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Chapter 42: Riley
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Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 43: Erin
THURSDAY. UNKNOWN, TEXAS.ERIN'S HEAD THROBBED AND her shoulders ached on top of the dull pain from her ribs. The one saving grace was that the floor was cool, giving her some respite from the heat. Her side still burned, and her toes twitched at the memory of the Taser.She kept her eyes firmly shut, sorting through the last thing she remembered.The man from the airport.He'd been waiting in the shadows outside the house. She'd stupidly walked out there and put herself in his path. He'd caught her off-guard and the Taser had robbed her of the ability to fight back at first. He'd hit her with something and after that it was fuzzy. She had fleeting memories of a car ride, being drug out by her feet, and then nothing.Had he dosed her with something?Her mouth was dry, but that didn't mean anything.What was she going to do?She took stock of her body, noting the pains and discomforts. Her ribs hurt, but that was nothing new. The back of her head was tender. The worst
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 44: Riley, Erin, Mark
THURSDAY. SAFE HOUSE, LAS COLINAS, TEXAS.RILEY PACED THE HOUSE. The cops gave him a wide berth while Casey sat back, giving him that flat stare that never failed to piss Riley off. If his brother was going to pop over to watch, the least he could do was be helpful."Dude. Stop. Sit." Casey nodded at the chair next to him at the dining table.Riley wanted to get out. Do something. Find Erin. But he couldn't. She'd vanished without a trace. The best thing they had was a neighbor's security camera catching her feet as she walked down the sidewalk.He circled the table and sat next to Casey, picked up his brother's cup of coffee and drained it."Have a drink, why don't you?" Casey said.Riley didn't answer."I thought you were here on work?" Casey studied him in a way that wasn't entirely comfortable."We are.""They might be." He nodded at Grant standing with Brenden. "You aren't. Who is this woman to you?"Riley bit the inside of his cheek."Riley likes a girl.
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 45: Riley
THURSDAY. SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS."WHAT THE HELL HAVE you gotten me into?"Riley ignored Casey's complaints. It wasn't like Riley had shoved him in the SUV. Casey had climbed in of his own accord after getting gear from his vehicle."The signal came from a hundred yards that way," Grant pointed up a gravel lane. A construction sign indicated a new office building development.Riley took point, sticking to a few yards off the trail, still under the cover of trees. If they were able to track the laptop, what were the chances Mark could, too? And even if Mark wasn't here, they didn't want to give Erin's kidnapper any kind of warning they were there.The SUV backed off the curb behind them and flipped a U-turn. Melody was on comms, but muted with the plan to wait at the gas station down the street."Mom and Dad are going to love this story," Casey muttered."Shut the fuck up," Riley said."Guys, we're sticking to silence," Grant said.The darkness was fading with the coming
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 46: Erin
"YOU'RE GOING TO BE okay," Erin said.She kept one hand on Khalil's side, pressing the shirt she'd found in the back seat against his wound, and the other on the wheel. The young man groaned and threw his head back in pain."Hang on. Just a little bit farther." She had no idea where she was going, but eventually she'd find a highway and hospitals were clearly marked when it came to highways. She hoped they found one before Khalil bled out.Riley had come for them. If he hadn't, she had no doubt that both she and Khalil would be dead. She wanted to be back there, she wanted to know if Riley had survived, but the best thing was to get clear of the combat. Her training had that drilled into her to the point she couldn't go against it even if she wanted to. Besides, Khalil's life depended on getting to safety.Businesses clustered along the road. A far different cry from the seemingly rural area they'd been. A sign for Interstate 141 was posted at the red light.She gassed it, ba
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 47: Riley
RILEY GLANCED IN THE rearview mirror. Grant and the others had hung back at the scene to explain to the cops what happened, freeing Riley and Casey up to go find Erin. The threat wasn't over."Where the hell are we going?" Casey demanded."I don't know. Erin left. Where would she go?" Riley swung his head back and forth.Melody hadn't seen a SUV come her way. That meant Erin had to have taken this road, but there were dozens of different ways she could have gone.The highway was ahead of them in another mile or two. From there she could get out of the city and go anywhere. Or, what if Mark had her?"Tell me about her," Casey said."What?" Riley frowned at his brother."Tell me about her. What is she like? Would she run from danger?""No." Riley shook his head. "She's a run into it kind of person.""Then why'd she leave? If the danger was there, what would make her run?""Someone is in danger." Fuck. Riley's brother was a genius.His phone began to vibrate. He dug
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 48: Erin
ERIN SAT ON THE bumper of the ambulance while the first responders moved around her. Could it really be over?Mark was in custody.According to Riley, the black ops Allied Security team was either dead or wounded, and accounted for. The videos made the employee list fairly easy.All that was left was for the police to fit their stories together.Erin had lied to them, and for that, she'd have to shoulder the guilt.A pair of black boots stepped into her field of vision. They were scuffed and in one spot the leather peeled up. If he wasn't careful that could get him hurt."You need new shoes," she said."Erin?" Riley knelt in front of her. They hadn't had the opportunity to speak since he'd taken Mark down. Between the injured and answering the questions from law enforcement, they hadn't had a moment to speak. Riley's brow creased and there were deep brackets around his mouth. "I thought we came to an understanding. I've got your back. Don't you know that?""I couldn't a
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 49: Riley
RILEY HELD THE DOOR for Erin and together they stepped out into the sunshine, leaving NexGen in their wake. Whether someone at the company was guilty or not would be the job of someone else. He kept his hand on her back, steering her out to the parking lot where Casey waited for them."Feel better?" he asked."Not really. Lighter, but not better." She stepped up on the curb, the red paved walkway between the rows of cars stretching the length of the lot."What's wrong?" He tugged on her hand until she stopped."I don't know." She lifted her shoulders.There'd been something sad and resigned about her since the hospital. He'd thought it was about quitting, but now he wasn't so sure. He stared down at her, all his thoughts jumbled together. He didn't know how to say what was in his head, but if he didn't get it out now, he might not get the chance. There was no guarantee they'd see each other again after this."Where are you going after this?" he asked."Miami, I guess." Ag
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 50: Epilogue
SIX WEEKS LATER. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, FT WORTH, TEXAS.ERIN STEPPED THROUGH THE doors, escaping a few moments ahead of those allowed in the courtroom. She'd sweated through her shirt to the point that her jacket felt damp, but it was over. Two days of testimony, and her part was over.Riley, Khalil and Casey sat on the bench across from the doors."How'd it go?" Riley crossed to her and wrapped an arm around her waist."Fine." She glanced at Khalil.Their secret was still theirs. There was so much to untangle in regard to the black-ops side of Allied's business that no one cared about their role beyond how it all went public. She would take the fact that Khalil kidnapped her to her grave, and so would the others.She squeezed Riley and let go of him.Over the last few weeks she'd gotten to know Khalil. They'd talked, helping heal much of the other's pain and come to terms with the future in a new light.She took Khalil's hand in hers."Thank you," he muttered."None of this
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