Page 123 of Power
After joining them at the table, Providence set a bottle of chilled water in front of Simone. “How was training?”
Simone’s smile sent a burst of energy through him. “Great. I need target practice, I’m going to hit the gym harder, but I loved it.”
“Good to hear,” Dakota said.
“Red,” Cooper said, “The Bomb Maker case is yours, if you’re up to working it.”
She glanced over at Luciano. “Absolutely.”
“Normally, you’d have the full support of our internal Internet Team,” Providence explained, “but we’re concerned this could be an inside job, so we think it would be best if you partnered with someoneoutsidethe organization.”
“That makes sense,” Simone replied.
“Luciano is well connected,” Sin said. “We think he’s the best choice.”
Simone slid her gaze to his. “Since he’s here, I’ll assume he has access to ALPHA.”
I do.
“He has access to the Safe House but not to our website.” Dakota said.
I’ve got that too.
“Only you have access to ALPHAnet,” Providence explained.
“I’m in, one-hundred percent.” Simone arched an eyebrow at him. “What do you think, Luciano?”
He appreciated that she wanted his input. The atmosphere was solemn, too solemn, so he shot her a smile. “I think we’regonna kick The Bomb Maker’s ass and make his life a living hell.”
She smiled back, and his world shifted a little. Never before had a lover been his work partner. New territory for him. But he had every confidence they’d find their way.
“Excellent,” Dakota said.
“Luciano, can you drive Red home?” Providence asked.
“Of course.” He shook their hands, waited for them to leave, and shut the door.
Alone with Simone.
Something that was fast-becoming his addiction.
He sat back down and their eyes met. So much energy passed between them. He wanted to kiss her hello, tell her how much he admired her inner strength, and how he couldn’t wait to massage away her aches from training, and love her all night long.
Control, Luciano.
Instead, he said, “You killed it at training this morning.”
“Nothing like jumping into the deep end.” She extracted a small tube of cream from her handbag. “I’m being tracked.” She set the item on the table. “Can you put this on my neck. I’m sure the spot is red. It’s itching like crazy.”
What the hell.
He stared at her. “Tracked by whom?”
“ALPHA. All Ops have chips in their necks. It’s for our safety. That’s what they tell us anyway.”
With a tender touch, he moved her hair away, examined her neck. A circle of red surrounded a tiny pin prick. Resisting the urge to kiss her skin, he gently rubbed in the cream. While heshouldn’tbe having these types of thoughts, he was. And he wasn’t going to fight himself on them. It had been years since he’d thought of another woman besides his beloved Linda.
“Does it look okay?” she asked.
