Free CovertDesires by Chandra Ryan Page A

completely
honest.
    “How late?”
    “Rowe—”
    “He said an hour. He was going to be an hour late. We
haven’t heard anything since,” Barkswell said.
    She looked up at the clock again and her legs crumpled
beneath her. “It’s happened. And I wasn’t there.” The fear and anxiety that had
been stalking her all week now consumed her. This was all Harlow’s fault.
    “No. I only wanted to help you.”
    “Get out of my head!” Rowe probably should have felt bad for
the look of hurt that went across Harlow’s face but she didn’t. She was too
angry and afraid for Jack to feel anything else. “I don’t need your help. Not
like this.” She took a deep breath and forced herself to stand. “I’m going to
go find him. And I will save him. And we’ll have a long talk about boundaries
when I get back.”
    “You can’t go. You can barely stand,” Harlow argued.
    “And whose fault is that?” She looked pointedly at the other
woman.
    “I’ll help.” Barkswell took a step toward her.
    “I don’t need—”
    “Of course you don’t. But two guns are better than one.”
    “I could help too.” Harlow looked completely defeated but
Rowe wasn’t ready to forgive her yet.
    “No. I’m sorry but I can’t trust you to not drug me again if
things get dicey.”
    “We don’t have to go with you to help.” Parker wrapped a
supportive arm around Harlow as he spoke. “I called Prime Minister Lee while
you were out. He should be here soon. We can coordinate the search effort on
this side through more official channels while you guys look into less
sanctioned leads.”
    It was a good idea. She hated admitting it. Even though he’d
retired a year ago, Prime Minister Lee still had a lot of connections. She
could never hope to get access to half the information he had at his
fingertips. “Thank you.”
    Barkswell grabbed her elbow and helped to guide her out of
the apartment as soon as she’d slipped on a pair of shoes. “She only did it
because she loves you.”
    “I know. But she wouldn’t be thanking me if I’d done it to
her.”
    “I get it.”
    “I’ll forgive her eventually. But right now I have to focus
on Jack. Where do we even start?” It’d seemed so easy when she’d said it back
in the apartment. She’d find him and save him. But now that she had to make a
decision she had no idea how to do that.
    “All agents have a tracker implanted in the bases of their
skulls. If we can find out his ID, we can track him.”
    “If it’s that simple, why isn’t the agency already doing
it?”
    “They would. Eventually. But it’d be days before they even
started to search. He’s an adult. He’s allowed to get home late.”
    They’d just started down the hallway when the door to her
apartment whooshed open once more. “Rowe!”
    She looked back to see Harlow standing in the frame. “What
is it, Harlow?”
    Harlow walked down the hallway to where they stood and held
out her favorite gun. “It doesn’t miss.”
    That weapon never left Harlow’s side. She’d worn it in the
church during her wedding to Parker—much to the priest’s displeasure. “I
couldn’t. It’s your favorite.”
    “I trust you to take care of it.” She wrapped Rowe in a
tight hug.
    “You’ll get it back.” Barkswell’s voice cracked as he spoke.
“I’ll make sure of it.”
    “You don’t have to. Rowe’s word is good enough for me.” She
tousled Rowe’s hair lightly before letting her go. “I was a dick.”
    “I know. But I love you anyway.” Everything was going to be
okay. It had to be. “We’ll work everything out when I get back. I’ve got to go
for Jack now.”
    “I know. Go save your man. We’ll send you a message if we
learn anything.”
    As she and Barkswell walked out into the night she opened
herself to the universal energy. It’d saved her and Jack once before. She could
only hope it’d come through for her again.

Chapter Seven
     
    Jack did his best to listen to the surroundings as