Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Cass was floating on a cloud of happiness, and she didn’t want anything to dull the shine. Her hand was clasped tightly in Irish’s as they drove to the office.

His confession of love this morning had shocked her, but it’d enabled her to express her own feelings. To finally tell him what she’d been keeping buried inside for so long.

Her heart had ached when she’d seen the look of uncertainty cross his face after she’d told him how she felt, as though he didn’t quite believe she’d meant it. That she truly did love him.

In that moment, anger had also swelled inside her. Anger that his family couldn’t see the man she saw. They should know that things weren’t as they appeared to be. Cass could understand the partners of his fallen teammates turning their backs on him. However, they also had to have known that that would hurt Irish as well.

Betrayal stung both ways.

They pulled into the undercover garage of the building. Once they were parked, she released her seatbelt and tugged on his hand again, pulling him toward her.

“Cass?”

She answered with a kiss, pouring all of her love into it, hoping he got the message that he was the most important person in her life.

His arm came around her shoulders, holding her close as their tongues dueled.

By the time they broke apart, her breathing was ragged, and her panties were damp.

“Damn, woman, you can’t kiss me like that without a bed close by,” Irish grumbled as he adjusted his crotch.

If anything, it only highlighted his impressive erection, not disguised it further.

“Sorry, not sorry,” she replied, attempting to stop herself from squirming to relieve some of the pent-up need.

Irish laughed and pressed his lips against hers. “ Come on, let’s get out before I’m tempted to start the car again and drive us back home.”

Home.

She liked him referring to her house as their home. Irish lived in an apartment, and Cass imagined there was nothing homey or welcoming about it.

It would be a place for him to rest his head and sleep. Making his place feel like a home would be the last thing he’d consider. Or more pointedly, what he believed he deserved.

“That’s tempting,” she said. “Do you think we could do it?”

He brushed his hand over her head, smoothing down her hair. “Maybe.”

“Not today, though?”

“No, but I promise to make up for it tonight.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Cass said before she pulled away, putting some distance between them.

Prior to giving into her feelings for Irish, work had been her salvation. It was easy to let herself fall into the dark web to follow leads. To scan camera feeds. It’d been the fulfillment she’d needed to go on.

Now she’d tasted heaven in Irish’s arms. Heard him profess his love for her. All things that filled her more than her job ever had.

“It’s not going to be a hardship to follow through on what we started here, Alastronia. Trust me.” Irish’s vow drew her focus back to him.

“Glad to hear it.” She winked and got out of the car, folding the seat back to grab her laptop bag and jacket.

By the time she’d straightened, Irish was standing beside her, ready to escort her to their offices.

She leaned into him during the elevator ride up to the floor.

Together, they walked into the building.

Yolanda beamed. “Good morning, you two. Irish, Kyle wants to see you in the conference room.”

Cass smiled at the way Yolanda used “Irish” when she spoke to him, when with all the others she used their first names. It was as though she knew he wouldn’t respond if she called him Dylan. Unlike when Cass used it, he seemed to like it when she called his name.

“Okay,” Irish answered Yolanda before glancing at Cass. “You okay to get to your office?”

“I do believe I know the way, as I’ve been able to find it relatively easily since I started working here,” she teased.

“Fair enough,” he chuckled before giving her a quick kiss on the mouth in front of Yolanda.

This open display of affection shocked Cass to the core, and she didn’t move. Her eyes trailed him watched as Irish headed toward the conference room.

“You’re good for him,” Yolanda said quietly.

“Huh?” Cass asked, her brain still not fully functioning.

“Irish. He seems…” The receptionist shrugged. “I don’t know, more relaxed. Happier. So do you, for that matter.” Yolanda’s expression was indulgent, as if Cass and Irish were Yolanda’s favorite children.

“I am,” she said simply, offering a wave and heading toward her office.

Today she was going to dig through the file on the operation that’d taken her from her father’s arms and dropped her into the US Government’s. Cass needed to see if she could find contact details so she could ask questions.

Being with Irish always chased away the dramas of her life, and she was grateful for that, because she needed to forget. However, now she was in the office, and the fire to get answers burned brightly.

Someone had to know about those missing two years. Whoever they were, Cass was going to find them.

Irish walked into the conference room and found it full. “What’s going on? Why aren’t they monitoring Ramirez’s goon’s house?” he demanded when he spied Fox, Deal, Hound, and Jag all seated at the table, along with Growler, Angel, Ox, and Julian.

Fuck, if Julian was there, did that mean they were about to be sent on a mission for the Feds?

Normally, Irish would jump at the chance to get out and do what he’d been trained to do. The satisfaction to take down some sick fucker was a rush he enjoyed getting.

That was before Cass, and he’d crossed the line from coworkers to lovers. Now, he’d beg off from going. Leaving her, especially with her uncle lurking around like a seagull waiting to snatch food from the plate when someone wasn’t looking, wasn’t an option.

“I got a call from the DEA. They’ve got a team on them,” Ox said.

That didn’t make Irish feel any better. “The same organization that took an innocent child and put her in the hands of the CIA? They won’t do as good a job as we do.”

“Trust me, we have no plans to leave all the responsibility to the DEA. We’ll be back there as soon as we can.” This came from Fox, steel coloring his voice.

He studied his new teammate, and after a few seconds, nodded. The resolve in Fox’s, and the rest of the other guys’ faces, was enough to convince Irish they’d keep their word.

“That’s not going to please the DEA, but frankly, I don’t give a fuck. We aren’t just going to let them take over and push us aside. One of our own is in danger, and no one can protect her like we can,” Ox vowed.

“This is why I come to you for help,” Julian said. “Your commitment is far deeper than the people I work with.”

“They don’t breed them like us in the FBI,” Hound said. “We’ve all seen the ugly side of human nature, and we’ve carried out jobs so they keep their hands clean. Not one of them would survive in a combat situation.”

Irish couldn’t deny Hound’s words. “True, but we’re two different beasts. We couldn’t have done what we did without them.”

Everyone in the room stared at Irish as if he’d turned into an alien. He’d surprised them with his words, but it was the truth.

The intel the government agencies gathered helped them complete their missions. Was it wrong sometimes? Yes, but they still gave them enough for them to be able to fulfil what they needed to fulfil.

“Irish is right. Everyone works hand- in-hand, even if sometimes the hands are dirty, and we don’t want to touch them,” Ox said. “How about we get to why Julian is here?”

Over the next hour, their FBI colleague explained the organization they had identified and planned to take down.

Another trafficking ring had been exposed. This one wasn’t associated with the Ramirez organization.

They could probably be thankful for that one, but like everything, they eliminated one sick fucker, and another three decided they could do better.

“There’s a shipment supposed to leave tonight. We’ve got intel of the dock they’re going to be departing from. We’ll handle that. What we need you guys to do is take out the leader. After you breach the property, one of our teams will come and take care of the clean-up. He’s got a private party at his estate tonight, and word on the street is, he decided that two of the young girls they’d kidnapped were exactly his types, so he’s keeping them and is displaying them tonight. He likes to put on a show for his friends. Show them what he can get. He also has plenty of other women and men there to satisfy his guests’ needs after the show is completed.” Disdain dripped from every word Julian uttered.

Irish clenched his fists. He wanted to eliminate the sick fuck who’d decided teenagers were his to play with. That he had the right to rip away their innocence while he happily did it in front of others who also got off on it.

“What’s the plan?” he ground out through his teeth. He might not want to leave Cass, but this was local. He wouldn’t have to leave the state, and they could get it done in one night.

“Are you sure you want in?” Ox asked.

Considering the change in his relationship with Cass, Ox’s query wasn’t as shocker.

“It’s one night, and in our backyard. If it was longer or anywhere else, I’d be out.” Irish met his boss’s gaze steadily so Ox could see that he wasn’t lying. That he was okay to do this. Besides, he itched to rid the world of another persona that took the innocence away from young girls who’d done nothing but walk the streets to go to the shops. Or to meet friends. “Besides, Cass will be watching us like always, correct?”

While they might work with the FBI, Ox had stipulated their comms and monitoring was run by Alliez. That way, they had control, and the Feds couldn’t sacrifice them if they felt like doing so.

“Yes.” Ox nodded.

Knowing that Cass would be safely ensconced in her office, monitoring them, made it easier to be part of the operation.

“I know it’s local and all, but Teresa is close to having the baby and I don’t want to be too far away from her. I can stay here and work with Cass, make sure nothing happens to her,” Angel said.

“Appreciate it,” Irish said.

No way would Angel let anything happen to Cass.

“I can stay behind, too. I don’t want to be too far away from Eveline either.” Ox scanned the room. “Growler, you in?”

“Yep. As Irish said, it’s one night only.”

Their boss nodded. “Astrid can come to our place and stay with Eveline.”

“Sounds good. She’ll be more than happy to hang with her.” Growler leaned forward. “Anything you need to announce, Eveline?”

Ox smiled but didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. The message was loud and clear—Eveline was pregnant.

“Congrats, man,” Irish said, genuinely pleased for his boss and friend.

Ox had mellowed a little since he and Eveline had gotten together. Some of the shadows that’d hung around him had disappeared.

Is that what was happening to him with Cass ?

He couldn’t deny that he felt a little lighter now, as though the stresses of his past weren’t as burdensome now as they’d been a month ago.

“Thanks, but when Eveline breaks the news, act surprised,” Ox said.

The men at the table laughed.

Julian caught Irish’s eye. While the other man was smiling, there was a hint of…yearning in his expression, as though he wanted what Ox had.

The FBI agent had a complicated past. Had done some things while he’d been part of a cult. Things that he was ashamed of. Working with the FBI was a way to atone for his actions.

Although Irish suspected that for Julian, it wasn’t enough to chase away the memories of what he’d done. However, he was doing good now. It would just take Julian a little while to see that.

They spent the next hour going over blueprints of the home they’d be breaching. Making plans and making additional ones on the off chance that an unexpected obstacle turned up.

“Right. So everyone knows what they’re doing?” Ox asked after Julian had left the room.

A chorus of “yeses” answered his question.

“Irish, you good to take the lead?” the boss asked.

Normally, Ox led their missions. The last couple, Fox and his team had helped Julian. Tonight, would be the first time they’d all worked as one unit.

Was Fox happy with Irish being team leader for this mission? Or did he feel like he’d been slighted by Ox?

“I am.” Irish glanced at Fox. There was nothing about his demeanor or expression that hinted at what the man was thinking or feeling. “You okay with that?”

Fox smiled. “Yep, we’re all one unit here. If Ox wanted Growler to take the lead. Or Hound, it wouldn’t matter to me. Or anyone of the others. We’re all Alliez Security.”

Once again, Ox’s skills on picking the right people to join Alliez was evident in the group of men sitting at the table.

There were no egos involved. No need to puff their chests out to say they were the ones who needed to be in charge and didn’t like it when someone else took over.

“That we are. Let’s go get this fucker.”