The Omega Team: Hot Target (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Free Page A

survived many perilous assignments. Jacquie couldn’t begin to understand how anyone could make such a sacrifice—to risk their very lives—in the protection of others, but she did like calling them friends.
    “So what do you think will happen now?” She adjusted her glasses, a nervous habit. “What do you want me to do with Rafael’s background check?”
    Grey clenched his jaw and tossed the file across his desk in her direction.
    “Stop the process and mark his file as inactive, but it’ll be up to Athena to make the final call.”
    When Jacquie picked up Rafael Madero’s folder, a voice stopped her cold.
     
    ***
     
    “Leave the file.” Athena didn’t bother to knock.
    She came into the room and locked eyes with Grey. She knew how to be aggressive in a man’s world, but she hadn’t forgotten how to soften her approach with other women not used to her ways.
    “Thanks, Jacquie. I agree with Grey that we should stop his application, but we need some privacy to talk about this. I’ll keep his records for now.”
    After Jacquie left empty handed, Athena shut the door behind her. She needed her sounding board—Grey Holden. After hours he was the most extraordinary lover she’d ever had and they shared a home, but at work they were business partners.
    “Before you ask, I have no idea why he took off, without any explanation.” Athena paced the floor in front of his desk. She used her hands as if they were a second language.
    “He needs this job, Grey. I have a feeling about him. He reached out to me for a reason. He just hasn’t told me everything.”
    Athena dragged a hand through her dark hair and stopped wearing out his rug. She slumped into a chair in front of his desk and let silence settle her thoughts.
    “The truth is, I know he’s solid,” she said. “He’s a good guy and I can trust him to have my back.”
    “But?” Grey steepled his fingers and waited for her to finish.
    “You know what happened to him. I told you everything I know, but—” Athena sighed. “There must be something he’s not telling me.”
    “Is this wishful thinking or gut instinct?” Before she could answer, he said, “’Cause I trust your gut. You know that. You may never get an answer from your brother. Not if he isn’t willing to open up.”
    “I know.” She slouched in her seat. “Maybe he wasn’t ready. I pushed him too hard.”
    “You? Pushy?” He grinned.
    “Smart ass.”
    The smile faded from Grey’s face.
    “He’s got impressive experience as a sniper team leader with Chicago SWAT and hostage rescue, but we can’t move forward unless he cooperates,” he said. “Everyone else in this agency had to be vetted.”
    “Yeah, I know. It’s just that—” She took a deep breath. Athena didn’t like talking about Rafe’s life to anyone else. That was his secret to tell, not hers. “Rafael grew up without a lot of people believing in him. I can’t turn my back on him. I won’t.”
    “I’m not asking you to…as his sister, but we’re building a reputation here. That means we have to have consistent standards when we bring on someone new. Our clients trust us to hire the best. We can’t afford to be blindsided.”
    Athena shut her eyes and pictured the face of her brother. Flashes of his anger and torment—caught at the worst moments of his life—flooded her mind. Some she’d witnessed firsthand. Others she could only imagine, after she delved into his tragic past. She’d told Grey what he needed to know as Rafe’s potential employer, but there was so much more to tell.
    “I understand.” She nodded. “I really do, but I’m asking you to trust me. Let me vet him myself.”
    “Whatever you’re planning, it’s got to be the real deal. No slack.” He narrowed his eyes. “How do you propose to evaluate him?”
    “We just got a request to help with a cold murder case in Cuba. They specifically asked for me by name,” she said. “I can put together a team and—”
    “Wait a