Page 22 of Gabe (Blue Team #2)

I was standing in a room full of co-workers.

The video Delilah Watts had sent Garrett was playing on the wall-mounted screen in the conference room.

I should’ve been paying attention to the grainy, black and white security footage yet my head was full of Evette, and not her reaction to seeing the man who had held a gun to her head.

No, my dumb ass couldn’t stop thinking about my colossal fuck-up—my idiotic confession. Why in the actual hell did I feel compelled to tell Evette about my past? When a few hours ago I’d been certain I’d never tell her.

The fuck of it was when I told her, I saw no pity. There was nothing but understanding behind her pretty brown eyes. That wreaked havoc on my resolve and I almost told her more. Thankfully, I stopped myself before I dug my hole any deeper.

“You’re sure?” Garrett’s voice jolted me from my thoughts.

I tore my gaze from the screen and focused on Evette.

She nodded then verbally added, “Yeah. Positive. That’s what he was wearing. I remember that gold chain.”

I glanced back at the frozen image on the screen. A man dressed all in black, average height and build. We couldn’t get a read on hair color, just that it was dark.

“Delilah has to be in Riverton,” Owen said. “She must have walked the streets around Evette’s apartment building noting all the security cameras.”

“Agreed.” Garrett tapped his keyboard and the screen on the wall split, bringing up footage he’d obtained from a convenience store across the street from Evette’s building. “This is all I have. No other businesses on Evette’s block have cameras.”

What Garrett had was a man dressed in black entering Evette’s building, head tipped down, face obscured. He had the same footage of the man exiting.

“So, Delilah went to California and cased the area,” Cooper added. “She walked around, found all the cameras, and what? Hacked them all and got lucky finding this?”

“She didn’t get on a plane,” Garrett countered. “I checked all the flights. My guess is she drove.”

“Why would she do that?”

And fuck me, Evette looked hopeful. She wanted to believe this Delilah woman was on her side. But I wasn’t ready to commit to that theory. Something was off.

“Or she could’ve helped plan the whole thing, told him where to park, and planted a camera,” I interjected.

“Seriously, Gabe?” Evette complained.

“Coop has it right, she got lucky, and I don’t trust luck.”

“Evette should reach out to Delilah,” Zane announced.

A nasty feeling started to twist in my gut, not liking where my boss’s line of thought was leading. I knew Zane Lewis. He would never put Evette in direct danger but he’d skirt the line.

“What do you want me to say?”

There it was—Evette was on board.

That nasty feeling twisted again. I had to shut this shit down before Evette jumped at the chance to draw Delilah out.

Who the hell was I kidding? Evette already had both feet in the air anxious to do her part.

“Delilah knows you’re with us—”

“Or she doesn’t,” I cut Zane off. “And the woman’s fishing.

It wouldn’t be hard for Delilah to find the plane ticket Evette bought.

She used her credit card and real name to fly.

A quick search would also find Evette’s connection to Anaya.

Anaya would lead to Kyle. Kyle to Z Corps.

While it’s a safe bet to assume Evette would come to us for help, it’s still an assumption.

Now you’re asking Evette to confirm she’s with us or at least in contact with us. ”

Zane leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed, eyes narrowed and assessing. He could stare me down all he liked, I was used to it, it was a signature look for my boss. What I didn’t like was the smirk that was forming.

“So Delilah doesn’t know.” Zane shrugged. “And Evette reaches out, confirms she’s with us, and we draw them—”

“No.”

Zane’s smirk grew into a wide smile.

“What? It’s a perfectly sound plan. Evette has protection, all she needs to do is dangle something in front of Delilah and if she takes the bait and sends an assassin we’ll know where Delilah stands.

The added benefit to that is one of you gets to take out a bad guy.

Or hell, maybe I’ll play bodyguard. It’s been a long time since Ivy allowed me to shoot someone.

I’m getting a little rusty. A man needs to stay sharp. ”

Such a smartass.

“The issue is the ‘something’ you’re talking about is Evette. You want to dangle her in front of Delilah. And that shit is not happening. There are other ways to find Delilah. Ways that do not include putting my woman in danger. Have Garrett reach out.”

The room went silent. Utterly.

Mother…fuck !

“ Your woman?” Zane smiled.

I ignored my fuck-up and the lump in my chest that was now blocking my airway.

“Are you trying to piss me off?” I snapped.

“Pretty much.”

It was safe to say I now had a strong urge to shoot Zane. My skills were not rusty, and it had not been that long since I’d had to shoot someone, thus I wouldn’t miss.

“We’re not using Evette as bait. No fucking way.”

“Why not? ”

That asinine question came from the woman herself and when my gaze sliced to her she looked genuinely curious.

As if her life wasn’t in enough danger and adding a new element wouldn’t be an issue.

The problem I was facing was, Evette had already made up her mind, she viewed Delilah as an asset, not a threat.

“Because you could get killed.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” she returned disbelievingly. “You’ve said it yourself, you wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

Fucking hell. That particular shot to the heart felt good. So good I had to take a moment and let the feel of it wash over me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t allow myself much time before I had to burst her bubble.

“Right, Evette. And that means, under no circumstances am I going to agree to any scenario where you put yourself out there. Too much can go wrong.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you don’t have to agree.”

I overlooked the way her shoulders snapped back. I completely disregarded her squinty eyes. And lastly, I dismissed the steel in her tone.

No goddamn way was this happening.

My eyes swung back to Zane, ready to go to battle until he backed down but his smile was gone and he was staring at Evette.

And fuck me, he was looking at her with respect.

I’d get no help from him. I glanced at Owen and he looked thoughtful; I might find an ally in him.

Cooper could be talked into backing my play as well.

Garrett would side with Zane and Evette.

I was totally fucked.

She was going to reach out to Delilah and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop her.

“New rule,” Zane rapped out. “No one gets to start giving me shit until they’ve known the female in question for more than a week. That means I’m still in charge of how we use Evette.”

“Zane—”

“Unless of course you’re telling me you’ve laid claim to Evette.

Because if you have, when Phantom calls for his hourly updates I’ll direct him your way.

And you can be the one to talk to the surly bastard and assure him we’re keeping Evette safe.

I’m sure it will set his mind at ease to know you personally are seeing to her.

If that’s not the case, then the woman’s under my protection which means Evette’s on the phone and calling Delilah. ”

Sneaky fucking bastard.

I felt my jaw tighten and that knot in my gut turned to acid.

You wouldn’t let anything happen to me.

Evette believed that.

But what if I couldn’t? What if none of us could? What if Delilah Watts sent a team to take out Evette and I lost her?

Too many what-ifs.

But the biggest one was what if Evette didn’t forgive me when I put my foot down like some caveman and refused to allow her to do what she was inclined to do. I could lay claim all I liked, Evette was not the type of woman who would allow jackshit.

“You know if you call Delilah and she is indeed on the inside working with Abrams within a few hours there could be a chance that multiple gunmen will be in Annapolis to hunt you. You get that, right?”

Something akin to disappointment flashed across her face. Which I didn’t understand. I was giving in and giving her what she wanted.

“I understand.”

“Right. And you’re willing to take that chance?”

“I trust you all to protect me.”

You all .

Not me.

“But I don’t think Delilah means me any harm,” she added.

“Make the call.” I swept my hand out in front of me and leaned back in my chair.

The hand sweep was pretty damn dramatic and I was acting like a bear with a thorn in his ass.

A thorn that dug deep and was a good reminder that Evette wasn’t mine.

Not in the sense that I had any claim to her.

Not the way Owen did with Natasha. Nat wouldn’t be bossed around by Owen but she sure as shit would value his opinion.

I had no control over this situation .

No right to ask her not to call Delilah.

I had nothing.

Which was just the way I liked it.

Until Evette London waltzed into my life and screwed with my head.

Now I was pissed right the hell off.