“And he just left?” Riley sat on the sofa.

Vi sighed and nodded. Bree and Rhea were curled beneath blankets on chairs bookending where Riley and Addy sat. “Where’s Mary?”

“She’s on her way,” Bree replied.

Vi looked around the small bungalow-style house. Everyone had pitched in over the past couple of weeks. Who knew you could get a house built so quickly? Apparently the Masons could do anything they put their minds to.

Home.

She shook the sentiment off. Mary may have found a home, but Vi hadn’t settled. Her stuff remained strewn about the small two-bedroom home she now shared with Addy.

“So who is Jian Chen?” Rhea asked.

“I was about to fire up HERA and find out,” Vi replied as she reached for the laptop.

“To hell with Jian. I want to know who the hot guy was,” Bree said.

“Uh, yeah. I’m with her,” Riley replied.

Vi had to admit the idea had merit. Fortunately HERA was a brilliant multi-tasker. “Jud. Or, The Judge.”

“Like that’s a lot to go on,” Addy commented.

“We’ve gotten loads with less,” Rhea said. “Besides, HERA caught his image, right?”

“Yeah, so we already have a full name and everything.” Bree leaned back and chomped on her chocolate chip cookie.

Vi was about to call up HERA’s security reports when the front door opened. Mary bustled in with a huge smile on her face, a smile that faltered when her gaze settled on Vi. Damn. Her stomach lurched. They’d had a heart-to-heart, but her BFF was still worried. Dylan offered a supportive smile. Vi was sure it was more for Mary than her, but she took it nonetheless.

“I heard about New York. That sucks, but we’ll get another lead,” Dylan said as he sat and Mary settled beside him. “I had a chat with Dallas before we came over here. I figured you all would be digging into our visitor today. He’s politely asking you all to back off.”

“Not happening,” Vi replied.

“Some things are best left alone,” Dylan said.

“Like hell they are. We’re mired in chaos right now because of Hive and Peter and Martin Driggs. The last thing we need is some unknown walking onto this compound and making demands of our time like he owns us. No one bandies my name about without me knowing the person. It’s that simple.” Vi called up HERA and accessed the images from earlier.

“He wasn’t making demands of your time,” Bree argued. “He was offering to help keep you and Mary safe from the contract. That’s loads sexier.”

Only Bree would find a man putting himself between a woman and a bullet sexy. Her friend had a thing for alpha males in a big way, one Vi typically didn’t share, but she had to admit the fierce protectiveness radiating from Jud earlier was…interesting.

Okay, it was hot, but she didn’t have time for hot. She had a best friend and a new team to keep safe. Vi sat, grabbed her laptop and got to work, but hit a roadblock faster than expected.

“Weird,” she commented.

“What’s weird?” Riley asked.

“HERA couldn’t identify Jud.” She stared at the “Not Found” prompt, one she’d rarely seen. “He’s not in any of the databases.”

“None of them?” Bree asked.

“None.”

“Dallas knew him,” Mary said. “They worked together, that much was obvious.”

Right. She was all too aware of the missing years in Dallas’s file, the years she’d been unable to fill in despite her best attempts. He’d been in the SEALs then went off grid. So Jud was a big question mark for the time being. She’d leave it be for tonight. She was too tired to tackle a deep hack to find info on Jud. HERA may not have found anything, but everybody had some kind of trail out there.

Which shifted her focus on what she could easily research. Who the heck was Jian Chen and why did Jud think she’d care?

She thumbed through the rest of the papers and froze. Jian Chen’s background, specialty. She passed it over to Mary.

“Okay, so this is the best lead we’ve gotten so far.” She held up a photograph of an unknown man and Peter Rugers. “Okay, so this is definitely a credible lead.”

“One that just walked into the front door,” Addy muttered. “Convenient.”

Vi agreed. She didn’t like convenient. Ever. “Still, it’s more than we’ve had, and I’m not passing it up. If Jian knew Peter and Jud knew Jian…”

“Then Jud knew Peter,” Rhea finished. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s not,” Mary said. “All the more reason for us to get some answers from our mysterious new friend.”

“Dallas doesn’t want you mixed up with Jud. I got the message on that one loud and clear when he called me,” Addy commented. “He ordered me to sit on you in case Dylan didn’t handle you.”

“Wow, Vi, you need to take a look at this.”

The poor misguided Mason men thought they could handle her. It was almost cute. She took the papers Mary offered and ignored Addy. She knew good and well finding Peter’s backers was her top priority.

Disgust soured her stomach as she read through a sheet she’d accidentally bypassed, one toward the front. Jian trafficked kids. She’d dedicated a considerable chunk of her personal time battling pedophiles on line, consulting with authorities whenever possible. She didn’t let those sick monsters slither away, which meant Jian was now in her cross hairs for more than one reason.

“Son of a bitch,” she spat. “Whoever this Jud is, he’s got a lot of nerve.”

“What?” Riley asked.

“Jian’s overseeing an auction of a five-year-old Russian boy named Mico in four days.” She opened her web crawling program and typed in the data at the bottom of the sheet. “I’ve never found this spot.”

“Spot?” Bree asked.

“In the Deep Web,” Mary answered as she nestled in beside Vi to watch the screen. “Crap, it’s legit, isn’t it?”

Dread settled in a dull throb in her head, behind her eyes. She waited a few minutes for her program to do its thing and ferret out what information it could, which was sadly far less than it normally was. The operation Jian led was deep and heavily secure. “Yeah, it’s legit. He traffics children, women, weapons and other exotic collectibles.”

“And HERA would be a hell of an auction item,” Dylan growled. “Gather what you can about Jian and how to move once we get back from the application testing tomorrow.”

Ugh. Vi had almost forgotten that was tomorrow. The Arsenal needed more boots on the ground and more brains behind the screens. She and Mary couldn’t handle everything alone, and Cord was needed more in the field. They needed more operatives and back office personnel. She and Mary both detested the idea of noobs mucking around in HERA, but what choice did they have?

She thumbed through the final pages she’d gotten from Jud, which appeared to be investigative notes into Mico’s abduction and Jian’s operation. She scanned the data, which was well organized. The investigation had been methodical and extremely detailed. Excellent notes with dates, times, locations. Names. If this was Jud’s work, she was suitably impressed—which left her even more determined to find out who the heck he was and, more importantly, how he knew her.

Operative?

More than likely.

But whose?

Dallas was the key. Specifically, his dark years, the ones not in his service record. Where had he been? Did Mary know? If Dylan mentioned his little brother’s background, her friend likely wouldn’t offer up the details, not without permission. If Vi wanted answers there was only one surefire way to get them.

“Fire up a truck, Riley.”

Riley grinned. Eyes gleaming, she stood. “Where are we going?”

“On a man hunt.”

“You’re not going alone,” Dylan stated.

“I’ll go with them,” Addy offered. “We’re only going into Resino. He’s likely at the bed and breakfast or Bubba’s. I’ll call for backup if needed.”

“Dallas doesn’t want you mixed up with him, Vi.”

She looked up at Dylan as she stood. “I know, but we need answers more than he needs his secrets.”

“It’s not about him keeping secrets. He says Jud is dangerous.”

Which meant he was probably far, far worse than dangerous. They nibbled on danger for dessert. “I’m not doing this alone. This is a team mission. The lead’s good, Dylan.”

Dylan looked at her, then over at Mary, who nodded. He chuckled and swiped his hand through his hair. “You two are going to keep us hopping.”

“You know it,” Vi responded. “You wouldn’t have us any other way.”

* * *

“Eyes on your plate, bud.” Jud forked some beans into his mouth.

Resino residents were too curious for their own good. The small eatery was more bar than restaurant this late at night, and busier than Jud expected. Although the grill was closed, Bubba had graciously pulled out some leftovers. He ignored the pointed looks they’d gotten from the locals when they sat at the only vacant table earlier.

“I can’t believe the Quillery Edge would be in such a remote place. There’s not even any WiFi.” Jacob motioned to the laptop open on the table. “It’s gonna be a slow connection at the bed and breakfast.”

Jud was a bit surprised a town as small as Resino even had a bed and breakfast. It was a short walk, about half a mile down the road nearer the town square. So far Resino was what he’d expected for small town Texas. He’d paid for two nights. If he didn’t hear back from Viviana by then, he’d move on. He wasn’t the type to sit on his ass and wait on anyone, though, which was why he’d continue chasing down leads while he waited.

He’d sworn to keep her breathing, which didn’t require her permission or knowledge. He operated within the shadows easier than the light of day anyway. His first order of business was busting Jian’s ring up. The bastard pushed Jud to take the contract on the Quillery Edge. Jud was about to push back. Hard.

But that left Danny in trouble, which was unacceptable.

There was always an answer. Jud would find it.

“We’ll get some shuteye tonight, then get to work. I’ve got a couple leads I could use your help with.” He took a sip of his beer and waited for his nephew’s eruption. He’d been fairly subdued and quiet so far, but that’d only last so long given the fact he’d been within spitting distance of his idols and hadn’t met them.

“What was she like? What’d she say?” Jacob’s voice lowered. “I can’t believe you just walked out. Did you mention Dad?”

No. The much-needed reality check about Danny was barreling around the corner, but he’d hold it off for the next day. That’d be soon enough to crush his nephew’s hopes. He hoped to hell they weren’t dumb enough to kill Danny, but if Marla was involved the chances of him being recovered were slim. She was a psychopathic bitch on a power trip who had a hard-on for making Jud hurt whenever she could—mainly because she’d never gotten him to heel like the other operatives.

“I should have waited until morning. She had every right to toss my ass out. It was a disrespectful, crap play, one I’m betting lots of people they worked with at Hive have done.” He looked over at the bar, where Bubba watched them while he wiped down the bar.

“You should have made her look at the papers,” Jacob argued.

“I’m not a fan of making a woman do anything she doesn’t want.”

“We don’t have time to be polite, Uncle Jud.” Jacob slammed his drink glass on the table. “Dad needs help.”

He’d kept Jacob from that world as much as possible, the one where he exerted his will on others. Eliminated those who stepped too far out of line. Now that Jacob had graduated from MIT and was aiming for Quillery Edge notoriety within the same arena, Jud had adopted a side mission—keep his nephew in the light, like The Arsenal.

“We give respect if we want to earn it. More importantly, we practice patience. That’s the most critical asset for this type of work.”

“Waiting around sucks,” Jacob replied. “At least the food’s good.”

Sullen described his nephew’s attitude. He’d expected an open-arms welcome into The Arsenal. Jud shouldn’t have brought him along, but leaving him alone wasn’t exactly an option since he didn’t know who all was in play.

Whispered murmurs drew his attention. The long-haired blonde from The Arsenal’s reception area entered, drawing everyone’s attention. Everyone’s except his, which latched onto Viviana and Mary. Jacob gasped. Jud grabbed some napkins and wiped his hands as the procession of women headed their direction. The redhead carried herself like a soldier. Her gaze swept the room. Another blonde and brunette closed off the group.

“Sorry, you and your boy are gonna have to move. House rules. This is the Mason table. Riley’s here, so you’ve gotta move.” Bubba’s voice boomed from beside Jud. “I’ll make room for you and the boy at the bar. Best I can do.”

“It’s fine, Bubba. We’re here to see him anyway,” the blonde replied. She looked down at Jud, then over at Jacob. “Hi, I’m Riley Mason. I was working reception when you came in.”

Right. He remained silent, watching Vi take a seat beside Jacob. Mary sat on Jacob’s opposite side. Jacob’s gaze swept from one to another. Mouth open, eyes wide, face bright, he sat. Stunned.

“You want a beer? Something to drink?” Bubba asked the group as they sat.

“Bottle, shots. Glasses.” The redhead sat beside Jud.

“Beers all around, Bubba. Thanks.” Riley dragged a chair over and sat at the edge of the table. “So…”

“Who’s Jian and how do you know him? Who told you about this operation? How do you know Peter?” Viviana asked.

Straight to the point. No bullshit. His kind of woman. She tapped a folder for emphasis, one much fatter than he’d expected. She’d done some homework before hunting him down. That was a good sign. He looked over at Jacob, who’d yet to move. He hoped the kid remembered to breathe.

“Jian and I cross paths on occasion, but I’ve left him be because he proves useful to my employer at times. As for Peter, we’ve also crossed paths. Unfortunately.” He continued eating his meal, glancing at his nephew. “Eat your food, bud.”

“Your research is first rate, well organized. Methodical,” Mary offered.

“Wicked.” Jacob breathed the word.

“Jacob here is the brains behind the papers. He keeps me organized and methodical.” He smiled. Jacob’s body trembled, damn near hummed with excitement.

“Is he okay?” The brunette whispered the word gently as she sat on the other side of the redhead.

“He’s not a fan of crowds.” Jud didn’t want to get into the fact his brother-in-law was just kidnapped. Or Jacob’s hero worship of the two women bookending him. That’d be awkward at best. “I’m Jud. You are?”

“Right. I’m Addy Rugers.” The redhead motioned to the brunette beside her. “This is Rhea. Bree is the blonde across from us and to the far left. Then there’s Viviana, who you apparently know. Mary’s on the other side of your nephew. And that’s Riley.”

Jud offered a nod to the women and wiped his hands and mouth. “Introduce yourself, bud.”

“Jacob.” The boy breathed the word. “I-I work with my uncle. Back office work mostly, nothing exciting.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Back office work is sometimes way too exciting,” Mary commented. “Vi and I do back office work at The Arsenal, computer stuff mostly.”

“You’re The Edge,” he whispered.

Mary visibly tightened. Code names were armor in the covert ops world, a way to keep a protective layer between who you were and what you did in the name of duty, honor, or whatever other contrived excuse got rammed down your throat.

“Funny how you and your nephew know the Quillery Edge, but they don’t know you. My two girls don’t forget faces or names. Neither do I, and I knew everyone connected to Hive.” Addy shifted beside him.

“Not everyone, Princess, just those your brother wanted you to know. There were lots of dark corners and shadows, people skulking about,” Jud commented.

“So you were Hive,” Viviana guessed.

“No. Peter wanted me to be, but I was hooked up with a different operation, one that colored in black. Hive worked mostly in the gray.” He took a sip of his beer and met Viviana’s curious gaze dead-on. The woman was breathtaking. Long hair so dark blonde it shimmered like pale brown in the darkened lighting grazed her shoulders. Her wide, expressive, almond-colored eyes studied him behind red wire-rimmed glasses. “I know you by reputation. I’m glad you two have moved out of the gray and into the light.”

Not exactly the truth, not exactly a lie. He took another long drink and let the silence hang a moment.

“The Arsenal has no problems coloring in the gray when necessary,” Vi said.

Jud knew the Masons wouldn’t have issues going into the black if necessary. Dallas had been a hell of an operative. He concentrated on his beer and waited through the silence. Sometimes what you didn’t say was more important.

“Tell us about Mico’s abduction,” Mary ordered. “How did you connect it to Jian’s operation?”

“I didn’t, not at first. Jacob found his auction while we were investigating Jian.”

“And why look into Jian in the first place?” Addy asked. “You said you’d crossed paths before and left him be. Why change that now?”

“I didn’t appreciate him trying to push my buttons. I decided to get some leverage to push back. I started looking into him recently.” A few hours before if he were being precise. He’d pulled old surveillance footage from The Collective’s records to substantiate a connection between the now-deceased Peter Rugers and Jian. The rest fell into place easily enough, thanks to Jacob’s mad computer skills.

Bubba appeared at the table. Beers were handed out. A bottle of liquor was settled nearest Addy. The burly man set stacked shot glasses on the edge of the table.

“You girls want anything to suck all this up? I’ve got some grub left from lunch.”

“We’re good, but thanks.” Riley smiled wide. “I wouldn’t mind taking some of it to go, though. I heard Marshall and the guys had a long day.”

“Sure thing, doll. I’ll even throw in extra desserts. I know your mom has a sweet tooth.”

“I know Mom loves your peach cobbler,” Riley teased. “Add it to our tab.”

“Your money’s no good here, not for grub.” Bubba motioned toward the beers. “You girls drink anymore and you’re eating. I’m not liking the idea of calling Marshall and Nolan and having them come get your drunk asses.”

“We’ll go slow,” Bree promised.

Jud swallowed the food he’d shoved in his mouth. Resino respected the Mason brood. It’d been smart to set up shop here. Upon initial inspection it appeared to be a foolish mistake, but he grudgingly admitted there was a lot of mileage in respect that deep.

“I’m not here to stir up trouble. I’m sure that’s what Dallas assumed. My apologies, I should have made my approach in the morning. Late night visits aren’t ever a good idea without permission.”

Vi’s mouth quirked into a confused cross between a glower and a smile. “If you want us to take this request seriously, you need to give us some answers. Tonight.”

“Fair enough.” He looked around. “Ask your questions. I can’t guarantee an answer.”

“You worked with Dallas. Where?” Mary asked.

So much for starting off simple. He should’ve expected hard questions straight out of the gate. These women didn’t mess around, which was why they were the most sought after assets around.

“Did he tell you where he worked?” Jud knew the answer.

“Not exactly,” the woman replied.

“Then let’s keep it that way. It’s best you not know,” he replied. “I’m still there. This is a favor, personal time. Anything else isn’t up for discussion, not here.”

“Why help us? We don’t know you.” Mary crossed her arms. “Why care if we get hit?”

He didn’t want the 411 to shift to his nephew, why the favor mattered. He hadn’t been lying when he said crowds were an issue for Jacob. Add the fact he was bookended by the two most influential people in his world and Jud suspected the kid was about to lose it. He noted the widened eyes and red complexion, the clenched hand around his fork.

“You helped someone close to me a long time ago. He’s not in a position to help you, but I am.”

“Who?” Vi asked.

“Do you always look a gift horse in the mouth?” he asked.

“Yep, every time. She’s not stupid,” Riley replied.

“It’s my dad,” Jacob blurted. “You helped him once and he needs your help again. We have to keep you breathing so you’ll help us keep him breathing.”

“Your dad?” A softness settled in Vi’s voice as she looked at his nephew. “How does he need our help? Do we know him?”

“Jian had him kidnapped to force Uncle Jud to take the contract on you.” Jacob’s voice rose. “No one messes with family. That’s the rule. Jian broke it, so now he’s gonna pay, but Uncle Jud can’t go alone. He needs the Quillery Edge. You saved Dad once. You can do it again. I know it.”

The two women visibly recoiled beneath the voracity in his nephew’s words. Tension sliced through the room as Addy and the other women focused on him and Jacob.

“You didn’t mention anything about an abduction,” Vi said through clenched teeth. “You dangle Jian in front of us to get our help with a rescue mission? Is that it?”

“Pretty much.” Though he suspected it’d be more of a recovery mission than rescue at this point. “My other option was to take the contract and kill you both. I figured you’d prefer this option.”

The two women looked at one another, then their gazes settled on Jacob, who sat silently between them, tears in his eyes.

“No one touches my family and lives.”

“How do we know you aren’t here to take the payday Jian’s offering?” Mary asked.

“Uncle Jud’s between you and a bullet because you can rescue Dad.” Jacob’s voice was icy cold, malevolent. “He wouldn’t hit the Quillery Edge. Ever. Anyone gets close to you, he’ll take them out because he’s the best.”

“And we’re supposed to believe you,” Addy said.

“Believe me or not, help or not.” Jud shrugged. “I’ll keep everyone off you either way. I can’t get Jacob’s dad freed without your help though. That’s not a lone wolf operation.”

“I don’t want or need you between me and a bullet,” Vi replied.

“What you want isn’t what you need, not in this instance. I won’t ever stand between you and anything, Viviana. I’m keeping everyone off you, but I’ll do it at your side, or behind you. I know this is your fight. But it became mine, too, when they took my family.”

“You’ll do that so I can help rescue him,” she whispered.

“Hopefully. Whether you take that on or not, I’m helping you take down whoever issued the hit.”

“Even if it’s your group?” Mary asked.

The women were brilliant, quick minded. They’d put two and two together. They didn’t know who his employer was, but he doubted it’d matter. They stared impossible in the eyes and kneed it in the nuts every day.

“Even if it’s my group,” he replied.

“Then we’d better get busy,” Mary said.

“You’re in.” He leaned back in his chair, a bit surprised they’d made a decision so quickly. “Dallas and the guys okay with that decision?”

“We have operational governance over back office,” Viviana said. “As for your desire to keep Mary and I safe, it’s appreciated but unnecessary. We are protected, but you can stay at The Arsenal while we work on the Jian angle.”

“Thank you, Viviana.”

“It’s Vi,” she replied. “We’ll postpone the application exercise tomorrow morning. We’ll white board your intel and see what HERA spits out.”

“White board?” Jacob asked.

“It’s so cool. Vi and Mary enter all the data into HERA and data gets spit out into all these categories based on whatever parameters they establish. Then we all get to work filling out the white boards,” Bree explained.

“Cool.”

Jud watched his nephew shut down beneath the pressure, the anticipation and curiosity were too much when combined with his dad’s kidnapping. His shoulders drooped, his gaze swept downward. Mental lockdown. No matter how much he might want to work with the Quillery Edge and their group white boarding with HERA, he wouldn’t ask. Risk rejection.

“What time do we start?” Jud asked.

The women looked at one another.

“You want to white board?” Vi asked.

“Sure. Why not? It makes sense. Jacob’s got a real knack for technical stuff and knows the details almost better than I do,” he supplied proudly. “He’d be an asset, and I promise not to get in the way.”

Addy chuckled. “You have no idea what you’re stepping into. Their process takes hours. Hours and hours of brainiac genius at work.”

“I can’t wait,” he replied, gaze locked with Vi.

“A word,” Viviana repeated as she pushed her chair back. “Alone.”

“Vi,” Mary said.

Addy rose. Vi held up her hand. “I’ve got this. We’ll be back in a minute.”

Addy unholstered a weapon and set it on the table beside her beer. She motioned toward the hallway heading to the bathrooms. “Where I can see you.”

Riley and Bree exchanged wide-eyed looks. Rhea and Mary both chuckled as they took a sip of their beers. Vi didn’t reply, she simply headed toward the hall. Jud smiled, watching her progression. All sass and attitude, just like she’d marched into reception.

The moment he entered the narrow hallway, she shoved him back against the wall with more force than he expected. Her forearm pressed against his throat. He looked down, noted how she stood on her tiptoes to accomplish the grip. He could have her pinned in under a second, but that’d probably get him a bullet in the brain for his trouble. He looked over at Addy, who raised her eyebrows in a silent dare.

He took Viviana by the waist. “I think it’s too soon for us to be alone. Your chaperon isn’t happy.”

“She’s not my chaperon and I’d pay more attention to me and less to her if I were you,” she clipped. “I’ll make this quick. Nothing about anyone or anything remotely connected to what went down with Mary, Peter Rugers or Hive is mentioned around her. I field everything.”

Protective. Fierce. Way more than superficial sass like most women. A fire rumbled in him, a flicker of appreciation born from something more than her operative reputation. This wasn’t just Edge’s partner shoving him against a wall. This was a friend. Someone who cared about those around her and would do anything to keep them safe.

“I’m not here to stir trouble. I’m more than happy to work one-on-one with you.”

Her eyes narrowed, tiny slivers of glimmering brown. “You’d be better off sniffing around my chaperon if you’re looking for more than taking Jian down and getting your brother freed.”

“I’m only here to help, nothing else.” He grabbed her arm and settled her into a constricting hold within a couple seconds. Her eyes widened. She tugged and twisted, but he held her firm. “Just to say, if I want more than that, I think I know my taste better than you.”

“Chasing after the others will get you in a heap of trouble, Jud.”

He settled a hand on her cheek and smiled when she glared up at him. “And throwing all that sass will get you in a bigger heap of trouble.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I’ve got a sweet tooth for sass, babe, and it’s been a long time since I’ve met a woman who could satisfy it.” He released her from the hold when he sensed Addy’s approach. “I’m here to help, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind or dead.”

“You will be if you don’t back off,” Addy warned. “Not tonight, Romeo. There’s a bathroom down the hall. Go satisfy yourself without her.”

Vi gasped.

Jud laughed and headed toward the table. Jacob was sitting there staring at the women as they chattered on about drones and new weapons. “Let’s go, bud.”

He waited as Jacob grabbed his backpack. Vi stood a couple feet away, her gaze curious and gleaming sass. Her brain likely fired words like an automatic weapon—so fast and intense it’d knock you down if you weren’t prepared. “Text instructions for tomorrow and I’ll be there.”

“Bring data on Danny. He’ll be our first priority,” Vi declared.