Shades of Gray (KGI #6)(15)

Steele was silent for a long time as if grappling with his thoughts. Then he glanced her way, meeting her gaze.

“I think it’s probably our best option. I don’t like it, but I think we can make it happen and make sure you’re safe.”

“This is f**king insane!” Cole exploded. “Since when do we pimp out our teammates for a mission? Do you even understand what could happen to her if the slightest thing goes wrong? She’ll be helpless.”

“That’s enough, Cole,” she said through her teeth. “You need to shut the f**k up and stand down. I’m not f**king helpless. I can defend myself and my team won’t let me down.”

Not like her last one had. It was left unspoken but she knew Cole got the meaning. She trusted her teammates. They weren’t Derek, Jimmy and Mike.

“No, we won’t,” Baker said, his voice strained with utter seriousness.

Renshaw nodded his agreement.

“She has to go in wired,” Dolphin said. “We have to know what’s going on every step of the way so if things get out of hand, we can pull the plug damn fast.”

Donovan made a sound of exasperation. “We aren’t hanging her out to dry. This is a mission just like any other mission. We work as a team. We plan for any eventuality.”

Then he turned to P.J.

“This mission isn’t mandatory. It’s completely your choice and it won’t be held against you if you opt out. I’ll understand entirely if you don’t want to assume this kind of risk.”

“Don’t do it, P.J.,” Cole bit out. “We’ll find another way to save those girls.”

But they wouldn’t. Not these girls. It would be too late for them. Just babies. Taken from their mothers and their homes. Forced to endure nightmares no child should ever experience.

How could she say no when she had a chance to help them?

Her gaze swept the room. Her teammates were quiet, their expressions pensive. They all stared back at her, unwavering support reflected in their eyes.

Cole was furious. And worried. She could see the concern in those blue eyes a mile away and it pissed her off that he didn’t have more confidence in her abilities. They had sex one time and he was already acting like an overprotective ninny. The next thing he’d want would be for her to stand behind him on their missions so she never got caught in the cross fire.

Then she glanced back at Steele and Donovan. She searched Steele’s expression for some sign of what he was thinking. Finally she gave up and voiced her question aloud.

“Steele? Do you think this is what we need to do?”

“I can’t make this decision for you, P.J. I’m not going to bring my opinions to the table on this. It’s a righteous cause or I wouldn’t have bothered to call you guys up when you just came off a mission where you got no sleep and you’re badly in need of some downtime. But all I can do is call you up.”

Steele surveyed the others and then looked back at P.J.

“Let’s put it to a vote.”

P.J. took a deep breath and swallowed some of the anxiety building in her chest. Give her a sniper rifle and tell her what target to take out and she could do it in her sleep. But this . . . This was so far outside her comfort zone that her mind was screaming what the f**k at her.

“I’m in,” she said in a firm voice.

Steele looked to the others.

Dolphin blew out his breath. “Hell, I’m in. She’s not going without her team.”

“Ditto,” Baker muttered.

“I’m there,” Renshaw spoke up.

Which left Cole, who was still looking pissed. He glanced at P.J. then looked around at all the others.

“Goddamn it. I’m in but I don’t like it and I’m going on record as saying so.”

“Okay then, we’re a go,” Donovan said softly.

CHAPTER 7

COLE sat with the others while they waited for P.J. to make her appearance. She and Donovan and the woman he’d hired to make her over had been holed up in that damn hotel room for two hours and he was growing more irritable by the minute.

Every one of his gut instincts told him this was all wrong. He couldn’t believe that Donovan and Steele had signed on to put P.J. in such a vulnerable position and he couldn’t believe P.J. had agreed.

Well, maybe he wouldn’t go that far. P.J. was hard-core. It was one of the things he admired about her. She did her job and she never complained. She kept up with the guys on their team, and if he were honest, he’d admit oftentimes she went above and beyond.

She was a damn good shot, and as much as it bruised his ego, he’d never engage her in an outright shoot-off. She’d probably smoke his ass and he’d never live it down.

He rubbed his hands down his jeans and drummed his thumb over his knee.

“How the f**k long does this take anyway?” he grumbled.

The door to the adjoining room opened, and Donovan stepped out adorned in a swanky tux and shiny, expensive-ass shoes, and his hair looked like it had some sort of gel in it.

Whistles went up and Donovan rolled his eyes.

“Damn man, you look good,” Dolphin crowed.

“Where’s P.J.?” Steele asked. “We need to move out in a few minutes if we’re going to stay on schedule.”

Donovan turned and reached behind him. A moment later, he pulled P.J. out to stand beside him. The entire room went dead silent.