Chapter Two
I went downstairs the next morning with Daniel in tow. He had a Gameboy in his hands to keep him company. He played it the entire time we rode the elevator down to the bottom floor. “When am I going to see my dad?”
I didn’t have an answer for those types of questions. “Soon.”
He kept hitting the buttons. “I miss him.”
I ran my fingers through his hair, feeling pity in my heart. “He misses you too, sweetheart.”
The elevator doors opened, and we walked into RB12, the official headquarters. People were manning the computers, coding and hacking—what they did best. I moved to the area where I met the agents yesterday. They were gathered around their stations, waiting for the meeting to begin.
Wilder stood in the front, his two pistols in his holsters with a fiery look in his eyes. His arms were crossed over his massive chest, and he stared me down like he absolutely loathed me. Those brown eyes were now black. “You’re late.”
I walked in with my hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Daniel had—”
“When we have meetings, you better be here on time. It’s secret agent 101. You aren’t exactly making a good impression on the rest of your colleagues by walking in ten minutes late. Don’t let it happen again.”
I had no idea where this hostility was coming from. I didn’t even know we had a meeting until Shane told me when she was on her way. I would have gotten there just as quickly except Daniel wasn’t ready. “Daniel needed some help getting ready this morning. He wet—”
Wilder raised his hand to silence me. “Nothing I hate more than excuses. Shit happens, alright? But as an agent, you gotta make it work. Saying your dog ate your homework isn’t gonna cut it in a place like this. Maybe you didn’t take your education seriously, but you need to take this seriously.”
What the hell was his deal? I glanced at Ben and watched him roll his eyes. I turned back to Wilder then walked toward two open chairs. Fortunately, Daniel was too occupied with his game to really care about the way Wilder had just ripped into me. We took our seats, and I crossed my arms over my chest, staring Wilder down venomously.
Wilder still looked pissed. “This is the part where you apologize.”
“I’m not apologizing for anything.” I officially lost my temper. “You put me on babysitting duty, and that’s what I’ve been doing. No one even told me about the meeting today until Shane mentioned it two minutes ago. If you want me to have the same discipline as your other agents, you need to treat me like one.”
Everyone glanced at me before they turned back to him, waiting for his response.
Wilder looked absolutely menacing. “We’ll continue this conversation after the meeting.”
What else was there to say?
Wilder hit a button on a remote and pulled up an image of a screen behind him. “Just found out The Bone Doctor landed in Moscow forty-five minutes ago. We believe it’s his mission to intercept the electric pulse, and since he usually succeeds in his missions, I suspect that’s where he’s headed.”
The quick way we dove into discussions of my father was a little unnerving. I expected to discuss something else, something less traumatizing, like rescuing Daniel’s father.
“Clint Connor is undoubtedly being led there now to instruct his captors on how to use the device,” Wilder continued. “I suspect The Bone Doctor has either paid for the device or intends to steal it. It’s not quite clear. Clint is part of the exchange since he’s the only person who knows how to operate it. We’ve got to get two birds with one stone. Save Mr. Connor and destroy the pulse. All hands on deck for this one.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to remain calm. Undoubtedly, this would involve killing my father. Would I really be able to handle that when the time came? The second I looked into those eyes that were identical to my own, I knew I would become weak.
***
I walked into Wilder’s office when the meeting was over. “Wanted to see me, sir?” It was stupid to antagonize him, but I was too annoyed to care. I’d only been there for a day, and Wilder was already giving me shit like I was inferior to him.
He spun around on his leather computer chair and stared me down with the same hostility he showed earlier. “You want to be an agent of RB12? You need to straighten out that attitude and get a reality check.”
“If you want my respect, you’re gonna have to give it first,” I snapped. “Why are you being such an ass right now? Don’t expect me to be at a meeting no one told me about. Don’t expect me to take a child down to a meeting after he just pissed all over his pajamas and his bed. You’ve already assigned me a responsibility, and I’m seeing it through.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at his freshly shaven jaw.
Wilder continued to stare me down like his anger was still at its peak. “You aren’t making a great first impression of yourself so far. I expected you to be a little more professional than that.”
“Excuse me?” I wanted to snatch one of his guns and smack him upside the head with it.
“Your little makeout session with Ben wasn’t a great way to introduce yourself to the rest of the staff.”
“And you being fuck buddies with Maxine is office appropriate?”
When his eyes narrowed, it was obvious he was surprised I knew that.
“You have a lot of nerve saying that to me. You’re the biggest hypocrite of all time.”
“I’m not a hypocrite,” he snarled. “You won’t be with me, but you jump the bones of the first guy you see?”
“I just kissed the guy, Wilder. Why do you even care?” We both knew he didn’t care because he had feelings for me. He made it extremely clear when he hooked up with Jessica while I stayed at home and waited for him to return. He made it clear when he immediately made eyes at Maxine once he was back in the office.
“I don’t care,” he snapped. “I’m just trying to give you some advice.”
“I didn’t realize there was an anti-dating rule at RB12.”
He crossed his legs and rested one ankle on the opposite knee. He shifted his chair slightly back and forth, his thumb and forefinger rubbing together as he thought in silence. “There’s not. But it doesn’t make a good first impression.”
“Ben asked me to dinner, and I said yes. You’re making it a much bigger deal than it was.”
“Ben made it sound like you guys screwed in the car.”
Our mouths definitely screwed. “Are you jealous or something? Is that why you ripped into me earlier?”
“No. I don’t get jealous.”
I didn’t expect anything less. “So, how are we going to do this?”
His eyebrows rose in confusion. “Do what?”
“This mission. It’s got a lot of elements to it. Where do I come into play?”
He ran his hand through his short hair as he breathed a sigh. “Not sure yet. We’re gonna need the best on this one. Don’t really know where you fit in. It seems too dangerous for your first mission.”
“But you can definitely use me. This is my father we’re talking about.”
Wilder continued to shake his chair slightly back and forth. “I have no idea what your father is thinking. I suspect you won’t have as much affect against him as you think.”
When I thought about all our years together, all the birthdays and dinners we’d shared, I couldn’t believe he would ever hurt me. I risked my life to save his. Would my dad really raise a hand to me? After the sacrifice I made for him? “Maybe my father is a criminal. But I really don’t think he would ever hurt me.”
“He killed your mother,” Wilder said coldly. “You think you’re safe?”
That would always hang between us. My father murdered my mother when she was an innocent person. “But I’m his child. I mean, he could have taken off if he wanted to. He always stuck around and hid his demons from me.”
“I’m sure he has some feelings toward you,” Wilder said quietly. “But now that you’re enemies, I don’t think he’ll have any loyalty toward you.”
I bowed my head as I considered it.
Wilder’s expression softened as he looked at me. He rose to his feet and stood in front of me, his hands moving to my hips as if he was about to hold me. “I’m sorry, Gray. I wish I didn’t have to say these things to you.”
“I know…” I rested my forehead against his chest and held my hands against my stomach. It was nice to be comforted by him after the harsh way he spoke to me just minutes ago. This was the Wilder I remembered. This was the Wilder I’d spent months with in the beautiful Swiss Alps.
Once I’d gotten a hold of myself, I stepped back and wrapped my arms around my waist. “I know I can be of use during this mission. I hope you seriously consider implementing me…and not just on babysitting duty.” I knew I didn’t have enough experience to run the operative like the others. I wasn’t arrogant enough to assume I could learn the ropes that quickly. I cared more about this mission being successful than I did about proving myself to everyone. During times like this, teammates needed to be selfless.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you.” That was the most I would get out of him, so I turned away and walked out.
“Gray?”
I paused by the doorway and turned back to him. “Yeah?”
“You like Ben?” Wilder leaned against the edge of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest.
I didn’t exactly know what context his question was phrased in. I just met Ben yesterday. I really didn’t know him well enough to have strong feelings in any regard. “I think he’s a big sweetheart. He’s been nothing but nice to me since I walked in this place.”
Wilder stared at me without blinking, his thoughts shrouded in mystery.
I took that silence as a dismissal and walked out.
***
I opened the door when I heard someone knock.
Ben stood on the other side in a tight black t-shirt. He wore black running shorts and a sexy grin. “Wanna train?”
“Train?”
“Yeah. You know, work out. Sharpen our skills.”
“Don’t you just want to take a break when you’re back on base?”
He rested one arm against the doorframe and gave me a smoldering look. “The only time I take a break is when my arms are wrapped around a beautiful woman. Other than that, it’s all work.”
“And no play?”
“Nope.”
I leaned against the other side of the doorframe. “Sounds kinda lame.”
“Nah. I’m living in the fast lane. So, you wanna come?”
“Depends. Are you gonna go easy on me?”
He grinned even wider. “Never.”
“Then count me in.” I changed then followed him back to the underground headquarters. He led me down a hallway until we entered a large gym that was big enough for fifty people to work out comfortably. There were cardio machines, weights, and large mats in the center of the room for sparring. On the far side of the room was a shooting range. It was a cool place, despite not having any windows. I quickly realized I wasn’t a fan of being underground like this. I needed sunlight and a bright blue sky.
“What should we work on?” I walked onto the mat and tightened the black gloves I found in my closet. “Cardio? You want me to spot you on the bench?”
“I say we spar.” He pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it off to the side. “That way I can get my hands on you.” He waggled his eyebrows.
I didn’t react because I was too busy staring at his perfect chest. He was all hard muscle, all man. I had the same reaction when I saw Wilder shirtless for the first time. This guy was a serious hunk.
Ben caught my look because I didn’t have the class to avert my gaze. “You like what you see?”
“Duh.” I’d have to be a lesbian not to like it. Actually, I think even a lesbian would appreciate it.
“Then come over here.” He beckoned me with his fingertips. “Get a piece of this.”
I held up my fists then became light on my feet, bouncing around as I concentrated. Fighting a large man like him was excellent practice for me. I wanted to fight impressive opponents so I could get stronger and faster.
He rushed me and threw a fist in my face. He meant what he said and didn’t go easy on me—at all. He gave me everything he had, not showing that chivalrous side he introduced me to yesterday.
I ignored the sweat that dripped down his impressive body and gave it my all. I hadn’t worked out in several days, and it was nice to get back in the game. Ben landed a powerful hit on my side and my right cheekbone, but I caused my own damage too.
We sparred for nearly twenty minutes, but neither one of us had gotten the upper hand. He had a very different fighting stance than Wilder, and it was difficult to predict his movements. He was quick despite his size, and he packed a lot of strength with his punches. I made a stupid move and threw my leg up to kick him, but he caught me by the ankle and yanked on it until I hit the mat, landing hard on my back.
Ben was on top of me in an instant, one hand pinning mine above my head. “You know what I do to my prisoners?” His lips were just inches from mine, and his eyes were focused and intense. That smile that was usually plastered on his lips was far gone.
“Oh, oh…”
He reached one hand toward my side. “Something terrible.”
“No…”
“Something unforgivable.” His fingers attacked my side, and he tickled me without mercy.
I laughed and kicked my legs, trying to get free of his unconventional torturing tactic. “Ben, stop!”
“Nope. Tell me what I want to know.”
I kept laughing, screaming loud. “What do you want to know?”
“Tell me you think I’m hot, and I’ll stop.”
“Ben, I think you’re hot.”
His fingers didn’t stop. They moved to my armpit. “Yeah? How hot?”
“Crazy hot!”
“Crazy hot?” he said with a laugh. “You can do better than that.”
I twisted and turned as his fingers tickled all my sensitive areas. “You’re one of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen.”
“Alright, that’s better.” He finally pulled his hand away. “Don’t get obsessed with me.”
I tore my arm free and gave him a playful shove. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Am I?” He moved on top of me again and leaned his head down to kiss me. My heart fluttered the second I saw him begin to lean in, heading right for my lips. My leg already tightened around his waist in preparation for another scorching kiss.
“Ben.” Wilder’s authoritative voice rang through the air, echoing with unquestionable power.
Ben sighed in my face before he craned his neck to look at Wilder, who was standing at the edge of the mat looking pissed. “What’s up? I’m in the middle of teaching the new kid the ropes.”
“Doesn’t look like you’re teaching her anything,” he snapped. “Get up. Maxine wants to speak with you.”
“About what?” Ben asked.
Wilder’s voice grew cold. “Go, Ben. Now.”
Ben sighed before he crawled off me. “This lesson isn’t finished.”
“Good.” I sat up and gave him a smile.
He winked before he got off the mat and walked out, but not before shooting Wilder a glare.
I rose to my feet then yanked the gloves off my hands. My water bottle was over on the benches so I grabbed it, assuming Wilder would walk out now that he’d given Ben orders. When I felt his presence not too far behind me, I knew that wasn’t the case. He was still there, his anger as hot as a raging fire.
I took a drink before I turned around. “Do you need me somewhere too?” He hadn’t told me how I would be included in the mission yet. He must still be thinking things over.
The look on his face so fierce it seemed like I was his enemy rather than his ally. “Be ready at ten tomorrow. I want to show you something.”
“Where are we going?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Well, how should I dress?”
“Bring a bathing suit.” He turned around and walked off, like his words gave me any indication of what we were doing tomorrow.
“What?”
He walked out like he didn’t hear me.
Was this an underwater training exercise? Maybe he wanted to see how long I could hold my breath? Or maybe it was a smaller mission but he couldn’t tell me what it was. I didn’t have a clue.
I guess I would find out tomorrow.
***
When I got back to the room, all my gear was set on my bed. I had my own phone, a laptop, a shiny new gun with a holster and a case of bullets, and a few outfits. One was a jacket made of bulletproof fiber. It would definitely come in handy during those undercover operations.
I organized all my things and charged my phone, excited to have the kind of freedom I’d been deprived of for months. I wondered if Ben would stop by my room tonight, but whatever business he had with Maxine would probably take some time.
My phone began to ring on the nightstand, and I just assumed it was an alarm to announce the phone was charged.
But it continued to ring.
No one had my phone number, as far as I knew. I didn’t even know what my phone number was.
I grabbed it off the nightstand and looked at the screen. A blocked caller was calling me.
I answered it, assuming it was one of the other agents. “Gray.”
“Hey, Unicorn.”
My blood turned ice-cold. An iceberg had nothing on me in that moment. My arms broke out in goose bumps, and a shiver ran up my spine. I held my breath because I stopped breathing altogether. “Dad?”
His voice was just as affectionate as it was the last time we spoke, only everything was different now. I knew the truth about him. And he obviously knew I was associated with RB12. “I know you’ve probably heard some bad stuff about me from your friends at RB12. I want you to know they’re all lies.”
I wanted that to be true—more than anything else. I didn’t know how to play this. I didn’t know what to say. Should I act like I believed him? Make him think I trusted him? Or was he being genuine? “They told me you’re a criminal…”
“Of course they did. But I’m not, sweetheart.”
Something told me he was lying. Right off the bat, he was defending himself. Why would RB12 have anything bad to say about him unless he really did something wrong. “They said you killed Mom.”
“Another lie,” he said calmly. “I loved your mother with everything I had. You know that. You were there.”
I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling my breath come out shaky. I suddenly felt weak and sick.
“I want to get you out of there. You don’t belong there.”
“He kept me as his prisoner for months.”
“I know. You took my place. I can’t believe you did that for your old man.”
I didn’t think it was that surprising. “You’re my dad… I would do anything for you.” I should keep my anger but I couldn’t. Everything was too confusing. When it came to my family, I would always have a soft spot.
“You’re such a good daughter. Always have been. But I wish you hadn’t gotten mixed up in all of this.”
I stared at my knees with one arm wrapped around my mid-section. “Where are you?”
“I’m traveling.” He didn’t tell me where he was, not that I expected him to. “Where are they keeping you? I can get you out of there.”
I wanted to hand over the location, but I didn’t want to jeopardize the other agents if my gut instinct was wrong. If everything Wilder said was true, they were the good guys. My father would slaughter them all. “I’m not sure…somewhere in Europe. They haven’t told me much.”
“But they’ve given you a phone and a gun.” Accusation was heavy in his voice.
He knew I was lying. And I didn’t know what to do next.
“I’m hurt that you believe them.”
“Then prove me otherwise.”
“How would I do that?”
“Prove that RB12 has done treasonous things. Prove that they’re criminals. Give me that, and I’ll believe you.”
“Unicorn, if I prove they’re criminals, that doesn’t prove I’m innocent.”
“But it would prove that they are liars, and I can’t believe anything else they say.”
Dad fell quiet over the line. “That’ll take more time than we have. I need to get you out of there now.”
“I can leave whenever I want.” I traded my life so my father could walk free, but if I really wanted to go back to America, Wilder wouldn’t stand in my way. “I’m not a prisoner anymore.”
“Then why haven’t you come home?”
It was a complicated question, painful enough to make me swallow back tears I didn’t know I could shed. “There’s nothing there for me…”
“Unicorn…”
“I never liked school. And everything you told me about yourself was a lie…what’s there to go back to?”
“You can always start over. You don’t need to settle with RB12.”
“They told me you would kill me…” I couldn’t directly ask him such a question because if he were gonna kill me, he would never admit it.
“That’s ridiculous, Gray. You know that.”
I didn’t know what to believe.
“Meet me somewhere,” he said. “I can come to you. We can just have lunch, talk things over. I’m your father.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. At least, not until you give me proof.”
He was quiet, but his disappointment was heavy through the phone.
“I should go…”
“Unicorn, I love you. I’m hurt this is how things are, but nothing changes how I feel about you. You’re my daughter.”
The tears burned in my eyes until they spilled down my cheeks. I didn’t allow the tears to creep into my voice, to give away more emotion. “I love you too, Dad.”
***
I opened the door to Wilder on the other side. He was in a gray V-neck that showed off his pectoral muscles, his chin was cleanly shaven, and he was in dark jeans. His sunglasses hung down the front of his shirt. Instead of looking like an agent, he looked like he was about to go out for the night. “Ready?”
“Since I don’t know what we’re doing, I’m not entirely sure.” I wore my bikini underneath my sundress, both articles of clothing appearing in my closet from nowhere. Someone must have fetched my clothes from town, getting me local apparel that would blend in with the rest of the culture.
“You’ll be fine.”
We walked into the garage and got into a different car. It was black and a two-seater, just like the other. I wasn’t a big fan of cars, so I honestly didn’t know the difference between the toys. I just knew they were shiny and fast.
The engine roared to life, and he hit the road. He got on the main road and drove south, passing the slow cars on the road. He drove with one hand and sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, looking like man enjoying his day off.
Wilder and I hadn’t talked much since we came here. The closeness we used to have was no longer present. The second I knew about him and Maxine, I stopped thinking about him in that way. Honestly, she did me a service when she looked at him with those lustful eyes. It allowed me to move on and value Wilder as a friend and an accomplice. “How are things going?” I didn’t know how else to begin the conversation.
“Good. You?”
“I’m settling in. I got all my gear last night.” I should tell him about my father, but I wasn’t in the mood. I would wait until the end of the day. That way if I didn’t want to listen to him, I could just go in my room and lock the door.
“That dress looks nice on you.”
“Thanks.”
“Never seen you in a dress before.”
“Well, it’s too cold in Switzerland for that.”
“True.”
“So, where are we going?” I asked. I did my hair and makeup, and I hoped it wasn’t a wasted effort.
“We’re going to have lunch then hit the beach.”
What? “Are we going to gain some intel on someone?”
“No.” He kept his eyes on the road, looking handsome with that chiseled jaw. In a few hours, his five o’clock shadow would come in, and he would look really sexy.
“Then what are we doing?”
“I just told you. We’re getting lunch then hitting the beach.”
I kept my eyes on the road to hide my look of consternation. “Okay…”
“You have a problem with that?”
“I just don’t see why we’re taking a day off. We’ve got a lot of stuff to do.”
“Organizing takes times. I’ve got a lot of people on it.”
I looked out the window, unsure what was going on. I didn’t join RB12 to have fun. I wanted to get down to work. “When do you think we’ll deploy?” We had to get into Russia and then get our preparations together. The ride alone would take a while.
“Let’s not talk about work.”
“Then what are we gonna talk about?” I said with a laugh. Wilder and I had nothing in common other than the fact we were both agents.
“Just be you. Gray.”
“I thought you said I was annoying?”
“You can be,” he said. “But not all the time. You’re a pretty cool chick.”
“You think I’m cool?” I asked with a smile. “Never thought I’d hear you say that.”
“Of course, I think you’re cool. I think you’re a lot more than cool, actually.” He took his eyes off the road to give me a quick look before he returned his attention to the road.
I didn’t know what brought on this nicer version of Wilder, but I liked it.
***
We had lunch at a bistro then lay on the beach. Wilder brought two beach towels and did a quick deck change right on the beach. He changed into red swimming trunks and left his shirt inside his backpack. The second he was shirtless, the other women on the beach stole not so subtle glances at him.
He looked hot—like always. But I didn’t stare. Wilder was just my friend, and I shouldn’t look at him that way anymore. And on top of that, he was my boss. So that made it even more inappropriate.
I propped myself up on my elbows and stared at the Riviera. France was more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. It wasn’t even on my bucket list to visit during my lifetime, but there I was, soaking up the sun.
“I like your swimsuit.” His head faced the water, and his gaze was covered by his sunglasses.
“Thanks, but I can’t take the credit. Someone else picked it out.”
“Maybe they picked it out, but you’re wearing it well.”
I raised an eyebrow at the compliment, unsure if he was flirting with me or not. “Uh, thanks.” I should lather on some sunblock, but I was too comfortable enjoying the scenery around me. Kids built sandcastles in the sand while mothers took videos on their phones. A short distance away, there was a volleyball match going on. French words drifted to my ears from the locals.
I needed to mention my father soon, but I didn’t want to ruin the beautiful day. There was no doubt that Wilder would be livid when I told him what happened. And he would be even more mad that I waited so long to tell him.
Wilder broke the silence with an abrupt question. “You and Ben are an item now?”
The question came out of nowhere. “What?”
“You and Ben.” His jaw was clenched hard, suddenly irritated. “Saw your little training session…”
“We’re hanging out, I suppose.” I liked Ben and wanted to keep seeing him, but I wouldn’t say we were together. He was cute and charming, and it seemed like he was interested in the same thing I was. A relationship didn’t have to last forever, but it could be meaningful for however long it lasted.
Wilder turned quiet again, his mood sour. “Have you slept with him?”
“Whoa…that’s a personal question.” Wilder never told me anything personal about himself, and he certainly never answered my questions. But now he was interrogating me like I’d committed a crime.
“I thought we were friends.”
Not friends like this. “Fine. How long have you been fooling around with Maxine?”
He clenched his jaw in irritation.
“I thought we were friends?” I teased. Wilder wanted things from people, but he was unwilling to give anything in return. He was selfish in that regard.
“For a few months,” he answered. “It’s very casual.”
I was surprised he answered me. “Doesn’t that make work complicated?”
“No. She lost her husband a few years ago. She’s just looking for sex—nothing more.”
“Oh…” I suddenly felt terrible for her. Losing the man she loved at such a young age was crippling.
“She’s not in a place right now for something serious. And she doesn’t think she could ever have something meaningful again with the kind of work she’s in. She’s emotionally unavailable.”
“Which is perfect for you, right?”
He shrugged in response. “Are you gonna answer me?”
“Answer what?”
“Are you sleeping with Ben?” This time, he looked at me, examining my face as he waited for a response.
“No. Not yet, at least.” He was an amazing kisser, so I was sure he was amazing at everything else. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t eager for some hot sex. I knew Ben wouldn’t slip out the next morning and make everything awkward. He was a great guy, an honest one who was easy to read. He wouldn’t shut down the way Wilder did.
Wilder looked away, satisfied with my answer.
“Since when did you become so interested in my personal life?”
“You’re new here. I’m looking out for you.”
“I may need help with training, but I certainly don’t need help with my love life. I’ve got that covered.”
Wilder didn’t say anything else.
“When should we head back—”
“So you see this going somewhere?”
“What?” I asked, having no idea what he was talking about.
“This thing with Ben. Because I need to warn you, getting involved with someone from work isn’t smart.”
I stilled at his hypocrisy. “You’re doing the exact same thing.”
“We aren’t seeing each other—just screwing. You and Ben are different. It’ll make everything complicated. There’s always a possibility one of you won’t come back from a mission. You want to be involved with someone in that way?”
“It’s better than being with a regular guy. He would always be in jeopardy with my line of work. At least with Ben, I know he can take care of himself. He lives in this world with me so we can enjoy each other without having to slow down our careers. Honestly, it’s perfect.”
Wilder scowled like that wasn’t the response he’d been hoping for.
“Why does it bother you so much?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Really?” I questioned. “Because you’ve been weird all day. You took me to lunch just to ask me about Ben? That doesn’t sound like you.”
“You’re my friend, Gray. I used to see you every day, and now we hardly talk.”
“So?” We had other things to focus on. We both had work and our own personal relationships.
“Are you saying you don’t miss me?”
My heart shut off the second I saw him with Maxine. I immediately stopped thinking about him in that way. I wasn’t going to pine over a guy who didn’t return my affection. Sounded like a waste of time to me. “What’s there to miss? We’re just friends.”
Wilder sat up and rested his arms on his knees. The muscles of his back rippled as he moved, his power obvious underneath his skin.
The day just kept getting weirder and weirder. Maybe I’ll tell him about my father sooner rather than later. It’s not like I would be ruining anything.
***
After an awkward drive home, we pulled into the garage and shut the door behind us. I thought about the kiss I had with Ben just a few days ago. He had thick lips that were soft against my mouth. The stubble of his jaw rubbed against my cheek when he moved with me. Even though his hair was coarse against my skin, it felt nice.
I forced the thought out of my mind. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
He killed the engine. “Yes?”
“After I got my phone last night…my father called me.”
Wilder slowly turned his head toward me and pulled off his sunglasses. The look he gave me was different than any I’d ever seen before. “What did he say?”
I told him everything that happened, from the beginning of the conversation to the end.
“How did he get your number?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
“And why not?”
“You think he would have told me?” I asked incredulously. My dad didn’t trust RB12, so he obviously didn’t trust me.
“That means we have a traitor.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Yes, we do,” he said coldly. “That phone was just issued to you. He knew exactly when you received it.”
Who could be the traitor? It didn’t seem like any of the agents would do such a thing. “Who was responsible for preparing my gear? We can start there.”
“It was Kyle, but he didn’t do it.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“He wouldn’t have made it that obvious. Someone else must have been involved.”
If there was a traitor in RB12, then my father knew I wanted to be there. “Actually…that’s not possible.”
“What do you mean?”
“My father doesn’t know where we are. He asked me.”
“If he has a spy in here, he does.”
“Which is why I don’t think he does. He asked me to go to lunch where we could talk, but he was just trying to lure me out. He must have hacked into that phone in some other way.”
“Not possible,” he said coldly.
“They call him The Bone Doctor for a reason, right?” I whispered. If my father managed to pull off that interception, then I really didn’t trust anything he said. He claimed he wasn’t a criminal, but only a criminal knew how to pull that off. “I don’t think he would hurt me, Wilder. I think we can use me in Moscow.”
He shook his head. “Too dangerous.”
“What would he get out of killing me?”
“Your silence. You know he killed your mother. You could run to the police.”
“With no evidence? She’s been dead for years. That’s not gonna accomplish anything.”
“You’re still a loose end,” he warned. “That guy has killed children. You think you’re safe with him, but you aren’t.”
“I didn’t say I was safe. But I think I’m important enough that I could change his trajectory. I can lure him somewhere, so we can take him out. Then we can take care of Mr. Connell.”
“I don’t know…”
“You can’t tell anyone about this.”
“Why?” We continued to sit in the car since we couldn’t be overheard. If someone walked in, it would look like we were up to something.
“Because if my father is getting information out of here somehow, he’ll know I told you. And if he thinks I didn’t mention the phone call, he might trust me more. Or, he might think I’m gullible enough to trick.”
Wilder shook his head. “He knows you aren’t stupid.”
“But he might think I’m too weak to see him for who he really is.”
“So you didn’t believe him then?” he asked.
I wanted to believe everything my father said, but something told me I shouldn’t. The fact he was involved in this life at all and never mentioned it to me was a red flag. He put me in danger every day and never gave me a warning. “I trust you more, I guess.”
He nodded. “Good. You’ll stay alive longer that way.”
***
I played a video game with Daniel in the living room while we munched on snacks. The agents and I took turns watching him, so he never felt alone. He was always entertained, so he didn’t seem as sad as he was when he first arrived here.
Ben walked into the room, not possessing that charming smile I’d come to expect. “What did you and Wilder do all day?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard how angry he was. “We went to the beach.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Just to hang out.” I set the Game Boy aside, and Daniel kept playing. I left the living room and walked up to Ben so Daniel wouldn’t have to listen to our conversation.
“Just to hang out?” he asked incredulously. “Since when does Wilder just want to hang out?”
“I don’t know. He just told me to go, and I went.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You aren’t really the kind of woman to blindly follow orders.”
“I’m a little more responsive when it comes to my boss.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, looking sexy even when he was angry. “I’m not buying it.”
“Buying what? What did you think we were doing?”
“Was that a date?”
I laughed because it was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard. “No.”
“Seemed like it.”
“It wasn’t. Wilder was just being…Wilder.”
“You’re telling me you don’t find it the least bit suspicious that he wanted to take you to the beach for the day? That guy does nothing but work around the clock.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I think you know,” he said coldly.
My eyes narrowed. “I really don’t. Why don’t you just spit it out, Ben?”
“Come on. The guy is trying to get with you.”
“Wilder?” I asked incredulously. “Trust me, he’s not.”
“Then explain what today was.”
“Actually, I can’t really explain that. But Wilder hasn’t changed. He still wants to be available and detached. Maybe he’s a little jealous of us, but that’s too bad. He picked his road, and I’ve picked mine.”
Ben’s anger quickly began to fade away. “At least we’re on the same page.”
“If he is jealous, that’s just stupid. He doesn’t want me, but he doesn’t want anyone else to have me? That’s the mentality of a two-year-old.”
“He still drinks from a bottle.”
I chuckled at the image of Wilder drinking from a bottle of warm milk.
That handsome smile spread across his face once he saw me laugh. “You’re cute when you laugh.”
“Yeah? You’re cute whether you laugh or not.”
“That’s right… You think I’m crazy hot.”
“Look, I was forced under torture to say that.”
“But you meant it.” His hands moved up, aiming for my sides like he was about to tickle me again. “Right?”
I eyed his fingers warily, knowing what was coming. “Okay, I meant it.”
“Good.” He lowered his hands and came closer to me, his lips moving toward mine. “Looks like you aren’t going to be tortured tonight.”
“But I hope your hands will be all over me anyway.”
He grinned from ear to ear. “Now we’re talking.”