The Unseen Enemy Series

Chapter 240

Sully and Cordelia stared at Dallas, horrorstruck. He was still talking, but neither one of them was hearing anything much at this point.

For Cordelia, the thought that she was going undercover with Hunter – as husband and wife again, goddammit – was literally incomprehensible. How the hell was she supposed to just slide on into the role of a loving wife after his recent Siberian-level coldness? For him, it was obviously as easy as flicking a light switch: turn it on, turn it off and once it’s off, never even think about it again. But Cordelia didn’t find it that simple. She’d have to dig deep to not resent him, but this wasn’t about her and she’d do it, she knew. Kids’ lives were at stake.

Worse, though, was the fact that she was woefully not qualified for this. The op in Foxburg Falls had been observation and surveillance, and so her lack of field training and experience was irrelevant. She and Hunter had sat around and watched Ferguson and that was it… no major engagement, no confrontation.

But what Dallas was talking about now was several levels up. Actually infiltrating a kidnapping group? Meeting with bad guys with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in a briefcase? Visiting places where kids were being held captive? That kind of s**t could go bad and fast and if it did, she’d have to step up. But would she be able to?

From his side, Sully was equally horrified, but for totally different reasons. The last time Dallas had ordered that they work together, Sully had been worried about Cordelia’s lack of field experience and training, but she’d shown herself to be no dead weight. She’d been adept at undercover work, and he had no reservations about her ability to handle this job.

No, the problem here was him, all him. He had no doubts about her professionalism – but he had severe doubts about his own. The thought that he’d be around her twenty-four/seven, sleeping in the same space, touching that astounding body, kissing those perfect lips… f**k, man. He’d lose control, he knew it, just jump on her and kiss her until she begged him to make her his. And he’d do it – he’d make her his over and over again until they both collapsed.

And then what? Then complications, for him and for her. She’d have expectations and fair enough – but he wasn’t a man who could give a woman what she needed. He didn’t do complications; didn’t do emotional closeness; didn’t do commitment. Not anymore.

But this wasn’t about him, he reminded himself; it wasn’t about Jessica and their baby. This was about other people’s babies – babies that had been taken away from them. If Sully could understand anything in this world, it was the loss of a deeply-loved child.

So. He was in, in all the f*****g way. He’d just hold Cordelia at arm’s length when they were alone, and act his ass off when they were in public. He’d protect her with his life, if it came to that, and he’d make sure she was safe. He looked across the table at her stunning face, and threw up another barrier around his heart.

I can f*****g do this.

“Guys?” Dallas was asking now. “Questions?”

Sully nodded. “About a hundred.”

“Go.”

“Identities?”

Dallas passed them each a folder. “Garrett and Millicent Baker. Met at college, married for twelve years now. Garrett, you’re a freelance Mergers and Acquisitions analyst, and ten years ago, you drank too much at a work event and like an i***t, you drove home. Got pulled over, got a DUI. You pled guilty and got community service and now, no legitimate adoption agency will even consider you or your wife as prospective parents.”

“Got it,” Sully said.

“Millie, you’re a housewife who has an online cooking blog,” Dallas continued. “You’ve tried everything to get pregnant and you’ve had eight miscarriages. You live in New York, and are big into charities and art patronage.”

Cordelia glanced down at the file, and was amazed to see her smiling face staring back at her from a photo at the opening of an event at the Met.

“How did…”

Dallas shrugged. “Easy. Our IT team spent last night and this morning giving you an online life.”

“My cooking blog?”

“It’s been active for six years – has the archives and advertisers and analytics to prove it.”

“And my track record in M&A?” Sully asked, already knowing the answer.

“Rock-solid,” Dallas said. “And congrats on your PhD in Economics from Harvard, by the way.”

“It was no big deal,” Sully said. “I feel like I made no effort at all, really.”

Despite herself, Cordelia gave him a grin. This was the Hunter from Foxburg Falls: funny and sweet and charming. Damn him for resurfacing and getting her heart racing with that smile and those goddamn sexy-as-all-hell eye crinkles.