Dominance Never Dies (Masters and Mercenaries #11)(71)

So he could get rid of her. She didn’t mention that. It wouldn’t do her any good. The men around her were once more working to decide how her life would go and she’d learned long before the only way to counter that was to do her thing and not compromise.

“I agree. It’s time to move,” she said. She looked directly at Hutch so anyone who glanced their way would think they were having a conversation. “I think we’ve got a decent understanding of all the good work the charity is doing in the community and how they’re managing it. There are a lot of doors they’re opening.”

Hutch seemed to get serious. “Yes, they are.”

Mia counted four doors that led to different parts of the building. She’d had a brief discussion with the director, a middle-aged man who seemed a little overwhelmed by all the people around him. He’d explained the different workings of the charity to her in halting English. There was a food pantry that helped the urban poor and attempted to stave off childhood malnutrition. They had outreach in rural areas of the country as well. There was also a department that helped with job searches as unemployment was a real problem in the country.

She and Hutch had been given a nice tour that included the director pointing out his office and the business offices.

There wasn’t actually a guard posted on the doors, but there were several well-dressed men who didn’t seem to be mingling.

“Are the guards going to be a problem?” Case asked.

Mia glanced around. No one was looking their way at the moment. A guitarist was playing, his fingers flying across the strings as he entertained with local music. The crowd of roughly sixty or seventy people seemed preoccupied with him. There were a few groups talking quietly around the buffet and some people at the open bar, but no one seemed to notice the Americans.

“I don’t think so,” she said quietly. Having her hair down helped enormously. In the course of her normal life, she would have pulled it all up for an elegant look, but the mass of hair around her shoulders not only sheltered the earpiece, it also hid her face from the multitude of security cameras. “He should be able to deal with the problem with ease. Any luck on your end?”

“She’s asking if Fain’s been able to cut into the feed,” Hutch said in a quiet voice. There was no way to mistake his irritation. Apparently her partner preferred to be behind the scenes. “I told him what to do.”

“It’s not as easy as you made it sound, *.” Ezra sounded frustrated. “I’m not a tech guy. I might have pointed that out.”

“I could get it done in five minutes if you let me,” Hutch said, his mouth tight. “I can probably figure out how to hack the internal systems here, too. I think we should come in.”

“Hutch, I know this isn’t your thing.” Case was the calm voice of reason. “But I’m going to need you to do your job. Get in, download the system, and get out. We can’t be sure what kind of security they have. Getting in and putting physical hands on the system is our best shot. You agreed with me earlier today.”

“Earlier today I didn’t get the feeling that someone was watching me,” Hutch admitted. “Something’s wrong with this place. I can feel it.”

“No,” Case said, his voice steady. “What you feel is PTSD. This is the first time you’ve been back out in the field, brother. I promise, it’s normal to be afraid. It’s time to shut that fear down and do your job. A lot of people are depending on you. Theo is depending on you.”

Mia didn’t like the way Hutch paled. She held out her hand. “I can do it. I certainly know how to download a system. Give me the drive.”

He stood straighter, his shoulders going back. “I’m fine. If I get caught in the hallway, I’ll say I was looking for the bathroom. Could you distract the big guy who’s obviously carrying a gun while I slip back there? The other two are moving around outside, but the one to your left is doing an inner perimeter sweep and he keeps looking that way. I need about thirty seconds.”

She wasn’t sure he was up to it, but she nodded because she was done arguing with the men in her life.

Case might be telling her the truth. He might fully intend to see her again. Hell, she’d proven to be very open when it came to his sexual proclivities, but he’d proven he didn’t truly want her. He wanted her body, maybe her submissive side. But he didn’t want her in his life. Not in any real way. She had a serious chance to help him find his brother. Tony was still looking into the situation, but it didn’t matter to Case.

This was the most important moment of his life and he wouldn’t allow her to help him, not even to sit in a shitty motel room and wait for him to return. It didn’t make sense. She’d followed all of his rules. She’d kept a bodyguard with her.

I can’t work with you.

She knew damn well the other men in his family worked with their wives. Liam took his wife and child with him at times when he was investigating. Ian took Charlotte as his backup many times. Alex and Eve worked together every day. Mia might not have served in the military, but she would put herself up against any of the women and some of the men when it came to self-defense. She was proficient in Krav Maga and had used a gun more than once in her life. She’d never had to actively shoot anyone, but she’d certainly had to fight her way out of bad situations before.