Sherrilyn Kenyon - Silent Truth

Basil was stunned. He licked his lips, unable to answer.

“It’s okay, Basil. You earned the credit. Why not take it?”

The sound of pressure releasing slipped past Basil’s lips. He gave a fair impression of looking humble. “Just checking on the whole team, Fra. I knew this was important to you.”

“Yes, this mission was important, but for more than just wrecking a city. We can do that any time we want.”

Basil’s next facial impression was that of a confused mutt.

Vestavia opened the file and glanced at the notes. “I need good people, dependable people, trustworthy people. I reward those who show me more than simple commitment.”

Linette noticed Vestavia left out the part about what he did to those he couldn’t trust.

“I’ve been looking for a mole in our organization for a while now, and I’ve found that person.”

Linette kept staring straight ahead. Panic would be a dead giveaway. If he’d caught her, she’d-

“You’re brilliant, Linette.” He started walking toward her. “You’re the epitome of dedication and follow instructions to a T.”

Basil gaped at her.

She slid her eyes horizontally, refusing to take the bait. She had no other plan than denial.

“That’s why I picked you.” Vestavia stepped past her. “What I’m wondering is why I ever allowed someone like Basil to infiltrate my operation.” He turned on Basil. “I found the ghost trail on your computer where you sent the coordinates to a chat room.”

Basil’s face looked as though he was already dead.

He would be soon.

Vestavia snapped his fingers and guards burst into the room. Basil finally caught on. He looked from Vestavia to the guards in horror. “No, I didn’t betray you.”

When one guard grabbed Basil, he screamed, “Noooo!” The second guard slapped a piece of duct tape over his mouth.

Linette should feel some guilt over leaving her files in her office for Basil to break in and read them, or for routing the post with the bomb location to the chat room through Basil’s computer, using his ID code in a buried signature.

To be honest, she felt relief.

Vestavia dismissed Frederick, then told Linette, “Sorry I couldn’t give you time to shower. We’ve got a busy day. Meet me back here in an hour.”

“Absolutely, Fra.” She nodded and walked out on weak legs, but she’d taken one animal out of the game.

Hunter walked into the offices in the Bat Tower overlooking downtown Nashville that housed the BAD agency.

He doubted this meeting would be casual considering Tee was joining Joe to give Hunter their decision on his future.

“Joe and Tee are waiting,” Danya said when he stepped through the doors into the reception area. He’d heard about a new hire for the offices. Average-looking except for the spiked red hair and blaring yellow skirt with a black sweater, she sat behind a desk tapping at a computer.

“Thanks. Gotthard here, too?”

“In the back conference room with Rae, uh, working on the memorial,” Danya answered, a halfhearted smile on her lips. The quick downcast of her eyes back to whatever she was working on reflected the general mood after they’d lost one of their own.

Korbin had died saving the lives of thousands of people.

Including Todd, Pia, and Barrett.

Hunter thanked him daily for their lives. He’d never be able to repay that debt. He would keep an eye out for Rae and watch her back if he gained his freedom again. He was glad to have cleared the air with Korbin before this happened, but that didn’t make his loss any easier.

Pushing forward, he turned down the hall to Joe’s office, which connected with Tee’s.

Rae came around the corner at the other end, barreling forward on long sweeping strides, head down. She must have sensed him when he stopped walking. She looked up and slowed a step, then picked up speed.

“Rae, I’m sorry about-”

“Save it.” She only glanced at him for a microsecond.

Long enough for him to see that nothing would repair the damage inside her. Losing Korbin had torn her in ways Hunter understood, but she wouldn’t want to hear it.

Not right now and not from him.

He reached Joe’s office door and entered.

Tee stood behind Joe’s desk. The glance of acknowledgment she gave him reminded Hunter of an executioner sizing up a condemned man’s neck. “Joe was called away.”

Most people might foolishly think having only Tee, a petite Vietnamese woman with fine features and gorgeous eyes, would play into Hunter’s favor.

Those would be the people who had no inkling of Tee’s background or abilities. Those who were deceived by a woman in four-inch heels who just reached his shoulders and turned the electric-blue skirt suit she wore into an erotic statement.

She could handle a man twice her size and kill with the paper clip she held in her delicate fingers.

“Still want to talk?” Hunter knew the answer, but someone had to make the next move.

“Of course.” She finished clipping the document and placed it carefully on the corner of Joe’s desk. Everything about her was careful, calculated, and controlled.

“Have a seat,” she said, moving to the front of Joe’s desk, where she leaned a hip.

That had not been a suggestion but an order.

“Didn’t think this would take that long.” He sat down in the office chair facing her.

“You in a hurry?” she asked.

“Depends on what you and Joe have decided.”

“We haven’t.”

Ah, hell. They were going to lock him up and make him sweat out their decision. If he tried to disappear, they’d simply go get Abbie, who couldn’t leave her mother’s bedside now that she was improving. They both were.

Hunter owed a few more thanks, like to Dr. Murphy from Johns Hopkins, who’d determined Abbie hadn’t been given anything really harmful. Jackson had lied. Big surprise.

Abbie had gone home with her mother. Hunter wanted to see her so much his body ached from missing her.

He’d never been passive in his life and wasn’t starting now. “Why haven’t you made a decision yet?”

“We can’t agree.”

He leaned forward. “On?”

“I was ready to take you out of the field.”

She hadn’t said “permanently,” but this was Tee, so that was a given. He had no idea what he could say to sway her, so he waited for her to continue.

“Joe and Retter understand why you did what you did. It’s not that I don’t understand. It’s that I don’t care. I only care about our missions and our agents.”

He had nothing to gain by trying to bullshit her. “You’re right. No one should take the autonomy I did.”

She angled her head a fraction and raised one fine black eyebrow. “Why didn’t you realize that before now?”

“I wanted to kill the person who had taken Eliot from me.” He hadn’t expected to be talking about this, but he owed Joe and Retter for blowing the chance they’d given him to prove he could be a part of the team. If Joe was willing to speak up for him then Hunter could tell Tee the truth. “That was rage speaking. Eliot would have been pissed if he’d known. He wouldn’t care about stopping one assassin for payback. He worked for BAD to stop groups like the Fratelli, to make this country safe for the people he loved. I’ve finally realized I was actually doing a disservice to him and what he lived for by going after one assassin. If he was standing here today he’d kick my ass across this building and back for losing sight of the big picture.”

She didn’t speak, just kept piercing him with a stiletto-pointed gaze, so he continued.