TREX HQ – Seattle, Washington

“Let’s start with…” TREX Special Director Dan Weber scanned the room for the sorry SAC called on to give the first report. Historically, the director shredded the Special Agent in Charge unlucky enough to go first. None of the SACs made eye contact.

It was the same every quarter as the regional leaders of the covert agency gathered at HQ, five stories underground, to report in on the teams—something Weber implemented after taking over the agency’s field divisions.

“McKoy,” the director finished. Four SACs immediately erupted in protest. Bailey, the youngest of the family promoted to SAC; Logan, the sharpshooter leading TREX’s spec ops Team Six; Chris, frontline agent sidelined after an injury in the field left him partially-paralyzed; even Charis, who’d technically been a Snyder for two years now.

Weber brought up his hand, silencing the crowd, and rested his attention on Bailey’s big sister. Charis spiked her eyebrow—a look she’d perfected and something Bailey wished she possessed. “You know I’m Charis Snyder now.”

“Then I’m not talking to you.” That comment earned the director another spike of Charis’ eyebrow. He turned his attention to Chris, who looked like he hadn’t showered or shaved in weeks. Having a new baby will do that. “How’s life in forensics treating you?”

“I can’t complain.”

“That’d be a first,” Spencer Allen, former SAC of Team Two, spoke up from sixty miles south. Ever since being diagnosed with stage-three cancer, he didn’t travel far from home. He watched on from one of the many flat screens TREX lined the walls with in the largest conference room. “You bitched about everything when you ran with me.”

Instead of taking offense at the jab, Chris laughed. They all did. It was the first time Spencer had come to a meeting since starting the chemo. “It’s good to see you, sir.”

“It’s good to be seen.” He looked so much healthier than the last time Bailey had seen him. Although he’d lost his thick, wild hair, he looked surprisingly good bald. He’d put some weight back on and had good color. The cancer treatments must be working. “Any new developments with the internship program?”

“I’ve made initial contact with the next potential recruit,” Bailey offered. “His name is Jake Swanson. He’s a cadet with the Bainbridge Island Fire Department and graduates this year. If we want him, we need to move before the fire department snatches him up.”

“Isn’t that the point of being a cadet? TREX isn’t any better than the local fire brigade.” Rand, an ex-Navy SEAL-turned-TREX spec ops, spoke up. His English accent had faded through the years, but it was still there. “Is he any good?”

“He wouldn’t be considered for the internship program if he wasn’t.”

The internship program she’d started back in March was already a wild success. Harold Ryan, a computer science major with an IQ that qualified him for Mensa, ran circles around even some of the more seasoned agents. He was going to make an excellent addition to TREX’s Intel Division.

“Is he as well-connected as your first find with this program?” The director seemed more interested in the dirt under his nails than Bailey’s report. “You hit a goldmine with Ryan.”

“No, sir.” And she preferred it that way. Two months ago, TREX had recruited the youngest son of tycoon Stuart Ryan to use the family’s connections to infiltrate a secret society known as the Order. A secret society hell bent on world domination. It was TREX’s job to find the head of the snake and cut it off once and for all. For that, they needed a Ryan on their payroll.

“How’s the kid doing?” David Snyder, her brother-in-law who’d taken a liking to Cadet Ryan, spoke up from the flat screen on the far wall. It was his turn to stay back in Montana with the twins while his wife Charis attended the meeting in person.

“He’s excelling quite nicely.”

“No, Bails. How’s he doing?”

Charis jumped in to explain. “David’s been worried about him.”

“So, I have a heart. Sue me.” The image wobbled as a chubby hand appeared on screen. “Gabe, no.”

“Mamamamama.”

“That’s Grayson,” Charis pointed out.

“You don’t think I know my own son?”

“Gabriel can’t say his Ms yet.”

To prove her point, another baby sounded off screen. “Bababababa.”

“Gray! Don’t pull on that. No. Damn it!” David disappeared as a crash echoed, followed by cries. “Grayson!”

“That’s Gabe,” Charis sang and shook her head as she regarded Weber. “Please tell me it gets easier.”

“Raising one-year-olds? Or raising Snyder?”

“Both.” They laughed.

It was no secret the director and David Snyder were tighter than brothers. They’d gone through some serious shit together. After nearly getting killed in an ambush in Bogota, Snyder had nearly died taking a ricin-laced bullet meant for Weber. Hunting down a cyber-terrorist in Montana and then in Seattle seemed like kid’s play compared to some of their other missions together.

“Stephanie is in the middle of her terrible twos and is really good at it. Thank God for Hunter. He watches Steph while JT nests or some bullshit.”

“That means she’s going to pop any day.” David rejoined the conversation, a twin on each knee.

“Good. I want to meet my son.” Weber’s lip twitched. It was about as close as it got to a smile with him.

“You know it’s a boy?” Charis asked.

“I know I didn’t leave my latest batch cooking at Gahanna to listen to TREX Family Robinson,” Frank Scott, aka Scotty, barked. Very few people got away with talking to the director like that. David, for obvious reasons. Spencer Allen, Weber’s second-in-command. And, of course, Scotty. Bailey didn’t know the history between the two, only that Scotty said things to Weber that would get most assigned to shit finds for a year.

“Does Swanson have any distractions?” Charis asked.

Bailey swallowed, knowing exactly where her sister led with that question. While recruiting Ryan for the internship program, he’d fallen hard for a crazy redhead. He’d blown off a data retrieval deadline to spend time with her. Priorities were wildly different to a twenty-something. “None.”

“I don’t buy that for a minute. How old is he?”

“Twenty-three.”

“Isn’t Ryan twenty-three?”

“Okay, I get it.” Bailey stopped her before Charis derailed the conversation and talked the rest of the SACs out of bringing Jake Swanson on as the next recruit. “Jake’s not like Ryan.”

“You mean he can talk to women without stuttering?” Jackson Banks, one of the agents who helped her recruit Ryan, spoke up.

Jake was more of the play-the-field type of guy, though she’d never admit that to the team of SACs gathered there. “He’s had his fair share of practice.”

Jackson grinned. “I like him already.”

“That could be a distraction.” Charis wouldn’t let it go. When Bailey glared, she shrugged. “What? We don’t want an agent more concerned with getting lucky than getting the tango.”

“Sometimes it’s both.” Jackson wiggled his dark eyebrows, earning eye rolls from most of the SACs in the room. As a well-established Dom in the BDSM community, Jackson took it personal when a mark hid out in the clubs and made it a point of not only getting the tango, but used the opportunity to also get lucky. Bailey’s twin, Kaylee—who’d partnered with Jackson in every sense of the word—had stories that were too graphic to be made up.

“Moving on to something a little less, uh…” Bailey was at a loss for words, which didn’t happen often.

“Disturbing,” Rand finished before regarding Jackson. “Honestly, mate. Show a little class, would ya?”

Jackson simply grinned and gave Bailey his attention. “What else can you tell us about this recruit?”

“Only child. Dad has been in and out of prison since before Jake was born. Mother works as a waitress both above the board and under the table. Is in debt up to his eyeballs from student loans so his mom doesn’t have to worry about paying for his college. This poor kid has it rough.”

“Ha!” Rand barked and waited until all eyes were on him before continuing. “A kid growing up on the streets has it rough. A kid who must be escorted to school so he doesn’t fall victim to friendly fire has it rough. A kid who has a roof over his head and food on the table but didn’t get rocked to sleep every night by Daddy does not have it rough.”

The room fell silent as the agents all exchanged glances. Bailey’s cheeks burned. She didn’t mean to discount any of the other kids out there. She just wanted to make a point. Guilt ate at her conscience.

“Clearly someone didn’t get enough hugs as a kid,” Weber jibed, lifting the tight tension and lightening the mood. The agents laughed nervously and all avoided Rand’s glare. “It’s not McKoy’s fault you’re in such a foul mood, Rand. Don’t take it out on her.”

Bailey was shocked. She’d never heard the director stand up for her before. David, sure. He was her BIL. But the special director of TREX? She didn’t know whether to thank him or let it go. Glancing at her sister, who had a much closer relationship with the director, she pleaded for help.

But it was David who got there first. “Sounds like JT isn’t the only one nesting.”

Weber chuckled, another rarity for him. “You’re lucky you’re six hundred miles away.”

“I agree.” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. “I’m still recovering from that chokehold in Bogota.”

“That was four years ago, Snyder. Get over it already. I still have a lump on my head where you knocked me out with that shotgun.”

“That was four years ago, Weber. Get over it already.” David’s eyes danced as he used the director’s words against him. These two would go at it all day if Bailey didn’t pull in the conversation.

“Regardless of his background,” she stated, drawing the attention back to her. “It’s his future we’re more interested in.”

“Will he be picked up by the fire department after graduation?” David asked.

“He’s one of three cadets competing for a single position on the roll call. Although he’s doing well on the practical exams, he’s struggling with the books.”

Charis raised her hand, something she rarely did before speaking. “I have an idea. Pair him up with Ryan. He’s a genius—literally. His IQ is off the charts. Walter O’Brien eat your heart out.”

“Who’s Walter O’Brien?” Scotty and Jackson asked in unison.

“A guy who made all these rubbish claims with nothing to back them up,” Rand answered, disdain dripping from his tone. “Don’t look at me like I just spoke another language. Google him if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Comparing one of our own to that man’s claims is no different than comparing him to the Easter Bunny. They’re both made up.”

Rand was definitely in a mood.

“Sir,” Bailey addressed the director. “With your permission, I’d like to request a team accompany me back to Bainbridge Island to pursue our next potential recruit.”

“You don’t need my permission, McKoy. It’s your program, remember?”

“Yes, sir.” She stole a glance at Jackson. He made it awkward their last assignment together in some act to establish dominance over the other males on the team. She didn’t want to go through that again. She and her on-again/off-again boyfriend Jason still hadn’t fully recovered from that experience. She’d love to have David join her again, but he was on twin duty.

Despite wanting to avoid Rand and his bad mood, she needed personal security detail. Since Jason—who usually served as her security detail—was on assignment with his brother Jeremy, Bailey needed someone to protect her. It was standard protocol for a frontline agent to accompany a sideline agent on any field assignment.

“Rand?” She forced a smile when he turned his stony expression her way. “Would you serve as my security detail on this find?”

“I’d rather chew off my own—”

“He’s busy,” the director cut in.

Rand looked at him. “I am? Doing what?” Weber stared him down. Damn, that was one intimidating, piercing glare. Within seconds, Rand returned his attention to Bailey with a nod. “Apparently, I’m busy. Sorry, McKoy. Can’t your boyfriend watch you?”

“He and Jeremy are finishing an assignment overseas.” She’d love to have Jason with her on this. Jake Swanson was a jock like him. Bailey was already over her head dealing with someone who related to brawn instead of brains.

“I’ve got this.” Jackson said it like she had no choice. He may get away with that Dom act with her twin, but he wouldn’t get away with it with her.

“That’s okay. I’ll find someone else.”

He stiffened and sat forward, clearly shocked at being told no. “Come again?”

“I don’t need you there.”

“Is there something I need to be made aware of?” Weber asked.

Bailey and Jackson exchanged looks and said nothing.

“Yeah,” David spoke up. “Is there?” When neither answered, he pushed. “Well? Is there? Banks? Does this have anything to do with you kissing my little sister in front of me?”

“That was just to prove a point.”

“In front of Jason? Granted, I don’t like Bowman, either, but I’d never pull the shit you did.”

Jackson answered with a cocky grin. If she didn’t have enough of a problem with him before, she definitely had one now. Embarrassing her in front of the entire team of SACs burned into her cheeks.

“That’s it,” David growled. “Charis, love. Hop the next flight back to Montana. I’m heading up this find.”

“The hell you say.” She stilled her expression as she glanced at the screen, perfectly poised, perfectly calm. “You’re on twin duty. You’ll stay on twin duty while I head up this find. Maybe spending some quality time with your boys will help you tell the difference between the two.”

“She needs a frontline agent on protection detail.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Charis.”

“David.”

Having the two Snyders at a standoff made everyone else back away. These two always agreed on everything and got along better than any other couple on the planet. Seeing them challenge each other was disconcerting. Bailey didn’t want to be the reason why they were on the verge of an epic battle.

“Jackson,” Bailey blurted out, swallowing her pride for the greater good. “Will you be my security detail?”

He nodded and said nothing.

“Will you head this find?” She hated to ask, but he was the senior agent. She had to at least make the offer. It was protocol. If he knew what was good for him, he’d turn it down.

“Absolutely.”

“You will?” She froze, unable to process what just happened. He’d already pointed out the issues he had with their last mission together. Several times. She couldn’t let him take this from her. “Are you sure?”

“You asked.”

“But…” She hesitated and met the curious looks of several agents.

“Is there a problem, Agent McKoy?” The director eyed her carefully. She couldn’t tell him she didn’t want Jackson as the SAC on the find. This was her program. Weber had given it to her. But, as per TREX policy, the senior agent had the choice of taking the lead or handing it off to the lower-ranking agent. Asking the senior agent if he wanted the role was just supposed to be a formality. They were supposed to turn it down, damn it.

Apparently, Jackson never got that memo.