Mission: Impossible to Deny (The Impossible Mission Romantic Suspense Series Book 7), Jacki Delecki [polar express read aloud .TXT] 📗

Seattle. And he and the CIA hierarchy would never be friends. After his in-your-face experience with the Sureños, he was more dedicated than ever to working with cyber-security. No one should have to suffer as he had—drugged/overdosed with convulsions. He wanted to stop every asshole. He had the skills the good guys needed.

Finn raised his beer. “To Reeves. For proving that he is truly a Jenkins with his sheer courage in rigging his escape.”

The women joined the circle and raised their glasses. After the overdose of drugs, Reeves was limiting himself to water. He raised his water bottle and met Darcy’s warm gaze.

He was still on emotional overload. The relief of his escape, Finn the Navy SEAL acknowledging him as one of the Jenkins brotherhood, and Darcy’s declaration had him whirling. He couldn’t lose it now when the macho men had brought him into their fold. The Jenkins smart-asses would never allow him to live it down if he got sappy.

He never wavered in his gaze at Darcy. “When I was locked in the room, I never doubted for a minute that you would find me, would never fail, never stop until I was rescued because of your deep commitment.” His voice cracked. “And I was one damn lucky man to have the best looking for me.”

Reeves meant the words for Darcy and, from the way that her lips parted and her skin flushed a pretty pink, she knew it too.

“Here, here.” And everyone raised their glasses.

Before anyone had finished swallowing, Danni announced, “I want revenge on the bastards who dared to hurt Darcy and Reeves.” Danni’s eyes narrowed before she put her hand on her hip and glared at Nick. “What’s the plan?”

Lars put his arm around Danni’s shoulder, pulling her next to him. “That’s my girl.”

Smiling, Darcy spoke directly to Danni. “I appreciate and second the sentiment heartily. I want to put the scum behind bars for overdosing Reeves. We’re waiting on intel before we can act. Molly and Izzy both are trying to crack the phone that Reeves retrieved from the Sureños gangbanger. They’re also searching through every database to find the Russian Galina. They’ll get back to me as soon as they get a hit. It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“I want to use my Krav Maga on the animal who punches a woman in the face,” Danni said matter-of-factly.

Lars chuckled. “Down, tiger. Remember your promise.”

Reeves loved Danni for her passionate need to defend Darcy. But he didn’t want Danni near the vicious gang. He didn’t want Darcy near them either. But he couldn’t stop her. He had to either respect her abilities or walk away. He knew it was a game-changer in their relationship. It would be like her asking him to give up his tech life.

“I called the detective in Santa Barbara who is running the CI in the Sureños. It didn’t add up that the gang didn’t come after Reeves once he escaped.”

“They were too scared once they witnessed my superpowers, honey.” He loved how quickly her skin took on a rosy glow, and her lips pressed tightly together. She wasn’t a CIA officer for nothing. She read his intention with the promise of his superpowers all focused on her. And when it came to his need for Darcy, he just might have superpowers.

The Jenkins hooted loudly. Sophie rolled her eyes, and Danni winked at him.

Darcy cleared her throat. “As I was saying.”

God, he was getting a boner from her prim, first grade teacher tone.

“The CI made contact, and the word is the Sureños have backed out of a big deal. It seems the Sureños have an informant in the FBI who warned them that every alphabet agency was looking for them. And the Sureños, good businessmen that they are, after learning how hard the hammer would fall on their drug trade, backed off.”

Admiration for his woman filled him. After the hours of “debriefing” by Nick and Darcy, he had crashed. They fed him and gave him water while they asked endless questions. And when he thought he was done, they’d start again. He understood their reasoning to ask the questions immediately while it was fresh, before he forgot any details.

He did enjoy the shocked look on both Darcy and Nick’s faces when he described his escape. Nick had sworn him to secrecy to never retell the risks to Emily. Reeves planned to use his new incentive in creative ways on Nick.

Darcy had gone pale and silent. He tried to reassure her, but he hadn’t succeeded. She barely uttered a word during his description, promising that they would discuss it further when alone. He looked forward to her passionate reprimand. He had hoped to spend his first hours out of captivity naked with Darcy. Instead, he slept for hours while she was doing her CIA shtick. It seemed convulsions and cocaine tired even fast-firing brains.

“We need the link between the Sureños and the Russians.” Reeves was clearheaded now. And he needed to get back in the game. He should be offended that they hadn’t asked him to run the phone and Galina, but he accepted Darcy’s demand that he rest, or he would be of no value to the team when they really needed him. He did make her promise if he rested that she would join him in bed tonight. Win-win for him.

“Once we’re finished here, I’ll have Molly and Izzy bring me up to speed.”

“I was about to tell the group before Danni made her sentiments loud and clear.” Nick gave Danni his “I’m in charge” look, which never had any effect on Danni. Especially since Danni and Emily had become very close, and Nick would pay if he mistreated Emily’s friend.

“I wasn’t loud, just succinct in my need for bloody revenge.”

Nick shook his head. “Richard called me a few minutes ago after speaking with the CIA director. The ransomware hackers have placed the embassy information for sale on the dark web. Now the focus is how to trap who is