Free Stealing Justice (The Justice Team) by Misty Evans, Adrienne Giordano Page A

prove loyalty to suspect.”
    Hadn’t she been doing that over the past two years by helping the women at the shelter? By keeping the place running? By taking care of every issue that cropped up?
    Fed Boy touched her hand with just the tips of his fingers and the connection, no matter how light the touch, sent a surge right through her arm. Major sex appeal smothering this guy.
    “I know what you’re going to say,” he said.
    Actually, he didn’t, unless he was going to say that she wanted to strip him naked and jump him, which she didn’t think he would say. Nothing emotional, nothing long term. Just a good bang.
    She held her hand for him to continue.
    “You’ve proven your loyalty when it comes to his legal business and with helping the women create new identities. But he has deniability in that. With the escort service, there’s no deniability. He’s running it and you have to prove to him that you won’t turn him in.”
    Unfortunately, she saw his point. What she did for Ian every day was radically different than what they were talking about here. Ian had to believe she could suspend her rally against abusive men and become a woman who allowed herself to be compromised.
    At the hands of men.
    She sighed. “Rule number four:—”
    “What? No argument on rule number three?”
    “Quit while you’re ahead. I get it. I’ll figure something out. This number four though, illicit illegal action that can be documented? I’m not having sex with anyone to prove he’s running a whore house.”
    Grey threw up his hands. “Whoa! That’s not what it means. All you need to do is immerse yourself in that world. Watch, listen and take notes. Befriend the girls, get them talking and feed me information. That’s it. I’d never expect you to have sex with these assholes. It goes against everything I believe. Particularly when it comes to keeping my partner safe. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
    Yeah, they’d see about that. They’d see about it if it came down to Fed Boy making or breaking his case. Then she’d be, as she originally said, disposable.
    Flat out, he didn’t seem the type to turn tail on her. Why she thought that, she couldn’t guess, and the feeling that was now hammering away at her—the one indicating maybe she should trust him—made her stomach pitch.
    She glanced at him and found those dark eyes focused on her. Observing. “Don’t try to figure out what I’m thinking. If you need to know what it is, I’ll tell you.” She batted her eyes. “I’m not shy.”
    “That much I’ve established.”
    “So, I have your rules. Are we done?”
    “No.”
    She flapped her arms. “Jeez! What else?”
    “You can’t rush the rules. Go slow. Tackle each one over a couple of meetings.”
    “One rule spread out over multiple meetings? It’ll take forever.”
    Originally, she’d suspected it, but now she knew this man was plain crazy. She didn’t have the time or patience to drag this thing out. She wanted it done with.
    “If you seem too eager he’ll know something is up. How this works is, you groom him and if all goes well he’ll ask you if you want to be an escort. Then we’re in.”
    “What if I can get it done faster? I mean, we’ve already established that he, on a certain level, trusts me. I could probably work the rules faster.”
    “No. This is too important. Please. Take it slow. If you do this right, he’ll be begging you to work for The Smoking Gun. And that’s what we want.” He leaned forward, propped his elbows on his knees and leveled those puppy dog eyes on her. “Can you do that for me, Syd?”
    Oh, puh-lease . This guy was too good. She should smack him. Just whap! Except, she had to give him props for knowing how to work a girl. She’d been doing it to men for years now.
    She moved to the edge of the sofa, put her face just inches from his. “I love a man who knows how to get what he wants. Very hot.”
    He grinned. “Then we’re on the same page?”
    “Let’s