The last thing I wanted was to make Avery even more of a target than she already was. And yet it felt like she was waiting for a reason not to trust me—and I’d already given her enough reasons not to. I didn’t want to add to that list. “It’s Bruno Stubbs. He wants any and all info that I can find on Chameleon. He plans on selling the information to a buyer he’s got lined up.”

She pouted, looking like she was mulling over the information I’d just given her, when she took a bite of the chili—her face transforming to one of pleasure. “Damn, that’s good. I think I’d forgotten just how good your chili is.”

“I’ll happily send you home with the leftovers.” Whatever it took to make her happy. And that way she’d think of me every time she had a bowl. I knew I was reaching, looking for any glimmer of hope, but I had few other options, short of ravaging her and hoping she didn’t object—which she would.

“If you think I’m too proud and won’t steal your chili, you can guess again.” She flicked her eyebrows at me, her smile lighting up her brown eyes, so it took all I had not to lean and kiss her. “This Bruno Stubbs guy... I’m going to assume he’s a real bad ass if he’s actually managed to get you to do his bidding and you Blackthorn boys haven’t just put him in an early grave.”

“If you think I won’t spill blood to protect the people I care about, you can guess again.” I knew she had no taste for violence—and neither did I. But it didn’t mean I wouldn’t do whatever it took if someone I loved was threatened in any way. “This thing with Stubbs is complicated. We can’t take him out without his brothers retaliating, and he’s got enough manpower to be a real threat. I wouldn’t be doing this otherwise.”

“Originally I was thinking we could swap out the plans. Give him a fake that could pass for the real thing. But I’m not sure that’ll work if he’s got a knowledgeable buyer. The last thing you want is to have Stubbs coming back to you pissed off and wanting to know why Chameleon isn’t working.” She bit her lip, mulling things over a bit, before taking another bite of chili. “You know him—would he believe you if you told him that the plans simply didn’t work because the tech was still being developed?”

I’d already looked for every way out of this, and had turned up empty. “I don’t know. I’d be taking a risk, and if he decided that I tried to con him, then I’d basically be fucked. And though I know I’m a pain in the ass, I’m sort of fond of being alive, especially now that I have you to keep me company.”

“I’m not here to keep you company, Dane. I’m here to keep you from getting your ass thrown in jail for what would likely be a very long time if you got caught.” Her feisty look only turned me on all the more, since I loved any sort of push and pull between us. “If swapping out the plans won’t work, then the only other option is to find a way to eliminate him without it getting tracked back to you. I know you probably don’t like the idea, but if you had evidence to prove his guilt, I’m sure the Feds would be happy to build a case against him. You could even build a case against his brothers, so all threats are neutralized.”

I knew she was trying, but both scenarios posed too great a risk. “Or I could just grab the plans and hand them over to Stubbs so I can get rid of him, and this all just goes away.”

“Except that you could get caught, and end up going to jail.” She looked truly upset on my behalf, and though I loved her for caring, I hated that she was worrying herself over it.

“Hey...” I reached over and cupped her cheek, needing her to know that it would all be okay. “I won’t get caught, Rae. I know it’s always been a worry of yours.”

She’d been so desperate to get me to go straight when we’d been together. And yet, I couldn’t see a way out at the time. It didn’t seem feasible when my entire family was still involved, even though my brother Conor had managed it—but only by leaving the country.

“Can you blame me after what happened to my father?” The mere mention of her dad had her eyes shimmering with tears.

I set aside our bowls and pulled her into my arms, my heart breaking for her. Because I knew what she’d gone through when her father managed to get himself involved with the wrong people. He’d been a brilliant man who’d somehow stumbled into a bit of trouble and couldn’t figure a way out. But his problems only escalated when the cops got involved. His six-month stint in jail turned into his death sentence when he pissed off some gang members by refusing to play their games.

Avery’s mom had died in a car accident a few years earlier, and she had no brothers or sisters. When she lost her father, she lost the only family she had left. It nearly derailed her college career, but she’d been close to finishing and her professors allowed her some time to make up any work she’d missed. I’d met her just a year later.

“I’m sorry, baby.” I kissed the top of her head, holding her tightly to me. She felt so small and vulnerable, and the fact that she wasn’t fighting me as I held her close just went to show how upset she was. “I know how hard this is on you, but my options are few. You have my word, I’ll be careful. But this needs to get done.”

She pulled out of my arms to look up at me, tears staining her cheeks. “Then find another way. Because I can tell you right now, if you go back to GTC, you’ll get caught. And they aren’t going to take too kindly to you stealing military secrets.”

“I know. Which is why I can’t get caught.” Realistically, if I hadn’t run into Avery, chances were good that I would have managed to get through this job with little trouble.

“You do understand that there’s nothing to stop Stubbs from continuing to blackmail you and your brothers, right? The only way to get this to stop is to put him and his crew behind bars.” Sitting up out of my arms, she grabbed my hand, her eyes pleading with me to listen. “I have connections to make that possible.”

“Except that there’s still a good chance that Stubbs will know I was behind it. And if you think he can’t come after us while he’s in jail, you’re mistaken.” There was no easy way out of this.

“Unless you lock up his entire organization—or put him and his brothers away for a long enough time that the rest of their crew decides it’s easiest to move on without them.” She shrugged her shoulders, picking up her bowl of chili again, now that her tears were gone. “I mean, why the hell not? I’d imagine they’d prefer to be in charge instead of having to answer to Stubbs and his brothers.”

“Maybe...but there are still too many variables that we have no control over, beyond trying to put Stubbs in jail.” There had to be another way. Maybe I needed fresh eyes on this. “You know, my cousins might have a few ideas. They were sort of in the same situation as my own family, in that they didn’t have the most legitimate start, but are now on the right side of the law as a security company. As a matter of fact, Slater’s been working with them.”

“Slater...” Avery had been good friends with my younger brother—until I fucked everything up. But they’d drifted apart, since he was my brother, and that hadn’t been easy on her. “Do you really want to drag your brother and cousins into this?”

“No...I don’t. But I’d rather ask for their help than go to the Feds.”