I watched Sophie look at Director Sanchez with anger in her eyes. The director was a lean man. He was dressed in a perfectly-ironed black Armani suit and a crisp white shirt. He had one leg crossed over his knee, showing off his new Italian leather shoes. It was obvious that if Sophie didn’t need something from him, she would take him out. There was pure hatred in her eyes.

Director Sanchez always got what he wanted, because he had something over the person he needed a favor from. However, Director Sanchez had nothing on me. I just worked for him. Lately, I’d noticed that he was losing control, and I thought bringing Sophie in was his way of trying to fix one of his mistakes. I would call my brother later today to let him know the CIA Director was up to something. I had a feeling it wasn’t something good.

I didn’t trust the man. I should’ve asked more questions about taking Sophie in. After my last operation, I had needed something easy, and bringing in one woman had seemed easy. Now, I was second guessing that thought. 

“No. This is where I tell you that, if you want to see your sister, you will become a full-time agent and work with Agent White,” Sanchez explained. At the sound of my code name, I tuned in more closely to the conversation. In the ten years I had worked for the CIA, I very seldom had a partner. I wondered if my brother was plotting something. I needed to talk to the man more often.

Brad, another agent who was sitting next to me, snorted. He understood that I didn’t work well with others. This mission had been thrown at me this morning. The director had told me to bring Sophie in. I wasn't given any case notes on the op, but they said she knew why she was being taken in. Being around Sophie for the last hour made me realize she was more dangerous than anyone knew.

“When do we start working on the assignment?” Sophie asked.

Director Sanchez leaned back and took another sip of his Scotch. “We’ll head to Langley once we land and get you and Agent White up to speed.”

Sophie tilted her head toward me. “You don’t know what our assignment is?” Since getting on the plane, this was the first time Sophie had acknowledged me. I, on the other hand, had a difficult time peeling my eyes away from her body.

The white leather seat squeaked under me as I leaned forward. “The only thing I was told this morning was to bring you in. I had no idea I was getting a partner.” Hiding the annoyance in my voice was hard. Director Sanchez had had plenty of time to tell me his plans.

Sophie turned back to Director Sanchez and kept talking. It gave me time to study her. She was stunning. Her fiery red hair was up in a messy bun. The freckles on her nose proved she was a natural redhead. She had the prettiest deep-green eyes. Her lips were plump, and all I could think about was having those lips wrapped around my cock.

Fuck. Just looking at her sent my body out of control. All of a sudden, my pants became uncomfortable.

The jerk of the plane hitting the tarmac brought me out of my lust-induced thoughts.

* * *

Six CIA analysts sat in the war room at Langley. I grabbed a seat at the front of the room next to the director. Sophie slid into the place next to me. She was shifting in her chair, looking uncomfortable. Before I had time to ask her why, the director started the session.

An image of a man in his late sixties appeared on the projection screen. The gasp next to me had me turning in Sophie’s directing. The color had drained from her face.

“You mother fucker!” Sophie launched from her seat. “You told me he was dead. You said, and I quote, ‘The whole Reapers motorcycle gang is dead, including the president.’ That man does not look dead.” At Sophie declaration, everyone’s attention had swung from the screen to her.

Director Sanchez sighed and sat back in his chair. “You need to keep your temper under control, Red. Our goal is to take down his network. I didn’t need you getting yourself killed when you were a kid. I told you that, when you were old enough, you could go after the individuals that hurt your family. The Reapers have become worthless, and the agency no longer needs them. Who will lead us to your target? Your specialization is hacking, not assassination.”

Sophie mumbled something inaudible under her breath.

“This photo was taken two days ago in, Moscow.” Steve, the senior analyst, went on to explain the intel the agency had received. Steve was small for a man. His brown hair was messy and unkempt. He was the best analyst the CIA had. Sophie and I were lucky to have Steve working on our side. “We think Yermushin is selling something to Russia.”

Sophie leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “What is Yermushin selling?” Sophie’s voice was raw with emotion.

I already knew what Yermushin was selling. Earlier, the director had said the agency no longer needed him and we could take him down. But the CIA had been trying to take Yermushin into custody for ages. He seemed to slip through our grasp each time. The director’s words contradicted everything I thought I knew. I had been after Yermushin for years. The CIA had a plant in his organization, but the plant couldn’t reveal much without blowing her cover. She would give us tips but never enough to bring him down.

“He’s selling women on the black market. Do we have a date for the next auction?” Director Sanchez asked, his face neutral, not giving any sign of what he was thinking.

Steve reached for the envelope in front of him. He flipped through a couple of pages before responding. “It’s scheduled for next week. We believe it will take place at a fundraiser in New York.”

Before anyone had time to respond, the conference room door swung open. The bright light from the hallway blinded me, so I couldn’t see who stood in the doorway. I could only see two massive shadows.

“Someone forgot to send my party invite,” the more massive silhouette stated matter-of-factly.

Antonio Ross. I would recognize his voice anywhere. It held a hint of a threat. He wasn’t a man of many words, and when he spoke, people either listened or disappeared. He might be out of the military, but the POTUS and the CIA called on him and his company often to fill contracts.

Not waiting for an invitation, Antonio and the person with him headed toward the seats on the other side of Sophie. With a motion of his hand, Antonio waved the two analysts from the chairs. I didn’t recognize his companion. He was tall, blond, and built like a football player. He sat next to Sophie, and I heard him ask whether she was okay. It sounded like genuine concern in his voice.

“I told you to stay out of this.” Director Sanchez rose from his chair and leaned forward on the conference table to get his point across.

Antonio leaned back in the chair he had commandeered from the analyst. “See, that’s where you've always been wrong, Director.” Antonio's voice dripped with hatred. “I don’t take orders from you. My orders come from someone a lot higher than you.” Antonio’s gaze never wavered from the director’s. “Are you saying I need to make that call to be in this meeting? You took someone from my family without cause.”

Sophie went to speak, but the man sitting next to her grabbed her hand and shook his head. The gesture made me want to rip the guy's arm off.

Director Sanchez had a smirk on his face, as if he were about to win a game. “Sophie agreed to work here. This is her and Agent White’s case. I will have you removed from this building if you don’t leave.”

Antonio was known for being one of the best of the hired mercenaries the government used on contract. He was called on by top officials all the time. If the director didn’t want him on this case, it meant he was up to something. There was no way I would let Sophie come to harm. I had only met her this morning, but something deep inside me wanted to protect her from the surrounding people. I had a trump card I could pull on the director. In all the years I had worked for him, I had never used it.

“I don’t mind him working the case with us. If Antonio wants to volunteer, who am I to complain?”

“No!” the director screamed. He reached for the conference room phone and dialed security. Before he hit the last button, I reached over and clicked the line off. I could handle having the director on my bad side. But, Antonio and I went way back, and I didn’t want to make an enemy of him.

It took a second for the director to get his bearings. “Agent White, I will ruin your career.”

I had never taken kindly to being threatened. Most men who had threatened me were six feet under. However, this conference room wasn't the best place in which to kill the director.

I knew the grunt of laughter to my left came from Antonio. He was the one person in the room who had seen me lose my shit before. Needing to get my temper under control, I took a few calming breaths. “Sit down, Director.” I pointed to his chair. “Here is how this will go down. Antonio and his friend will help Sophie and me on this case. Then you will give her the information she needs without her having to work for you for ten more years.” I could hear the anger in my voice. He had played with her life for too many years.

“You can’t speak to me like that.”

“Everyone out.” When the room didn’t clear, I said, “Now!” The analysts scurried out the exit, running each other over. Steve got up to leave with the rest of them, but I caught his eye and pointed to his chair, indicating he should stay. 

“Director, I think you forget who I am. I'm an agent because it's what I like to do. I could have your job with one call, so don't push me. Antonio could get the same result with a call. The difference is that I’ve never made that call before, so I’m sure my brother will do what I ask.”

The blood drained from the director’s face as he remembered who I was. People were so used to working with me that they forgot who I was related to. “You would really drag Zack into this?”

I knew I had him where I wanted him. “Yes, and it’s President Tucker to you.”

“All right, you can use them. But I want to be kept informed about everything at all times!”

“With that out of the way, Agent White, this is Brock McKenzie. He owns Blackwood Security. Steve, please hand him a laptop,” Antonio demanded. When it looked as though the director would protest, Antonio continued. “I’m letting you stay in this room as a courtesy. Steve could get me up to speed without you. If you want to stay, sit and shut up.”

Sophie stood and paced. “Antonio, you don’t know what's going on. I need Director Sanchez on my side. He can help me find my sister.”

Antonio leveled a glare at Sophie. “Sit. If you had told us your sister was missing, you would have had her back by now. At the moment, I want to take you over my knee and redden your ass.”

I couldn’t hold back the anger that coursed through me at the thought of Antonio laying a hand on Sophie. “You can touch her over my dead body.” I reached out, grabbed Sophie’s arm, and brought her close to my side. I had never acted like this before, and I had no clue where the emotion was coming from.

The conference room went silent. 

Antonio studied me for a long moment. “Fine. I will kill you if you hurt her.”

After another moment, Brock broke the tension. “Since the pissing match is over, can we start on the case? I have a fiancé to get home to, and you are cutting into my time. So, let's go.”

I took over the meeting. “We are going after Yermushin.” I ignored the grunt that came from Antonio. He knew who the man was. “He is setting up a sale at a charity fundraiser in two weeks. Agent Red and I are working undercover at the fundraiser. Our goal is to figure out when the sale is going to take place. This is the first positive lead we have had on the man in ages.”

“I’m going to kill him,” Sophie mumbled.

Antonio’s gaze locked on Sophie. He must have heard her. “Why are you going to kill him? How long have you been running cases for the director?”

The director took a breath to speak, but Antonio shook his head in warning.

Sophie pointed to the screen showing Yermushin’s face. “That man and his gang dragged my sister and me out of our bedrooms when we were just kids, killed my parents in front of us, and kidnapped my sister.”

Sophie took a deep breath. She was shaking. “Director Sanchez has been helping me try to find my sister for the past twenty years. Every so often he would dangle some fruit in front of me, but never enough to find her. Ten years ago, he told me he found the gang based off of the tattoo information I supplied and that Yermushin’s gang had been killed off.”

I cringed inwardly. The director had found someone who was good at computers, and he had used her. If her sister was still alive, he could have gotten her back years ago. He probably knew where she was and whether she was alive or dead. From the look on Antonio’s face, he was thinking along the same lines.

“Steve, who is the contact that sent you the information? I need to do some checking so Sophie and I don’t go in blind. We’ll work the case from my safe house and connect into you directly for information.”

Steve walked around the room, handing everyone a case file. “Everything is in the folder. The contact’s name is Ice. Her photo is on page—”

“Give me those files,” the director demanded. He scrambled from his seat, trying to get to us.

“No. No. No. She works for you? You were stringing me along all these years? You didn’t think I would recognize my sister?”

Sophie leaped from her chair and went after the director, her arm pulled back to punch him. I grabbed Sophie around the waist before she had time to assault the Director of the CIA.

“Let me go!” Sophie kicked her foot back, trying to take me out. When I didn’t let up, she continued screaming. “You bastard! You’ve known where she’s been? Let me go, fuck face. I’m going to kill him!”

Brock was standing between the director and us. Antonio's eyes never left the photograph in the file.

“I instructed you to remove those photos,” the director yelled at Steve.

Knowing all I needed, I threw Sophie over my shoulder.

“We will take the case from here. It seems we can’t trust you.”

“I will have you wiped off the Earth for this,” Director Sanchez rasped.

I heard heavy steps behind me. Brock and Antonio were on my heels.

* * *

Sophie

I’m not sure what was more shocking—finally seeing a picture of my sister after these years or being manhandled by a sex god. “We need to go back. We need more information, and he might have you sent away.”

Antonio and Brock both grunted with laughter. I raised my head just enough to glare at them both. They were supposed to be my friends. “I can’t believe you two are letting Zane walk out. Did either of you hear what the director threatened? I’m not a child. Put me down. I need to find my sister!”

Antonio's eyes changed at the mention of my sister. It looked like a mixture of hurt and betrayal, which I didn’t understand.

The loud smack echoed through the room, before I had time to register that the ogre of a man had smacked my ass. A second later, the pain registered with a fiery heat.

“We will get your sister and the man that killed your parents. We don’t need the director. He can’t harm me.” Agent White laughed.

Once we made it to the parking lot, I was finally put on my feet. I couldn’t hold in my emotions any longer, not sure if they were from being manhandled or from seeing the first picture of my sister in twenty-five years. I lunged at Agent White and punched his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in.

“It’s okay. We will find her. I promise,” Agent White whispered in my ear.

His hand running up and down my back settled me down. Feeling embarrassed, I stepped away from Agent White to wipe the tears from my face. Brock engulfed me in a hug that felt good. The loud crack of flesh hitting flesh had me jumping back to see what was going on.

“You knew my wife was alive?” Antonio growled. He lurched toward Agent White again.

Brock leaped forward and grabbed Antonio before he had time to throw a second punch.

“What are you talking about, man? I’ve never met your wife. You’ve never shown me a picture of her.” The agent was standing up, wiping the blood dripping down his face with his sleeve.

Antonio pulled out the picture of my sister and pointed at her. “Zane, this is a picture of my dead wife, Kat.”

“I swear I didn’t know she was your wife. I’ve met her a couple times on assignment. Everyone says her husband is dead and she won’t date.”

This was getting too strange. “You're married to my sister?”

“I think we are uncovering too many secrets. Let's go to one of my safe houses and talk out a strategy. Not here, where cameras are watching us.” Agent White pointed at the camera positioned on us.