Read Online Covert Intents: A Branson Family Novella by Janie Crouch - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janie Crouch
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turned and glanced at Rachel. Mind-blowing sex and a woman who really listened to not only what he did say, but to what he didn’t.
He might really be in trouble.
“My long-term partner at the Bureau —Conner Perigo— recently got a… new partner.”
How did you explain that your partner had fallen in love and married someone who had an uncanny ability to read a criminal’s intents and feelings? Adrienne’s gift was almost impossible to believe and Seth had seen it up close. Explaining it to someone else made it sound like hocus-pocus.
“A woman?”
“Yes, they’re married now. Adrienne has a gift, it’s difficult to explain. The best way is just to say that she is an incredibly skillful profiler. It became obvious in the last year that she and Conner made a perfect team within the Bureau.” He flipped the omelet with a spatula. “So when this new job came along in D.C., I took it.”
“So no family here or anything?”
He set a plate in front of her and sat down with his own. “No, none. How about you?”
“Both my parents died a few years ago when I was in undergrad. I don’t have any brothers or sisters. I do have four cousins I’m pretty close with.”
Seth forced himself to keep chewing his food as if she wasn’t talking about people he knew, people he worked with, and had asked him specifically to keep an eye out for her. He was pretty sure eating with her nearly naked at his kitchen table after spending most of the afternoon and evening making love was not what they had in mind.
“Three of the four live in the D.C. area,” Rachel continued between bites. “You’d like them. As a matter of fact…”
When she didn’t continue, Seth prodded, even knowing he was in dangerous territory. “What?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “You just kind of remind me of them. I don’t know, in how you act, carry yourself.”
Seth almost spewed his tea. “Oh. Are they in law enforcement?”
“No. They’re in regular jobs… sales, accounting.”
Seth was struck with how much he liked just being here with her. For the last two months he’d enjoyed getting to know her at the university, her wry humor and kindness.
But with her words he realized that this relationship, o r potentia l relationship really had nowhere to go. It wasn’t just a matter of his cover and identity in Omega Sector being blown if things got serious with Rachel. It was that he would blow the cover of three other agents if he had a serious relationship with Rachel: the Bransons.
The first time Rachel brought him to a family event would they all just pretend not to know each other?
Seth realized he didn’t want to lie to Rachel. Didn’t want to have untruths between them —even for the best purposes— if they were going to move forward. But that wasn’t a decision he could just make on his own. Rachel would have to be given clearance before she could be told about Omega. Clearance Seth couldn’t give her.
But he would have to worry about that later. Right now he had to worry about keeping Rachel safe and figuring out who was behind the microchip issues.
His phone buzzed on the table. Speak of the devil. It was Cameron Branson.
Seth very definitely could not let Rachel overhear this conversation with her cousin.
“I’m going to take this out in the hall, okay?”
She nodded, albeit wearily.
“This is Seth.”
“Hey man, this is Cameron.”
“Hi. How are you?” Seth knew he couldn’t say Cameron’s name. Not right after he had just been talking to Rachel about her cousins.
“Everything okay? You in trouble?”
“No trouble, just an unsecured line.”
Cameron was smart. All the Bransons were. “Ah. Is Rachel there?”
“Yes.”
“We heard about what happened at the office and her house.”
“Yes, Rachel Branson was held at gunpoint at the university and then her house was broken into. Although I think her house was ransacked before the incident at the college, to be honest.”
“Is
He might really be in trouble.
“My long-term partner at the Bureau —Conner Perigo— recently got a… new partner.”
How did you explain that your partner had fallen in love and married someone who had an uncanny ability to read a criminal’s intents and feelings? Adrienne’s gift was almost impossible to believe and Seth had seen it up close. Explaining it to someone else made it sound like hocus-pocus.
“A woman?”
“Yes, they’re married now. Adrienne has a gift, it’s difficult to explain. The best way is just to say that she is an incredibly skillful profiler. It became obvious in the last year that she and Conner made a perfect team within the Bureau.” He flipped the omelet with a spatula. “So when this new job came along in D.C., I took it.”
“So no family here or anything?”
He set a plate in front of her and sat down with his own. “No, none. How about you?”
“Both my parents died a few years ago when I was in undergrad. I don’t have any brothers or sisters. I do have four cousins I’m pretty close with.”
Seth forced himself to keep chewing his food as if she wasn’t talking about people he knew, people he worked with, and had asked him specifically to keep an eye out for her. He was pretty sure eating with her nearly naked at his kitchen table after spending most of the afternoon and evening making love was not what they had in mind.
“Three of the four live in the D.C. area,” Rachel continued between bites. “You’d like them. As a matter of fact…”
When she didn’t continue, Seth prodded, even knowing he was in dangerous territory. “What?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “You just kind of remind me of them. I don’t know, in how you act, carry yourself.”
Seth almost spewed his tea. “Oh. Are they in law enforcement?”
“No. They’re in regular jobs… sales, accounting.”
Seth was struck with how much he liked just being here with her. For the last two months he’d enjoyed getting to know her at the university, her wry humor and kindness.
But with her words he realized that this relationship, o r potentia l relationship really had nowhere to go. It wasn’t just a matter of his cover and identity in Omega Sector being blown if things got serious with Rachel. It was that he would blow the cover of three other agents if he had a serious relationship with Rachel: the Bransons.
The first time Rachel brought him to a family event would they all just pretend not to know each other?
Seth realized he didn’t want to lie to Rachel. Didn’t want to have untruths between them —even for the best purposes— if they were going to move forward. But that wasn’t a decision he could just make on his own. Rachel would have to be given clearance before she could be told about Omega. Clearance Seth couldn’t give her.
But he would have to worry about that later. Right now he had to worry about keeping Rachel safe and figuring out who was behind the microchip issues.
His phone buzzed on the table. Speak of the devil. It was Cameron Branson.
Seth very definitely could not let Rachel overhear this conversation with her cousin.
“I’m going to take this out in the hall, okay?”
She nodded, albeit wearily.
“This is Seth.”
“Hey man, this is Cameron.”
“Hi. How are you?” Seth knew he couldn’t say Cameron’s name. Not right after he had just been talking to Rachel about her cousins.
“Everything okay? You in trouble?”
“No trouble, just an unsecured line.”
Cameron was smart. All the Bransons were. “Ah. Is Rachel there?”
“Yes.”
“We heard about what happened at the office and her house.”
“Yes, Rachel Branson was held at gunpoint at the university and then her house was broken into. Although I think her house was ransacked before the incident at the college, to be honest.”
“Is
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