Page 67 of SEAL by Fate

Able tore a hand through his hair. “Face it, Carlisle. Phantom has gotten one over on you, one after another. That’s not like you to be careless.”

Gray lifted his chin. “Sure, I missed some things, but that’s because this is part of Phantom’s plans. Do you all feel the same way?”

“Hell, I think you’re still one of our best, but I think what Abel is trying to say is that your priorities are a bit skewed right now.” Cowboy took a seat at the large table that fit the entire crew.

“What was I supposed to do? Stormy needed my protection.”

“No one is telling you that you were wrong. What we’re saying is maybe you should go be with her, protect her, and let us catch Phantom. We don’t want any more mistakes or someone getting hurt.” Abel sat down on the edge of the table.

Gray didn’t think but acted. He grabbed Abel by the collar and pulled him close until they were face-to-face. Abel was a few inches taller than Gray, but he had the other man by at least thirty muscular pounds.

“How dare you make out like I’d intentionally fuck up,” he pushed through tight lips.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Jamison stomped into the room. “Not you two again!”

With a second’s hesitation, Gray dropped his hands and stepped back.

“This is exactly what the hell we’re talking about. Your head isn’t in the game.” Abel shook his head.

“Fuck you, asshole. Since Carson has retired you think you can say whatever the hell you like and get by with it.”

“That’s enough! Outside, Gray. Now!” Jamison barked.

Gray sighed and stepped outside with the other man. “Look, I lost my temper.”

“That was not a loss of temper, my friend. That was a pissing contest and I won’t have it here. Got it?”

Angry, Gray stepped across the grass, getting some space. “Got it. But just so we’re clear, I didn’t do anything that any of us wouldn’t do,” he snapped.

“Hey, relax.” Jamison held up his hands. “No one is accusing you of fucking up. Well, maybe Abel is. I get that he doesn’t always have a filter, but we’re all up to our eyeballs fed up with this case.”

“You don’t think I am?”

“I’ve known you for over fifteen years, buddy, and I’ve never known you to screw up. Abel just felt you might be thinking with your heart and not your head. Is he wrong?”

“I listed the priorities before and Stormy was at the top. I won’t lie.”

“Then Abel has a good point.”

He wrapped his head around the man’s words. He couldn’t deny how he felt. “Truth is, yeah, I’ve fallen for her and we’re in an intimate relationship.” Once the words were out he felt a sense of relief, although he knew it would probably be his downfall with the team. They each knew there were lines they weren’t supposed to cross.

Jamison raised his eyebrows and said quietly, “I think you’re in trouble.”

“I’m dedicated to the team.”

“I’m not talking team. Let’s put that aside for a minute and talk friend-to-friend. You’ve fallen for a woman who has been in a whirling abyss for a while. Do you have any clue how she feels about you?”

He shrugged and swallowed against the constriction in his throat. “We haven’t talked about feelings, but I know how I feel.”

“Listen, bro, you know my history. You knew Isabella too. After she was—” he couldn’t finish the words. “After what happened I wanted to kill the bastard who took her from me and I went out, like a crazy maniac and searched every dark alley and in back of every ransacked building looking for the scumbag who murdered her. During that time, I forgot the most important thing. My daughter. She’d lost her mother.”

“I’m confused. What’s the moral of the story here?”

“I’m saying, look at what’s important. If you love this woman, then go be with her. Let us solve this case and then you’ll come back when it’s over. That’s not too much to ask. After all, Phantom will use every technique he can to destroy what’s in his way. You’re a hurdle right now. He’s tracked you…”

“Oh shit!” Gray’s gut tightened. “Oh fuck!”

“What is it?”

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