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military hierarchy there was no such a thing as a female Seal, or Ranger, or Beret. Rather, these accomplished, highly trained women were known as “adjuncts” to the dangerous missions. The epitome of this rarified stratum of female operatives was Riley Davis.
    When she left active duty, Riley had signed on to the various security companies that attracted the best of the former special agents. In private practice the need for trained female agents, who could play the roles required of them, was as great if not greater than in the active duty military. Operating so far off the grid they would need a KQED Quest Microscope to spot them, these secretive companies were in high demand by the corporations, individuals, and government agencies who needed things done that legal entities couldn’t be seen doing. As in all important missions, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, beautiful women were often the bait to take down powerful, unscrupulous men.
    In her active duty career, Lt. Colonel Riley Davis had been a superstar—with one exception. The personality trait that finally forced the Lieutenant Colonel out of the active-duty military followed her like the plague into private consulting: Riley couldn’t follow orders for the life of her. Or as it turned out, for any hope she had of working with the elite off-the-grid enterprises. Being the entrepreneurial whiz that she was, Riley decided the only course of action was to create her own company that she named, tongue in cheek, Ladies of the Night . She often said that they may as well call themselves what their prospective clients did. The only qualification was that her agents were “Ladies” in action as well as name. The only thing her agents couldn’t do was to make good on the sexual favors their jobs and company name implied.
    Gabriella didn’t know how her boss and Colonel Ian Ross were connected. She knew that at the least they had a business relationship. They both headed off-the-grid security companies. While there was no proof, spicy rumors abounded insisting that their relationship was more complex. The rampant gossip insinuated that they were lovers. Both parties, however, adamantly denied that there was more than a professional connection. What was apparent was that whenever he had an important mission that involved the highest levels of the U.S. Government and he needed a woman operative, Ian Ross came to the Ladies of the Night .Whatever drew the erudite and famous financier to LOTN, it was clear that his role in the company was important. Gabriella had learned from the other LOTN agents that while Ian Ross was rarely seen, no agent was hired by Riley’s company without the prior approval of the quietly handsome entrepreneur. According to Gabriella’s cohorts, Ian Ross only appeared in person when there was a question of whether the prospective LOTN agent should be hired—or fired.
    ~~~
    Hovering next to the door, Gabriella’s unease shot geyser-high when she recognized one of the male voices inside as Ian Ross’s. Her proudest moment when she left active duty, as adjunct to one of the most decorated Ranger units in the U.S Army, had been when Diamond offered to test her skills. Gabriella had worked with other LOTN agents and done well enough that Diamond had indicated that she was being considered for a solo mission, the golden ring that all the LOTN operatives lived and died for. But the fact that Ross was joining them for the upcoming discussion signaled that her days at LOTN were likely coming to a painful and short-lived conclusion.
    Tentatively knocking on the door, she swallowed past the lump in her throat and followed Diamond’s curt order to enter. Once inside, her nervousness ratcheted to astronomical heights. Not only was Ian Ross sitting across from Riley Davis in one of the club chairs circling an ornate steel and glass coffee table, but another man was planted between them. Gabriella didn’t have time to do more that cast a furtive glance