Mind of Danger (Body of Danger, #3) Read online

  Mind of Danger

  Body of Danger #3

  Sidney Bristol

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  Inked Press

  Mind of Danger

  Body of Danger #3

  Marjorie is in over her head in a big way. All she wants for Christmas is a safe way out of her undercover gig for the FBI, but with no back-up and no hope for extraction, she's set to get nothing but a bullet this holiday. Unless she calls him. The one-man she's always wanted by her side and in her bed.

  Elias has come to terms with his life. He isn't where he expected himself to be, but working with Aegis Group still allows him be a behind-the-scenes hero. Too bad Christmas is full of nothing but ghosts from his past...until he gets her call. Marjorie was always forbidden fruit and now she's calling him for help.

  Two friends reunite under the guise of a simple holiday favor, but things quickly take a dangerous turn as Marjorie's target aims his sights on her. And the only thing standing in their way is Elias. This Christmas, passion will ignite a new fire as the enemies close in.

  Explore the whole Aegis world in these series...

  It all began with the Aegis Group.

  Dangerous Attraction

  Dangerous in Training

  Dangerous Games

  Dangerous Assignment

  Dangerous Protector

  Dangerous Secrets

  Dangerous Betrayal

  Dangerous Heat

  Dangerous Connections

  Dangerous Exposure (TBA)

  More Coming Soon!

  Within Aegis Group, special teams take on special jobs, beginning with the Alpha Team.

  Dangerous in Love

  Dangerous in Action

  Dangerous in Transit

  Dangerous in Motion

  Dangerous in Charge

  Other specialized teams exist under the Aegis Group umbrella, including Lepta Team.

  Dangerously Taken

  Dangerously Involved

  Dangerously Deceived

  Dangerously Broken

  Dangerously Entwined

  Troy Team has signed on to work an ultra-secret case in the Aegis Group Task Force series.

  (prequel) First Risk: a newsletter exclusive serial

  Stolen Risk

  Forged Risk

  Technical Risk

  Necessary Risk

  Intercepted Risk (TBA)

  Targeted Risk (TBA)

  Hard Risk (TBA)

  Burned Risk (TBA)

  Final Risk (TBA)

  You’ve heard about them and got your first glimpse in Necessary Risk, but now the Dangerous Ladies are here to play!

  Just Business

  Just Friends (TBA)

  Just Casual (TBA)

  Stay tuned for the appearance of the Omega Team.

  In Dangerous Games it continued with the Gone Geek girls.

  Beauty and the Geek

  Mr. Purr-fect and the Geek

  The Jock and the Geek

  The Gamer and the Geek

  The Adorkable Girl and the Geek

  The Fake Boyfriend and the Geek

  When the Seattle office of Aegis Group opened the Twisted Royals took the stage.

  The Origin Story

  Alpha Prince

  Her Prince

  Bad Boy Prince

  Noble Prince

  For short reads, tune in this December for the Body of Danger novella series kick-off.

  Heart of Danger

  Spirit of Danger

  Mind of Danger (2020)

  The other Smith brother takes us to the Texas SWAT series, a small town suspense series.

  Fighting Redemption

  Stolen Redemption

  Forbidden Redemption

  Reckless Redemption (coming soon)

  Thanks to the SWAT team, Ransom, Texas enjoys a slower pace of life beginning in The Love Barn.

  Give Me Back My Man

  Summer of Love

  Party out of Bounds

  Table of Contents

  1.

  2.

  3.

  4.

  5.

  6.

  7.

  8.

  9.

  10.

  Epilogue.

  1.

  Wednesday. Elias’ Home, Seattle, Washington.

  Holidays were the worst.

  Elias Wood eased himself down onto the plush recliner.

  Today so far he’d deep cleaned his refrigerator, the grill, his stovetop and the oven. They were the last things on his Survive the Holidays list, and he still had five freaking days until Christmas was over for another year.

  Screw the assholes from last year for blowing up the God damn building. If it weren’t for them Elias could have simply volunteered to work over the holidays, ensuring his mind and body were both busy enough he didn’t care what the rest of the world was doing. Unfortunately, he worked for decent human beings. Following the previous Christmas disaster, he’d been assured of all holidays off from here on out. Problem was, he needed something to do.

  It wasn’t like he didn’t have options.

  He could go visit family.

  His mouth screwed up, and he rubbed his tongue on the top of his mouth.

  Nah, Mom and Dad had retired to a swanky old folks’ resort. They had activities and events every day of the month. He’d no doubt cramp their style and make things awkward as they tried to have their fun and include him.

  Elias’s two sisters were busy with their kids and extended families on their husband’s sides. Seeing as how both had married into big families, they’d decided to keep the Wood family events to the yearly reunion and a group vacation. That said, if Elias called either sister, they’d clear enough space for him to crash somewhere and wrap him up in holiday cheer. But that wasn’t what he wanted either. He’d made that mistake exactly once and still regretted it. Too many people. Too much noise. Never a moment to himself. It wasn’t for him.

  There was always the work retreat. He wasn’t unique in the company when it came to having complicated feelings about family and holidays. The main Aegis Group campus was always open, and they made sure to have a bed for anyone who wanted to stay at the bunkhouses over Christmas. The problem there was that the guys liked to take this as a chance to run drills, try out new munitions, and Elias that just wasn’t who Elias was anymore. He wasn’t front lines or active duty. He worked behind a desk and liked it that way.

  Which left him out of ideas, sitting at home feeling sorry for himself.

  What was his deal?

  His head was a little screwed up. So what?

  Elias planted his hands on the arm rests and pushed up. It was more out of habit than necessity. He didn’t feel the same old twinge of pain in his hip and knee like he used to when it came to sitting and standing. Surgery and time had healed those wounds, but he kept bracing for them, anyway.

  His military career had ended prematurely, like so many others, thanks to an IED that had blindsided him while on patrols. He’d kept all his limbs, but the damage was done and his career over.

  If anything he should be thankful for everything he had. Yet here he was, feeling sorry for himself.

  He’d set up a good life here in Seattle.

  Zain Lloyd had talked Elias into leaving his job working for a major munitions company to come head up sales and specifically the high level client services division at Aegis Group. Instead of selling people on all the ways to kill, he now promised the impossible. It was work Elias enjoyed and could be passionate about. He just didn’t understand why that work had to pause over the holidays. Couldn’t he keep at it? Was there any harm in it?

&n
bsp; His phone vibrated in his hand. When had he picked that up? Damn thing seemed to always attach itself to him.

  Elias stared at the number.

  It wasn’t a Seattle call.

  Maybe it was work?

  He doubted it, but a guy could hope.

  “Elias Wood,” he said into the device.

  “Eli?” a husky woman’s voice asked.

  He paused.

  A lot of people called him Eli, but none of them were clients.

  Who was this woman?

  “This is he,” he responded.

  She chuckled. “Don’t tell me you went off and forgot me, now.”

  Elias paused.

  There was something in that voice, the laugh. It set off pleasure sensors in his head.

  She’d always known the right thing to say or do. Yet they’d all treated her like one of the guys. To him, she’d always been very much a woman.

  “Jo? Marjorie-Jo?” He threw the name out there like one might toss a penny into a fountain, full of hope.

  Now she laughed outright, and he knew it was her. “So you do remember me?”

  “Hell yeah. What are you doing in Seattle?”

  There were few people he’d kept in contact with following his medical discharge. The guys, for the most part, didn’t know how to talk to him. It was easier if they went their separate ways. But that wasn’t Marjorie Walker’s way.

  Elias could still remember the first day she’d joined them. Jo and two other women had been shuffled around to find units that were a better fit. At least that was the official line. The unofficial one was that Jo and the other two women had called out harassment from a fellow soldier, and to cover it up they’d separated everyone involved rather than actually deal with it.

  The others had taken to Jo and the other two women without issue. She’d become one of the guys to everyone except Elias. Not that she knew that.

  “Sorry,” Jo muttered. “What am I doing in Seattle? That’s kind of a long story. Are you still here? In Seattle, I mean?”

  “Yeah. What’s up?”

  “I’m in a bit of a bind, and—”

  “Say no more. What do you need?”

  “Would you have time to pick me and a coworker up from the airport? Our ride bailed and—”

  “I’ll be there. Just putting on my shoes and walking out the door.”

  Jo sighed. “Thanks, Eli. You’re saving me big time here.”

  “What terminal are you at?”

  “We aren’t, actually. Look, it’s a long story, but we are at the cargo entrance.”

  “Sounds like a story. Maybe we’ll have time to catch up over a drink?” He hoped, but wouldn’t push his luck.

  “That would be nice, if time allows. How are you?”

  “You can see for yourself in a bit.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  Elias shoved the phone into his pocket. A surge of energy and anticipation pushed him to move faster.

  Jo was here.

  It was a good thing he’d showered after wrapping up his laundry list of items. Now all he had to do was leave. He shoved his feet into his boots and grabbed his keys. It wasn’t until he took his first step toward the front door that he asked himself, what the hell was Jo doing in Seattle? Why was she flying in and out of the cargo wing of an airport? And why would she call him for anything?

  Maybe he was being paranoid, but in his line of work he knew to play it safe. He decided to spare a moment and went to the gun safe in his closet.

  He didn’t know what Jo was doing now, but if he had to guess, she hadn’t gotten out of the military to bake cookies or sell oils.

  His Jo had a nose for danger, and he’d do well to remember that.

  WEDNESDAY. SEATTLE-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington.

  Marjorie Walker was in over her head so badly she was drowning. How was it things could fall apart so fast?

  Her plan had been foolproof. Or so she’d thought. But now here she was stranded in a Seattle cargo hangar, only a few days away from Christmas. None of her contacts or handlers were answering their phones because they were off doing normal people bullshit. And all the while she was rotting from the inside.

  This job had to end, somehow, someway.

  “What the hell are we doing, Jo?”

  She turned and looked at her companion.

  Isaac.

  She’d done her homework on him.

  Isaac wasn’t the name he’d been born with. He’d remade himself following some nasty allegations as a teen. Not that he’d made better decisions as an adult. He’d hitched his wagon to a criminal and didn’t care who he rolled over.. There was a very good chance he would turn on her if he got even the faintest whiff of the truth. If that happened and she was forced to deal with him, it might blow the whole case up in her face.

  They’d blame it on her. Because she was a woman in a high stress environment. She was too young. Too this. Too that. She’d heard it all. And yet, she was still here doing her job, unlike everyone else who just hit pause on the world while they went to go admire pretty lights and rip open packages.

  Shit.

  Inwardly, she groaned.

  Her presents to her mom and sister were still at her place. There was no way she was getting home before Christmas, which meant she’d be sending everything late again.

  Wonderful.

  As if those relationships weren’t tense enough.

  She just needed to hold it together a little longer.

  Elias was on the way.

  Warmth she had no business feeling spread through her chest.

  She’d never forget walking into that tent alongside two women she didn’t know well. The first man who’d noticed them was the big, quiet guy stretched out on a cot holding pen and paper. He had large, brown soulful eyes and a medium brown hair cut close to his scalp. He’d glanced up at her—actually met her eyes—and nodded. That was Elias. He took everything in stride and waited to judge people based on their actions.

  It was a simple gesture, and yet it had set the tone for everything else. Sure, there’d been some awkwardness in the beginning. It had passed quickly, and they’d all settled into a rhythm.

  Jo would never say she enjoyed her military career. For her, it was a necessary step. A way out of a toxic family environment that was slowly killing her. It was a means to an end. And along the way, she’d found a family of sorts. Though after Elias’ discharge things had shifted. He likely didn’t know it, but he’d been their linchpin.

  She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that seeing him again would be a good thing. Since his accident, she’d only seen him like once a year. Not enough in her book. Funny how he still mattered to her after so long.

  In truth, she should be surprised he still remembered her. He likely had no idea how much he’d meant to her. It wasn’t like they’d talked a lot. She’d always gravitated toward him. And then he’d been gone.

  Now she was dragging her mess to him.

  If he could just help them get out of the airport, she could handle the rest.

  Isaac stepped in front of her. He wasn’t a big man, but he had that murderous look on his face. “What the fuck are we doing, Jo?”

  “Waiting on a ride, I trust. Now, keep your head down.”

  Isaac glanced over his shoulder. They were both keeping clear of windows and doors. “And what? Giving them time to team up? We need to move now. Or it’ll be our heads that roll.”

  “Not yet. We step foot out there now and we’re sitting ducks. It’s too late, too much open space.”

  Jo itched to have another look. She’d spied two different vehicles just sitting and waiting. For what?

  In her line of work, she couldn’t afford to overlook coincidence. It often wasn’t what it appeared to be.

  There were three different options that came to mind when she asked herself what the worst-case scenario was with their watch dogs. First, the most obvious was that the people waiting
for her were the same ones she was supposed to be watching. Either because they suspected her, or because they wanted to eliminate her from the running. Then there was the risk that whoever that was, they were an enemy. Some unknown third party looking to cut in. There was always the risk that they were FBI or cops who’d happened on a tip, and this was a case of wrong fucking place, wrong fucking time for her.

  None of those were good.

  She checked her watch.

  Elias hadn’t given her an estimate. She had no idea when he might show up. She was beyond grateful he hadn’t asked her for more details while they were on the phone. There was only so much she could say in front of Isaac without setting him off. He didn’t know she was undercover FBI, and he couldn’t or he’d kill her.

  The little she knew about Elias’ current employment was that he was still doing sales work, but this time for a company called Aegis Group. Jo didn’t know much about them, except they seemed to be one of those security firms that had cropped up in the last twenty years. She wished she’d have had time to do some research, but time was a luxury she didn’t have.

  “We need to go,” Isaac said again.

  “We wait for our ride. There’s no way we get out of here otherwise.”

  “How did they get here so fast? And how did they know where we’d be? We need to move, Jo. I’m serious.”

  “Whoever is out there, either they had a line on a private plane or maybe they were already on this side of the country. Maybe they aren’t even our people? Maybe they’re someone’s hired muscle to clear the path? I don’t know, and I’d like to not find out.” She forced herself to stand a little straighter and braver than her true feelings.

  The reality was she didn’t know who was out there. One way or another, it was all connected to their boss. He didn’t have a typical way of doing things. For one, he didn’t give outright orders. There was no direction telling her to go to some place and do a thing. Instead, he suggested interesting options, mentioned what he’d like to do, and people jumped.

  Four nights ago he’d come as close as ever to giving an order. And she’d gotten it on tape, so to speak.

  In a crowded room, he’d gazed at an abstract painting of North America and said, “I’d like to have that technology by Christmas. I’d wager something like that would be worth a bonus.”