Kaya sniffed and wiped at her eyes, her voice rough. “You did this for me?”
Chloe gripped the steering wheel tighter, wanting to kill Dubois all over again for what he’d done to all the women like Kaya. “For you and all the others he hurt.” She was doing the world a service by ridding it of cockroaches like him.
“Why?”
“Because someone has to.” She’d seen a lot of trafficking during her sanctioned ops over the years—drugs, weapons and people—and most of the assholes responsible for buying and selling other human beings had gone unpunished or overlooked because they didn’t warrant a spot on the government’s list of priority targets. Chloe was doing her small part to balance the scales.
She ditched the Audi several blocks from the meeting spot, wiped it down as an added precaution, then took Kaya’s arm and walked her to the RV point. Fleur was already there, her light auburn hair pulled back in a braid as she waited with a worried expression and a warm coat for Kaya.
Chloe had met the government social worker by chance a year ago here in Paris while Chloe was on another job. After Fleur had vented her frustration with the lack of action by the government against human traffickers over dinner one night, Chloe had checked out her background and vetted her carefully before approaching her about a secret alliance. Fleur ID’d the victims in need of rescue, and Chloe handled the rest of the details before handing them over to her friend for safe keeping.
Since then, they’d saved over thirty women and teenage girls together, but it wasn’t enough.
It would never be enough.
“Are you both all right?” Fleur asked, scanning them both anxiously.
“I’m fine, but I think Kaya’s a little shaken up.” She bundled the young woman into the coat, then pressed a wad of cash into her palm and took Kaya’s chin in her hand. “You’re going to be okay. You haven’t done anything wrong, and you have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. If anyone questions you, you just tell them the truth. Understand?”
Kaya swallowed and nodded, the fading bruises on her cheeks and beneath her left eye filling Chloe with rage. Dubois’s death had been too quick. He should have suffered more. “Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure.” She turned to Fleur, who looked ready to start wringing her hands, and grinned. “Good to see you, my friend. If anything comes up, you know how to reach me. I’ll be in touch.”
“Yes, yes, now go and get out of here.” She threw her arms around Chloe in a quick, fierce hug. “You’re going to give me an ulcer one day, you know that.”
Chloe made a face. “Then stop worrying about me.”
Fleur pulled back, shook her head. “Somebody has to.”
Touched but embarrassed at the mushy sentiment, Chloe pushed her toward the waiting vehicle. “Go. Take good care of her.”
“I will.” She ushered Kaya to the car.
Chloe watched until the Renault disappeared around the corner into the night before hurrying to her own getaway vehicle. When she got to the next block, she reached into her coat pocket and hit the second detonator. The Audi’s engine exploded behind her. Chloe didn’t look back.
Killing Dominic put a lot of heat on her, but the thing that had her worried was that he had known her name.
That should have been impossible, and it meant she had a major problem. Because the only way he could have found out was if someone from the inside had tipped him off.
Paris was no longer safe for her. She had to get out of the city for a while, and solve the mystery of who the hell had sold her out.
*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.
Direct link: http://kayleacross.com/v2/newsletter/
COMPLETE BOOKLIST
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Vengeance Series
Stealing Vengeance
Covert Vengeance
Explosive Vengeance
Crimson Point Series
Fractured Honor
Buried Lies
Shattered Vows
Rocky Ground
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
Marked
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
Never Surrender (a MacKenzie Family novella)
Suspense Series
Out of Her League
Cover of Darkness
No Turning Back
Relentless
Absolution
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