rolled her eyes.

“So modest,” River murmured.

“Never,” Zane stated. “It looks like June Simmons is the main Human Resources contact there. I’ll check the job listings then forge a resume for you, Bruja. We’ll have you hired over there in no time.”

“What if I don’t get hired?” she asked worriedly.

“Well, then that’s because you gave a lousy interview,” Zane said. “Because the flashy resume I’m going to doctor up is gonna make you impossible not to hire.”

“No pressure,” she mumbled.

“Aww, c’mon, Bruja,” Ryland interjected. “We all know you can charm the pants off anyone, if you want. Even June Simmons.”

They all laughed.

“Way to keep things professional, Rip,” Braxton said dryly.

“Speaking of getting into someone’s pants…” Zane glanced over at Braxton and they all laughed.

“It’s not fucking funny anymore,” Brax groused.

“I was just going to say now that we’re living in the city, you have a lot of options, Pharaoh. What’s your type?”

“I don’t have a type.”

“Everybody has a type,” Ryland said.

Braxton let out a weary sigh and looked to Saint and Gray for help, but they didn’t say a word.

“Blonde or brunette?” Inda asked. “And I promise not to take offense if you don’t choose the correct answer.”

“Neither,” Brax grumbled.

“Bald?” Zane asked and everyone cracked up.

“Redhead?” River suggested, and Braxton’s eyes snapped over to her so fast, he gave himself away.

“Ooh, redhead it is,” Ryland said teasingly, rubbing his hands together. “Did you guys see the way his face lit up?”

“It did not,” Braxton denied. “Though, I have been known to be partial to redheads in the past.”

“Oh, my God, I love it.” Inda clapped her hands. “I’ll let you know if I run across any fiery redheads at my new job. Then I can invite you all out for drinks after a long day at the office.”

“You guys are all crazy, you know that?” Brax shook his head and looked at them all in exasperation.

“Don’t worry, Pharaoh,” Inda said with a sneaky smile. “I’m going to find you a pretty ginger so you can get laid.”

Braxton squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn’t comment, which only made everyone burst into laughter.

◆◆◆

Exactly one week later, Inda found herself standing in the lobby of C.C. Towers. After checking in with security, she walked over to the elevator and hit the button, nervously fingering the pin on the collar of her suit jacket. Zane had designed it for her with strict instructions to always wear it. The small cursive “L” was the first initial of her codename, Leoa. It also held a chip that scrambled any and all facial recognition software that might attempt to read her image. They couldn’t allow her to be recognized by any camera in the office. Or the city, for that matter. Inda had a cover to maintain, and nothing would make her break it.

The elevator door dinged open and she stepped inside, pressing the button for the twenty-fifth floor. Lifting the folder in her hand, she opened it and glanced down at the resume she’d memorized forward and backward. Zane hadn’t exaggerated when he said he was going to make it impossible for them not to call her for an interview. Her impressive experience and talent when it came to being an assistant was surely unmatched. Inwardly, she rolled her eyes. The truth was, she’d make an awful assistant. Sitting behind a desk all day and being a “yes, sir” type of woman didn’t appeal to her in the least.

Inda’s gaze drifted over to the name and phone number she’d scribbled on the page. She was meeting with June Simmons, the HR manager, in ten minutes and she was prepared to dazzle her.

The elevator slid open and Inda stepped out. Like every good operative, she quickly assessed her surroundings, searching for potential threats and looking for exits. Her gaze fell on the mirrored wall and she briefly scanned her appearance, tugging at the bottom of her jacket. She never wore suits, much less a skirt with nylons and heels, so she didn’t feel nearly as comfortable as normal. But, with her long, silky hair pulled back into a low bun, she did feel like a professional. And that was the role she needed to play so she could get hired and start spying on Chadwick Carlisle.

Stepping into the main office, she told the receptionist at the front desk she had an appointment with June Simmons. The young woman nodded and told her to have a seat while she scurried off to let June know that Leoa had arrived.

Leoa. It was a Portuguese name meaning lioness and the nickname for one of Inda’s idols, Amanda Nunes. Widely regarded as the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time, Nunes was the first woman to become a two-division UFC champion. She also was the third fighter to hold UFC titles in two weight classes simultaneously, after Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier. In other words, she was a badass to the bone and a huge inspiration.

The receptionist appeared a few minutes later and motioned for Inda to follow her down a hallway and past various offices. Once they reached a door marked Human Resources, she reached for the handle, but a deep voice stopped them from entering.

“Thanks, Liz, but I’ll take it from here.”

Inda turned and came face to face with a very broad chest in a suit and tie. Looking up past a strong, clean-shaven jawline and straight nose, her focus landed on the most stunning eyes she’d ever seen. Blue eyes that resembled twin glacier pools ringed in midnight. Oh, wow. Her stomach fluttered. And that was something that hadn’t happened in a very long time. For as much as she teased Brax about needing to get laid, Inda hadn’t slept with a man in…

Oh, hell, far too long.

“June is stuck on a conference call,” he continued smoothly, “so I’ll be conducting the interview. Follow me. Leona, is it?”

“Le-oh-a,” Inda corrected with a smile, turning on the charm. It wouldn’t be too hard to spend the next half hour with this hot masculine treat. Trying not to lick her lips, she followed him down another hall and to a corner office.

“That’s an interesting name,” he commented, then motioned for her to step inside.

“It’s Portuguese,” she murmured and stepped into the very clean, almost immaculate-looking office. Everything seemed to have a place and clutter was non-existent.

“I’m Lucas Sheridan,” he said and offered his hand.

“Nice to meet you.” The moment their palms touched, fingers brushing, she felt a tingle spear up her arm and zip around her body. The mini electrical storm left her feeling slightly off-balance.

“Have a seat,” Lucas said, finally releasing her hand.

Doing her best to play it cool, Inda sat down, crossed her legs and set her folder on the edge of the desk. She also did her best to pretend this man who she just met hadn’t managed to electrify her lady bits in the most shockingly amazing way.

Keep it together, she told herself. So what if he had insanely gorgeous eyes and possessed a slim, athletic build that she was trying to picture naked? Big deal. Right now, she had a job to do. And it didn’t include ogling Lucas Sheridan.

Although, in between spying on Chadwick Carlisle, it really wouldn’t hurt anything if she did a little harmless flirting with her new friend in HR. Would it?

Inda gave Lucas her most dazzling smile, leaned forward and said, “I look forward to learning more about Carlisle Enterprises. I think it will be a perfect fit for me.”

“Really?” He arched a dark brow then gave her a bright-white smile complete with a set of dimples.

Freaking adorable dimples. They were her weakness. Inda’s stomach fluttered madly and she pulled her focus off the panty-melting dents. As she worked to find anything else to focus on, it occurred to her that Lucas Sheridan might turn out to be a problem.

A really big, majorly colossal, made her want to get naked on a desk with him, freaking-dimpled problem.