All Chapters of Aegis Group Lepta Team: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

SUNDAY. ERBIL ROTANA, ERBIL, KURDISTAN.ERIN TWISTED THE LONG sleeves around and around until the fabric created a vice on her forearm."Anything yet?" she asked."Nope, and they aren't going to contact us until we tell them it's time for the pickup." Riley was cool as could be. Not even the least bit phased with the knowledge that they'd been carting the enemy around with them."I don't understand how you're so calm." She turned around as though she could discern if any of the vehicles were following them. That wasn't her skill set. It wasn't like a vehicle would have a sign on it that said I'm following you."Off the record?" He glanced at her. "We did a job a couple months back where we had the guy who'd kidnapped our asset with us the whole time. We didn't suspect it. This time? I think we all had reservations about Thomas.""What happened? On that op?""That's a long story." He shook his head and chuckled. She guessed that it worked out okay, but the between bits

RILEY WAS USELESS. THE remainder of the files weren't in English. All he was good for was shuffling stacks, manning the overflowing box and keeping an eye on the time.He wished there was something else he could do. The more Erin pored over the backlog of things in her office, the deeper the lines across her brow and around her mouth became. He was powerless to lift the fog of sadness settling around her. He didn't know what conclusions she was coming to, but they were breaking her world.His phone vibrated, signaling their time was up.With any luck Grant and the others had Thomas by the balls and they'd get more answers that way. If not, they'd complete their mission and get Erin home. "Erin? Hey, we need to go." Riley reached across the desk and grabbed her hand."I'm missing something. It has to be here, but all I'm seeing is..." She slumped in her chair and sighed."We have to go.""I know." She placed the stack in her lap on the desk and glanced around the office.

"GOD DAMN IT." MARK hurled his phone out the window.They couldn't get to her now.If it weren't for that damn box or those men or the SUV or any number of things that were going wrong-this would be over with. Now, Erin Lopez and the rest were in custody. He wouldn't be able to get to them unless they were charged, and he doubted that. NexGen wanted her out of the way, somewhere she couldn't stir the pot, which meant she was bound for America."Sir?""What?" Mark whirled toward the man."No one has seen or heard from Thomas, so I checked with our local law enforcement contact, and it appears he was arrested at Erin Lopez's home."Mark closed his eyes.Another fucking thing going wrong.Should he cut his losses?He could cut his ties with America, wash his hands of the Middle East and go somewhere else. Couldn't he? Not if the video got leaked. The list of places he could go to hide out for the rest of his miserable life would be short if the American government wanted

SUNDAY. BAKHTIARI POLICE STATION, ERBIL, KURDISTAN.ERIN WATCHED RILEY'S FACE. The muscles in his cheeks, around his mouth and eyes, were tight. The difference was in his eyes. The smile didn't linger. There was no good humor. He couldn't fucking look at her.He'd felt something for her, even if it was just lust. But now he was scared and running.She was beginning to remember why she didn't date. Why it was better to be alone. After getting out of the army her tastes ran in one direction-to guys like Riley. And they were all a little battered. She got that. Her pieces didn't fit quite right, but she made it work. Maybe Riley wasn't there yet. It wasn't her problem if he couldn't figure his shit out.And here she'd wanted to invite him to Miami for a long weekend. Fuck that. He was doing her a favor showing her this side of him before she let herself get any more wound up by him.Erin needed that box. She couldn't believe that everything they thought could help solve this

SUNDAY. ERBIL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KURDISTAN.RILEY'S NECK AND SHOULDERS were tighter than a hidebound drum. He dreaded the upcoming flight, and not just because he'd been seated next to Erin for over thirty hours in the air. He kept telling himself that what mattered was that they were all going back in one piece.Melody's heels heralded the woman.He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. She'd been telegraphing not so subtle you're in the doghouse vibes at him since they'd left the police station. He knew what side she was on in all this."What is your problem?" Melody nudged his boot. "I know you're not asleep.""Can't a guy dream?" He cracked one eye open and watched Melody take the seat next to him, Erin's computer bag in her lap."What did you say to Erin?""Nothing.""Bullshit. When you got to the house yesterday you were inseparable, now you can't even look at each other.""I thought you'd be happy I was doing my job and keeping my distance.""Why t