Iron Willed Warrior (Last Refuge Protectors #5)

1. Brynn

CHAPTER ONE

Brynn

“You’re late, Agent Somerton. Where were you?”

I slid into the booth, gazing into the intense dark eyes of Special Agent in Charge Michael Stanford. My boss.

Wait, make that ex -boss. As of today.

Taking my time, I tugged the beanie off my head, smoothing my hair back into my signature high ponytail. “No offense, but I don’t answer to you anymore. Sir .”

Stanford regarded me with a deep frown creasing the corners of his mouth. I had worked with him for years now, and I knew that expression well. The man didn’t like to be kept waiting. Yet I returned that glare with equal force.

“True,” he said. “I suppose that means I should call you Brynn. And if we’re going that far, you’d better call me Michael.”

“ That’s not weird or anything.”

We stared each other down. But laughter bubbled in my chest, and I couldn’t keep it in. Then Stanford’s sardonic smile appeared.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. “You ready?”

He was already starting with the questions? That meant he was uncertain. And that didn’t sit well with me. Not at all. It made nervousness do an uncomfortable dance in my stomach, and it was way too early into this mission for self-doubt.

I took off my puffy coat and settled into my seat while I glanced over the menu. “Can I at least order lunch before you grill me? What’s good here?”

“Get the steak burger. It’s fantastic.”

I wrinkled my nose. “If I eat that, I’ll have to stop for a nap.”

“You could swing by and see Marie before you go.”

That did sound nice, but I had a long drive ahead of me today.

I’d grown up in Denver, and I’d worked in the federal complex for the last five years. You’d think I would know all of SAC Stanford’s favorite haunts by now, but the man could still surprise me. He’d suggested this cafe for our meeting today. It was off the beaten path and not popular with Feds or law enforcement. Which suited our purposes. We didn’t want to be seen.

As far as Denver was concerned, I was out of here. I’d already moved all my things out of my place and given notice to my landlord. This meeting with Stanford was my last stop on my way out of town.

Stanford ordered the burger, extra caramelized onions, while I opted for a salmon salad. “Cold food on a cold day,” he quipped, shaking his head. “I’ll never understand it.”

“Hoping it’ll keep me sharp.”

When the server returned to the kitchen, I leaned my elbows on the table. “I’m ready, sir. I mean, Michael.” I shook my head. That really was weird. “I can’t wait to get started, actually. Those assholes are going down, and they’re not going to have any clue what’s coming.”

“I appreciate that enthusiasm. You can’t afford to be cocky, though. We have a lot of unknowns. Too many things could go wrong. ”

We both sat back as the server brought over a basket of bread. I thanked her, but I couldn’t help the frustration from creeping into my tone. As soon as she was gone, I let my scowl take over.

“Sir, we’ve been over this. I’ve proven myself. Dare I say, I’ve earned it. If you don’t have faith in my ability to manage this assignment, then?—”

He tilted his head. “Did I say that? I have faith in you, Brynn. Do not doubt that. Not for one second. But I also want to see you succeed.”

A slow breath helped calm me. For a moment there, I’d heard my uncle’s voice in my head instead of Stanford’s. What makes you think you can do this, Brynn? You’re weak. Like all women are weak. Like your mother is weak.

Stanford wasn’t anything like my uncle. For one, he actually cared about me.

“I’m the best person for this job,” I insisted.

“You are. I’d never let you do it if I didn’t believe that.”

Today, I would begin the biggest undercover assignment I’d ever undertaken. It was off the books, totally unofficial as far as any FBI records would show. It was the result of months of investigation and effort, with Stanford at the head.

A source had provided new intel recently, and we’d escalated our timetable. Things were suddenly moving fast. Maybe too fast, given Stanford’s lingering worries. But I could do this. We were finally going to turn our investigation into action.

This case was personal for me. Not in a way that would cloud my judgment, but in a way that fueled my fire like nothing else.

“It’s these other people I don’t have faith in,” Stanford said under his breath. “These… Protectors .”

He’d laced that last word with as much derision and skepticism as possible .

The Last Refuge Protectors were a group of vigilantes operating out of Hart County, Colorado. All with military training, like myself. But unlike me, they were wary of the FBI. Our partnership with them was unconventional, to say the least.

On the FBI side, I’d been the natural choice for this undercover assignment, given my contacts and the circumstances at play. But it still hadn’t been easy to convince SAC Stanford to put me in. I didn’t do much undercover work. Certainly not something this deep or this dangerous. I’d served as a Marine in combat, but even then, I’d had my unit to rely on during missions. Not to mention air support.

But this mission wouldn’t have existed at all if not for the Protectors. They also had resources of their own. Gear, weapons, technology, intel.

The truth was that we needed the Protectors to make this mission happen. Stanford knew that as well as I did.

“I’m not thrilled with it either,” I said. “The decision’s been made, and there’s no going back. As you so often like to tell me.”

“And you always hate hearing it.”

“I do. At least we know River Kwon is legit. He’s married to the lieutenant governor, for heaven’s sake. My best friend. I wasn’t sure about him at first, but he’s a good guy, and that makes me believe the other Protectors are trustworthy as well.”

“Kwon isn’t your partner in this mission, though. You haven’t even met this Cole Bailey character.”

I groaned at the reminder. I had no idea what to make of Cole Bailey yet.

In an ideal world, we would’ve had more time to vet him. But under our time pressure, it wasn’t possible. River had assured me Bailey was the best, and that he’d help us. No question. River had a way of getting on my last nerve, but he was an excellent operative. I trusted his word.

Starting tonight, I would have a week to get to know Bailey—and make sure he understood who was in charge—before we had to go into the lion’s den together.

Stanford folded his hands on the tabletop, expression gruff. “What do we really know about Bailey, apart from his service record and current occupation? Very little.”

“We’ve already discussed all of this .” I kept my voice down, not wanting to draw the attention of our server or the couple of other patrons. But I was beyond frustrated. “Why are you rehashing it now?”

“Because you mean a hell of a lot to me, Brynn. That’s not the kind of thing you and I talk about, and I figure that’s the Marine in us both. We’re hell-raisers when we need to be, but about other things, we’re stoic.”

“Yeah. That’s fair.”

“Truth is, you’ve become like a daughter to me and Marie. I hope you realize that.”

I glanced down at the table, feeling my skin heat. “Thank you. I feel the same.”

“And now I’ve gone and made it awkward.”

I laughed. “Nah, I can handle talking feelings if you can. So long as we don’t make a habit of it.”

He winked. “Not likely.”

The server brought over our lunches. I ate, though I wasn’t feeling all that hungry. A lot of emotions were swirling around in my stomach. Gratitude. Nerves. Uncertainty.

Stanford reached into the messenger bag at his feet and brought out a manila envelope. Set it on the table and rested his hand on top of it. “The identity papers for your cover stories. We used Bailey’s most recent photo from his bounty hunter license. His listed address is in Mexico City, but I couldn’t risk going through any official channels there for more info. If we’d had more time…”

“We’ll make it work.” I took the envelope and peered quickly inside. It held several documents, as expected. There was also a burner phone, which would be the only means of contact between me and Stanford during this mission. My one remaining tie to the FBI.

“I’ve decided I want your updates daily,” Stanford said.

I gave him a sharp look. “ Daily? You’re not serious.”

I had already told him a complete communications blackout between us would be preferable. If anyone traced my mission back to the FBI, the entire thing could blow up in our faces. We’d compromised by agreeing to weekly updates. Now he wanted to renegotiate?

Daily was ridiculous. It was a risk.

But I also knew Stanford well enough to realize I shouldn’t argue. “I’ll do what I can to keep you informed.”

“I said daily, Brynn. I mean it.”

“All right, Dad . I’m thirty-three, not twelve.”

His eyebrow lifted, but the corner of his mouth did too. “If anything happens, I’ll do whatever I can to send in backup for you. And that includes any issues with the Last Refuge Protectors. If they try to shut you out, if they burn us, then I’ll end each and every one of them. And Cole Bailey will be first on that list.”

“Got it.” I nodded, tucking the manila envelope into the large pocket of my coat.

“I just want you to remember,” he said. “Even though we need the Protectors, that doesn’t make you one of them. You can’t let your guard down.”

“I can promise you, sir, there’s no chance of that.”

I was an hour out of Denver, bobbing my head to my favorite playlist, when my phone rang. I answered it using my hands-free settings. “Charlotte! I was hoping to hear from you.”

“I suck. I’m sorry. I really wanted to see you again before you left town, but the last few days have been nonstop.”

I laughed. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad. I get it. The lieutenant governor is in high demand these days.”

“Unfortunately. But enough about me. How does it feel to no longer be a cog in the machine?”

“You mean, how does it feel to leave the good old FBI?”

I gazed out the windshield at the scenery flying past. A spring storm had dumped snow on the mountains and evergreens as far as I could see. But unlike Denver, where the snow had turned to muddy brown slush, it was a pristine white out here.

“It’s…liberating,” I finally said.

We were on an open cell line, nowhere near secure. So neither of us could discuss the nature of my undercover assignment. Even though Charlotte had been briefed on all the details.

She was one of the few people in the world, aside from Stanford, that I would gladly trust with my life. And I would lay down mine for her in return. We’d been best friends for well over a year now.

Charlotte was also my link to the Last Refuge Protectors.

Several months ago, the lieutenant governor had been attacked by Stillwater, a secretive criminal organization. With the help of River Kwon, Charlotte had uncovered crucial information about Stillwater, and they’d shared that intel with me and SAC Stanford. An FBI task force had taken over the investigation. But until recently, we’d had no idea who was really in charge of Stillwater.

My official story was that I’d resigned from the FBI out of protest. I was disgusted with the Bureau’s failed effort to take Stillwater down. And to some extent, that was true.

By going undercover, I would finally have the chance to stop the criminals who’d tried to murder my best friend and who’d harmed so many others.

“So you’re on your way to Hart County?” Charlotte asked.

“I am. But not Hartley. I’m heading to Silver Ridge. I’m sure I’ll see River at some point, but I decided to branch out. Do my own thing.”

I hoped she got the hint. I couldn’t head to Last Refuge, the Protectors’ headquarters in Hartley, in case anyone from Stillwater had their eye on the location.

“If you have time, you could stop by my parents’ place on the way,” Charlotte said. “They’d love to see you.”

I felt a twinge of discomfort, and then an ugly twist of envy. “I’d love to see them too. But maybe later. Not ready to change my plan just yet.”

“Of course you’ve got your plan mapped out. You’re the most together person I know.”

“Perhaps I’m just really good at faking it.”

Charlotte had an amazing family. Her parents were supportive, and her sisters never ceased to keep her entertained, even when they weren’t getting along. In other words, she had exactly the kind of family I had always dreamed of.

It was so different from the way I’d grown up. Night and day.

When Charlotte and I had met, we’d both been extremely single. Then River had appeared. Her childhood friend and her ex’s older brother. After a whirlwind of running for their lives and falling in love, they’d eloped. I was so happy for my friend. Truly.

I just wished her happiness didn’t remind me of everything I’d lost. Or never really had to begin with .

“You are okay, right?” she asked. “You’re up for this? You can change your mind if you have any concerns.”

Wonderful. First Stanford had expressed doubts, and now Charlotte was fretting. It was like they expected something bad to happen.

“Don’t jinx me when I’ve barely gotten started.” I needed this undercover assignment. Not just to destroy Stillwater from the inside out, but to make me forget, even for a while, everything else that my life was lacking. “I know what I’m doing. I’m?—”

I came around a curve, and suddenly the car in front of me slammed on its brakes. Shit . I was quick to respond, pressing hard on my own brake pedal.

I narrowly avoided the bumper ahead of me, stopping a few inches away.

Phew . Way too close.

“You still there, Brynn? Hello?”

“I’m here. There’s some kind of slow down. Whole road seems to be stopped.” I craned my neck, trying to see what was ahead. “I see emergency lights. Maybe an accident. I gotta go, Charlotte. I was probably going to lose cell reception soon anyway.”

“Good luck, okay? Keep me posted if you can. I’ll be rooting for you. Love you, B.”

“Love you too.”

I spent the next twenty minutes in stop-and-go traffic. As far as I could tell, there had been an accident involving a semi up ahead. And of course, this highway wove through mountains, and there was no easy route around. We had to follow a detour onto a smaller, two-lane highway.

I groaned, thinking of how long it was going to take me to get to Silver Ridge. But hey, I’d learned a long time ago not to let any obstacles stop me. So I turned up my playlist and sang along .

Eventually the traffic eased, and I was flying again, getting closer and closer to my destination.

Until there was a loud pop. My car veered hard to the left. Toward oncoming traffic. Gripping my steering wheel, I corrected, as honking horns assailed my ears. I made it to the right shoulder, up against a metal railing. Beyond it, a slope fell away into a rushing creek below.

I pushed open my door and jumped out. Frigid air rushed at me. It was twenty degrees colder, at least, than it had been in Denver. Inching along to stay away from the cars whizzing by on the road, I made it to the front bumper.

My front left tire had blown. The thing was shredded. I wasn’t going anywhere on that, not unless I wanted to destroy the rim. And—yep. I’d lost cell reception. Just great .

My mind immediately flew to dark possibilities, but this wasn’t evidence of a nefarious plot. It was just my old car and the bald tires I should’ve dealt with before leaving town.

You’re the most together person I know , my best friend had said. When it came to my career, that was usually true. But the real Brynn Somerton was so much messier. Just getting by, day by day.