But she certainly had actions she could use, and she would. Later.
“Do you mean to tell me that you told that asshole where to find Leesa? That you set her up for the sole purpose of getting him in a position where you could, quote unquote, legally arrest him for breaking the law and interrogate him?”
Jason’s voice must have dropped an entire octave during the course of his question. Each word had been crisply enunciated, as if had been cut from sheer, diamond-hard ice.
Note to self. Pray he never speaks to me that way.
Not that he would, because Leesa felt certain that tone was reserved only for the total dipshits of the world.
“I don’t know why everyone here is so upset. This is a federal operation, and I can assure you that every precaution will be taken to ensure Ms. Jordan’s safety.”
Corporal Arnie Bates, U.S. army, had turned out to be Arnold Bateman, a DEA agent currently assigned to the Dallas office. When she’d known him, he’d been imbedded with the army for, she’d just learned, a multi-year undercover assignment.
Leesa had let Peter’s attitude toward the man be her guide until Phillip and Jason had joined her. Now she understood that every one of the men who were not named Bateman in this office held the same distain she’d read in Peter’s expression. And the jerk had no one to blame but himself.
“Had you actually even been wounded during that sniper attack?” The question had just occurred to her. The word had been at the time that the man had been hurt badly and needed to be medevacked out.
“No. Reporting me as wounded was just a convenient way to get me out of there. It had been time for me to move on.”
“Was there even an actual sniper attack on the base?” Phillip asked. “Or was that another federal operation, with ‘every precaution taken,’ all just to get you out of the unit?”
Leesa felt her eyes go wide. She looked at Phillip, who was glaring at Bateman. And because none of the other men present—Jason or Peter or even Adam—looked anything other than pissed, she snapped her attention back to the worm to see what he would answer.
He held both hands up, palms out. “I swear, we did not engineer that event. We merely used it. We’re not animals.” He looked over at Peter. “You especially should know better.”
“Oh, I do,” Peter said. “Trust me, I have never baited a trap using an unsuspecting, innocent civilian.”
“Not so innocent. She was married to the man, I’ll remind you.”
For the first time in her life, Leesa could actually feel the release of testosterone into the air.
“You watch your fucking mouth, moron,” Jason said.
“As soon as that asshole showed his true colors, Leesa divorced him,” Phillip said. “And I can damn well guarantee you she didn’t know he was involved in the drug trade.”
“If she had known that,” Adam said, “she would have told the prosecutors in advance of his court-martial.”
“Fine,” Bateman said. “But the only reason he married her was to have access to the food services delivery schedules.”
His words hit her right in the gut. Well, that answers that question. Leesa inhaled deeply, pissed at herself that the truth would hurt her so badly after all this time.
She felt the grip of her men’s hands and felt their trust and their love. “I had wondered,” she said. “I mean he acted as if I was the only woman in the world—until I said, ‘I do.’ I really had no idea why he married me. And for the record, I did not give him any scheduling information. What I did do was give him hell for even asking me.” Leesa frowned. “I guess I should have reported the question, but at the time…Actually, now that I think about it, that was pretty much the beginning of the end for us.”
Her men—and Adam and Peter—were still staring daggers at Bateman. He sighed. “We know you didn’t give him any information, Ms. Jordan. He wound up using another stooge to get what he needed with regard to the delivery schedules.”
“Enough of this. Adam, this prick has put Leesa in danger. What do we do now? How do we protect her?” Jason turned his focus on Lusty’s sheriff.
“We have our ways, Jason, don’t you worry about that.” Adam sat back and looked at Peter. “Can you find out how important the information Bryce Jordan is suspected to have is to the powers that be and what this secret case Bateman’s working on is all about?”
Bateman’s face turned red. “I already told you…”
“You told us shit, Mr. Bateman. You insist that everything is classified, fine. But so is this town, and her people, to you.”
Sheesh, Adam can be downright scary when he wants to be.
Bateman got to his feet. “You’ve no idea how much trouble I can call down on you, Sheriff, on you and your little pissant town. But you’re about to.”
Adam sat back, his expression saying far more than words about how he regarded DEA agent Bateman. “Bring it.”
The man stormed out. Leesa saw him yank his cell phone out of his pocket as he strode out of sight.
She looked back at Adam. “Don’t worry about him,” Adam said. “He’ll be back with a better disposition. I can guarantee it.” Then he looked over at Peter. “Do you want to make the call, or will I?”
“You can do it.” Peter grinned. “Not that I would mind, particularly, but the man you’re about to call is up my chain of command.”
Adam nodded. He pulled out his cell phone. He was whistling softly, and Leesa recognized an old Queen classic, “Another One Bites the Dust.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Garwood, this is Sheriff Adam Kendall, from Lusty, Texas. I’m well, sir, and you? Excellent. Yes, thank you, Mrs. Benedict is well, too. You know Grandma Kate. She loves to keep very busy. Sir, I’m calling you because I’ve just had
