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Grace

The ride up to the thirty-eighth floor felt long as they all appeared to digest how that had gone down and who in the room appeared suspect.

“Well, the director definitely has dirty hands. His urgency to have Zelmir killed proves it. We just need to see how deep this rabbit hole goes and who else is involved,” Ex stated. “We’ll proceed with tonight’s plan and relay back at twenty-four hundred.”

“I don’t have a read on the handlers yet, but I have a feeling they wouldn’t double-cross us,” Meridian rumbled. “And I think Spectre will be extremely cautious about pissing you off again, Grace.”

True . Grace didn’t think their handlers were in on this either. He hoped it wasn’t anyone on their teams as well.

“You’re thinking something, Grace…what is it?” Meridian noted.

Grace felt the sharp but silent inhale from Mirage.

Grace glanced in Meridian’s direction but didn’t answer.

Ex chuckled. “I bet he’s thinking we shouldn’t rule out anyone and be mindful of who we trust while we investigate.”

“Wrong,” Mirage said from behind him, sounding as if he was talking through clenched teeth. “ Don’t try to interrupt what he’s thinking. He speaks a language only I understand.”

Grace turned and glanced down at his partner with a soft gaze.

Don’t let them vex you. No one should be able to draw emotion from you but me.

It took a second, but Mirage nodded as he pressed tighter to Grace’s back.

“You act as if you don’t trust us.” Meridian inched forward until he and Grace were nose to nose. “Should I be concerned by your mysterious silence, Grace?”

Grace stared death back in his eye, his pulse pounding.

It was hard not to react to Meridian’s closeness. He was almost ten years Grace’s junior and so hauntingly handsome he was impossible to look away from.

Grace could understand the Blacks being suspicious of a man who only spoke two or three sentences a day. But he didn’t want them to distrust him or Mirage.

They’d all have to work together to succeed on these next few missions. The one they’d assign themselves from now on, not the organization.

To answer Meridian’s question, Grace glared while shaking his head. He hoped it was enough because that was all Meridian was going to get.

The elevator dinged when it reached their floor.

Meridian smirked, cocking his head as if studying something miraculous.

Meridian’s delicious hum vibrated in Grace’s chest.

“I understand that hearing your silence is a privilege, but I know now the sound of your voice is a luxury only one man is granted.”

Meridian took his alluring scent of danger and chilling presence back to his partner’s side.

“Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Mirage,” Meridian said in an eerily calm tone.

“I intend to,” Mirage rasped.

Grace made a smooth one-eighty turn, maneuvering in a way that put Mirage in front of him as they exited the elevator.