Page 71 of Lethal Salvation

“I do, but I’m not anyone, Bás. I’m here to have your back and I can do that better now I know what’s at stake and what he knows.”

“Maybe, but nobody else.”

“Listen, they’ll understand it won’t change the way they see you.”

His features hardened and she could see why he had the feared reputation he did. She and the team sometimes forgot that Bás was Gaelic for death. He’d earned his nickname the hard way and now she understood him just a little more. She just wished he’d give that insight to the others.

“I mean it, Duchess, don’t make me regret telling you.”

“I would never break your confidence, Bás, but I won’t let you do this alone either. We’re a team, and our biggest strength is each other. You preach it so you better believe it.”

“I do that’s why I can’t let him break us. If I go after him alone, the team stays safe.”

Duchess laughed and threw up her hands. “Don’t be so naïve. The team is at risk already.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“You know I am.”

“Whose idea was it to employ you?”

Duchess laughed. “If I remember rightly, you said you wouldn’t do this without me.”

“I must have had one too many concussions.”

“Well, that’s definitely true, but seriously, you employed me because you knew I wouldn’t be afraid to call you out on your bullshit and that’s what this is now, utter bull crap.”

“Haven’t you got a boyfriend to go bother?”

“I’m not sure that’s what he is.”

“You fucking?”

“Yes, not that it’s any of your business.”

“He go with you when your ma died?”

“Yes?”

“You say the L word yet?”

“Maybe.”

“You see where I’m going with this?”

“Fine, we’re together but I’m not sure it has a future despite all that. His family is still a hot mess and trying to bury him and his company. We still have Project Cradle to deal with and he’s a businessman and I’m, well, not that.”

“If you want it enough you can make it work. Look at Reaper and Lucía. Hell, if that can work so can you and the suit.”

“Let’s take it a day at a time. First things first, we need to touch base with Jack and find out what he knows from the scene.”

He pointed a finger at her. “Good plan. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Jerk.”

“You know I’ve killed people for less than name-calling.”

“You can’t kill me. You need me to be the buffer between you and the team.”