tried not to think about how close she’d come to dying that night. Fear clouded judgment.
And she had a lot to prove.
To whom?
Don’t say Shaine, an inner voice hissed as a familiar hurt threatened to boil to the surface.
Marcus, seemingly satisfied with her answer, moved on. That was what she liked about him—he didn’t dwell or dig. Best quality in a man as far as she could tell.
Too bad he was gay.
“Ever think of transferring to the main headquarters here in Washington?” Marcus asked as they climbed into the rental car to head to their hotel. “The weather is a bitch, but it would be nice to be so close to the movers and shakers, you know?”
“I like Los Angeles,” she answered, which wasn’t entirely true. She hated the frivolous culture and the self-absorbed people that seemed to flock to Hollywood trying to find their big break, but there was no shortage of action in the LA office, which had enabled her to make her own reputation.
Marcus, a transplant from the Seattle division, had his eyes on the chain of command. He made no bones about wanting to move up the ladder. “Closing this case will look damn good on our résumés,” he pointed out with a grin. “I heard there’s a potential opening in the New York field office. It’s not headquarters but it’s a step closer, right?”
“You planning to hop, skip and jump right into the chief deputy’s position?” she joked.
Marcus grinned. “Not saying it isn’t on my radar. Gotta have big dreams, Jones. If your dreams don’t scare you, they ain’t big enough.”
“Such a philosopher. Let’s focus on closing this case first.”
Marcus chuckled, his gray eyes bright with the big dreams in his head, content to let the subject go.
Poppy knew all about big dreams—and their cost.
They say to aim for the moon, for even if you miss you’ll land among the stars. But what they don’t tell you is that what goes up, must come down, and the landing was a bitch.
Leaving Shaine was necessary, but it’d hurt more than taking that bullet.
But she couldn’t stay with someone who wouldn’t treat her as an equal.
She’d spent her life being treated as arm candy.
When she’d announced her intention to join the FBI, her family hadn’t supported her decision, saying she was too pretty to take on a job like that.
Her father, an old-school type with decidedly archaic beliefs, had been dismissive.
That’s not the future for you. God blessed you with a beautiful face. Find a good man to take care of you. Treat you right.
She hated saying that being considered beautiful was a burden because people tended to think she was being falsely modest, but it was true.
The irony was that she’d fought to be seen as a good agent because of her skills, but the biggest case of her career thus far would hinge upon her ability to use her looks to her advantage.
Time to put that pretty face to work for more than being someone’s trophy.
No one was going to take this opportunity from her.
Especially not Shaine Kelly.
The plane touched down in Miami and they were immediately whisked away in a nondescript black SUV to the debriefing at a secure location.
The small room, located in a government building disguised as an insurance office, was cramped with everyone inside.
Introductions were brief and to the point, with Chief Hobbs doing the introducing via video call.
“I’ll call your names, you raise your hands. This ain’t no tea party and there’s no time for a meet and greet. Miami police officers Richard York and Ben Rocha, DEA agents Marcus West and Poppy Jones, FBI special agents Shaine Kelly and Victoria Stapp, Miami DEA contact Rosa Ramirez.” Murmured greetings were exchanged and Hobbs continued, “From here out, Ramirez will be your primary on-scene superior. Ramirez will be in constant contact with me via videoconference. She will handle all immediate concerns regarding the investigation. Any questions?”
No one ventured a comment and Hobbs took that as a cue to turn the meeting over to Rosa.
“Thank you, Chief Hobbs,” Rosa began, a no-nonsense woman with slicked back dark hair pulled into a tight bun. “This is the biggest covert operation in recent history, and we’re anxious for a successful end to this El Escorpion character.”
Rosa gestured to the packets on the table. “For the agents going undercover, you’ll find IDs, cash and backstories for your covers. Officers York and Rocha will be your only contacts inside the Miami PD for obvious reasons. We know there are cops on the take, but we haven’t figured out who. York and Rocha have been determined to be trustworthy.”
“And who vetted them?” Shaine asked. When his life was on the line, he didn’t care about being nice.
Rosa smiled. “Ahh, Special Agent Shaine Kelly. I’ve heard about you. Smart, fearless...a chameleon in the field.”
“Guilty as charged,” Shaine said with a grin.
But Rosa wasn’t finished. “Also known for having an issue with authority. Let’s be frank, Agent Kelly...the reason you’re here is that your ability to close cases outweighs your undesirable qualities. But make no mistake, eyes are on you, so watch yourself.”
Shaine caught the tiny, infinitesimal twitch of Poppy’s lips and his own thinned, though he chose to remain quiet.
So Rosa Ramirez wasn’t a fan.
Great.
Nothing like your direct superior looking for reasons to toss you out.
Rosa moved on briskly. “The Scorpion has been a thorn in Miami’s side for years, but until now the product of choice was always the usual, heroin or meth. This new drug is lethal, cheap and moving quickly. It’s the new cash crop, and unless we put a stop to it here, it will spread. We could have an epidemic within months. That’s not going to happen. We’re counting on this team to bring The Scorpion to justice. Please open your packets.”
Paper rustling was the only sound in the room as they quickly read through the details.
Shaine and Poppy would pose as twentysomething college kids. Shaine would bartend at a popular upscale bar and strip club, Lit, while Poppy would be a dancer.
A strip club? Poppy didn’t outwardly react, but he suspected her gut was churning. He knew Poppy didn’t have hang-ups about her body, but she wasn’t an exhibitionist, either.
Poppy’s attention was focused on the paper in front of her, but
