Free Hero by Julia Sykes Page B

cooperating, it was Ken. There was a reason he was the director in a team full of Doms. He commanded respect from everyone. Hell, even Smith deferred to him.
    I kept my body close to Chloe’s as I ushered her out of the elevator and into the field office, flanking her like a prisoner. Her tension indicated that she wasn’t keen to face Kennedy again, but that was too bad for her. My boss would make her see reason.
    “What’s going on?” Ken asked as soon as we stepped into his office. “Why isn’t Miss Martin with Silverman?”
    I fixed him with a significant stare. “Because Sharon left her alone, and Chloe decided to go hang out with the Bratva .”
    “I didn’t know they were Russian Mafia,” she insisted hotly. “I just went in for character research. I needed information for my next novel.” She glowered at me. “And we were only talking. Everyone was smiling and laughing until you came in, guns blazing.”
    Kennedy’s brows rose. “You pulled your gun on them? Were you trying to get her killed?”
    “I didn’t go in with my gun drawn. I walked in, and one of them pulled a knife. I showed them my SIG to keep things from going further.” I jerked my chin in her direction. “She was taking notes, asking them questions. They thought she was a spy.”
    “But I—”
    “Dex is right,” Kennedy said sharply before she could get another indignant word out. “You put yourself in a dangerous situation, Miss Martin.”
    She shifted under the weight of his stare. “I didn’t know they were Bratva ,” she reiterated, but the heat left her tone. “I just wanted to get some character background for my book.”
    “You are with my team to research the Latin Kings,” Ken said slowly, his drawl making the words a rebuke rather than a simple observation. “If you want to ride with my agents, you will stick to that story. You will not go off on your own. The FBI deals with dangerous people in dangerous places. Nowhere they will take you is entirely safe. My team will protect you, but they can’t do that if you don’t follow orders.”
    Her chin tilted with the defiance I was coming to recognize as her default persona. “I didn’t have any orders. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
    Kennedy’s expression was deadly calm. “Did Sharon tell you to go into the café?”
    She bit her lip. “No. I said I’d read my book in the car. But then I saw the café and started thinking about a new character and decided to take advantage of the opportunity. I didn’t know it wasn’t safe.”
    “You know now,” Kennedy pointed out. “And I believe you’ve been rather rude to Dex when all he did was get you out of a dangerous situation.”
    Her dark eyes cut to me. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “But honestly, things were fine before you showed up. They only got angry because they thought you were a cop.”
    “You don’t know that things would have stayed fine ,” I said sternly. “Anything could have happened to you.” I looked at Kennedy. “She’s not safe shadowing Sharon. You have to take her out of the field.”
    “I don’t have to do anything,” he told me, still dangerously calm. “Miss Martin may continue her research. But if you’re so concerned about her, she can shadow you.”
    “No!” Chloe’s outburst echoed my own sharp refusal.
    “Yes,” Kennedy countered firmly. “You will escort Miss Martin around and answer her questions, Dexter.”
    I flinched at the use of my full name. Ken knew I hated it, and he only pulled it on me when he wanted to put me in my place.
    “I don’t want to ride with him,” Chloe insisted. “He said I needed to be on a leash. ”
    “Dex, you’re not authorized to put a leash on Miss Martin.” He fixed her with an expectant look. “There. That’s settled. You’re under Dex’s protection from now on.”
    “I can protect myself,” she said, her tone tinged with desperation. “I have a knife and pepper spray, and I’ve taken self-defense classes.”
    I