“It’s to keep you safe, Jace. You did well, despite everything.” Rafe twirled a gold pen in his fingers. “Kara was right. Dylan never would have talked to you, or anyone else. He needed someone he could trust. Don’t worry about Kara and the prosecutor. She’ll get over it when the attorney her father hired arrives tomorrow. He’s good. Seen him in action before, and the US attorney’s office isn’t interested in hanging Dylan out to dry on this. They need him and I’m sure they’ll work out a good deal.”
“Then why...?”
“Because in this business you can’t make promises you aren’t sure you can keep.” Rafe stared at the wall, his jaw tight. “I promised my guys last year it would be a simple takedown. And now they’re dead.”
Jace blew out a breath. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was. But that’s another matter. For this, I did have a backup plan.”
He picked up his office phone. “Is she out there? Bring her in.”
Stunned, he watched the woman walk into Rafe’s office. Jace stared. “You?”
“Pleased to see you again, Special Agent Beckett.” Allison Lexington removed her motorcycle helmet. A waterfall of shoulder-length dark hair spilled out. Still attractive as ever.
“How the hell did you get here?” he demanded.
“Rode my bike here for hours after he—” she jerked her thumb at Rafe “—told me to come in.”
Jace frowned. “You a cop?”
“Confidential informant, not by choice.” She scowled at Rafe, who gave a slight smile. “After I saved Lance, Rafe threatened to arrest me for interfering with an official investigation.”
“She was at the bike rally where Lance was running guns and got shot by a rival gang member. She treated him,” Rafe added, his dark gaze centered on Allison. “Aiding and abetting someone who committed a felony is a second-degree offense.”
Allison narrowed her eyes. “I told you, I didn’t aid and abet. I treated a gunshot wound. I did my job. I’m a nurse. What, was I supposed to let him bleed out?”
“No, you were supposed to inform law enforcement of what happened so he could be arrested, not let him slip through your fingers.”
“Pardon me for living, Agent Rodriguez. The guy had a gun to my head.”
“Supervisory Special Agent Rodriguez,” Rafe corrected. “I paid you to be a CI. I don’t recall any complaints about the money.”
“Considering I had to give up several lucrative nursing jobs, I deserved compensation. I’m a traveling nurse and I make more than you do, Supervisory Special Agent.”
“I’m sure you do.” Rafe seemed amused.
Jace watched, sensing chemistry between them.
Allison tossed back her long, brown hair. “May I leave now, since this assignment has ended? I trust you no longer need me. Unless you have another BS charge you want to slap on me to force me into spying for you. Only this time, I’m not getting close to a criminal gang.”
A shadow crossed Rafe’s face. “I told you if you ever sensed you were endangered, to pull out. I’m serious, Allison.”
She gave a mock salute. “Right. As if I couldn’t handle Lance and his crew. They were all trying to get me into bed, especially Snake. I have better taste than that.”
“I’m sure you do,” Rafe said softly.
Allison glared at him. “If you’ll excuse me.”
When she walked out the door, Rafe followed her with his dark gaze. Then he leaned back, the leather chair creaking.
“We have a new lead on Marcus.”
This was news. Jace sat down. “Spill it.”
“It didn’t come from Allison, or Dylan, obviously, and there’s no way you could have gotten the intel, Jace. It had to come from someone deep inside, who knew the club’s inner workings. Someone who had been there before.”
I’ve got a bad feeling about this. “A former club member?”
“Your father.”
I knew it. I knew the old man couldn’t stay away.
Feeling even more betrayed, Jace released a string of cuss words. Rafe held up his hand. “Whoa. Slow down. He doesn’t know about you, or your cover. He’s working with me totally separately on this case.”
“You went after my old man because you didn’t think I could deliver? Dammit, Rafe!”
Rafe shook his head, his voice calm. “I didn’t. He approached me, Jace. He got out on parole and wanted to help. He’s changed.”
“Changed, my ass! He’s still the same selfish prick—”
“He wanted to make up for the past, and leave a legacy of doing something good, Jace. For you. He said he didn’t want his only son remembering him as a son of a bitch.”
Rafe drummed his fingers on the armrest. “He doesn’t know about you being under. He mentioned seeing a prospect or a new member at the garage, and was asking about getting a job at the garage. Said the guy was cold.”
Cold? Not cold enough, apparently.
“When the hell were you going to tell me my old man works for you? Want to recruit my mother as well? She loves money.”
