Those swollen eyes focused on him, the defiance on that beaten face admirable, if pointless.
Joe smiled. A slow, savage smile as he let the anger flow, and straightened. “Now. If you want me to make this as quick and painless as possible, you’ll tell me who you supposedly sent the files to.” The asshole thought it was his insurance policy. That he could blackmail Joe with it and save his skin.
“If I don’t check in with my c-contact within the next six hours, those f-files will be sent to all the national n-news networks, and the Director.” He paused, pulling in a shallow breath.
“You think that’s gonna save you?” Joe said with an incredulous laugh.
That stare never wavered. “You can k-kill me, but I’ll t-take you down with me.”
He chuckled softly. “Not gonna happen.” If this asshole really had copied sensitive, incriminating files and sent it to someone, it would spell the end of Joe’s and his accomplices’ long and devoted careers to their country. It might even mean their deaths.
Fuck that. Joe had spent over twenty years serving his country, doing the shitty, gray-area things no one else had the stomach for. He and the others deserved more than a paycheck and a lousy pension plan for their service. He wasn’t going down because of the piece of shit sitting in front of him.
Even as he thought it, alarm began to spiral up his backbone. Along with a gut-deep certainty that this interrogation was going nowhere. This asshole could have sent someone the files. Even after all the beatings, sleep deprivation and psychological torment, he still wasn’t talking. He knew he was already dead, and still refused to talk. Torturing him further wouldn’t do any good. He had no family or close friends to threaten him with. And he was too well-trained.
Because Joe was the best trainer in the biz.
In a single motion, he drew the pistol from the holster at the small of his back and put a bullet through the prisoner’s forehead. The body slumped over in the chair, held in place by the bindings as blood poured into his lap and spilled onto the floor.
Joe holstered the weapon and turned, speaking to two of his men on the way to the door. “Get rid of the body. Then find if he actually sent those files.”
Two hours later he got the grim news from one of his associates. CCTV footage of the prisoner putting a small envelope in a mailbox just down the street from the motel he’d been captured at yesterday afternoon. Which meant that whatever the envelope contained was well on its way to the recipient.
Cagey bastard had rightly sent a physical copy of the files to the recipient, rather than risking someone tracking it via email or in the Cloud.
Joe clenched his jaw and lowered his voice as he spoke into his phone. “Go back and tear apart every piece of evidence collected from his room. Find out who he sent that letter to, or we can all kiss our asses goodbye.”
*End Excerpt*
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, and has been nominated multiple times for the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.
You can visit Kaylea at www.kayleacross.com. If you would like to be notified of future releases, please join her newsletter.
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COMPLETE BOOKLIST
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Rifle Creek Series
Lethal Edge
Lethal Temptation
Lethal Protector
Stealing Vengeance
Covert Vengeance
Explosive Vengeance
Toxic Vengeance
Beautiful Vengeance
Crimson Point Series
Fractured Honor
Buried Lies
Shattered Vows
Rocky Ground
Broken Bonds
DEA FAST Series
Falling Fast
Fast Kill
Stand Fast
Strike Fast
Fast Fury
Fast Justice
Fast Vengeance
Colebrook Siblings Trilogy
Brody’s Vow
Wyatt’s Stand
Easton’s Claim
Hostage Rescue Team Series
Targeted
Hunted
Disavowed
Avenged
Exposed
Seized
Wanted
Betrayed
Reclaimed
Shattered
Guarded
Titanium Security Series
Ignited
Singed
Burned
Extinguished
Rekindled
Blindsided: A Titanium Christmas novella
Bagram Special Ops Series
Deadly Descent
Tactical Strike
Lethal Pursuit
Danger Close
Collateral Damage
Suspense Series
Out of Her League
Cover of Darkness
No Turning Back
Relentless
Absolution
Silent Night, Deadly Night
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Empowered Series
Darkest Caress
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Vacant Chair
EROTIC ROMANCE (writing as Callie Croix)
Deacon’s Touch
Dillon’s Claim
No Holds Barred
Touch Me
Let Me In
Covert Seduction