Page 112 of Ricochet

Oh, for Christ sake. She did too! He could see it all over her distracted face. “What the hell is so bad that you won’t tell me? Mayhem problems?Something you think I haven’t seen before with trafficking?”

“Stop, Colin.”

“I’m serious. Why won’t you let anyone in?”

“If you were such an open book, you would’ve asked why you don’t let mein. But it’s a front. You’re the kind, confident soldier guy who can convince others to walk toward danger.” She flashed a placating, toothless smile. “And I’m the person who’d rather keep you safe bykeeping my thoughts to myself.”

He almost choked on the drama. “You’re a piece of work. Try me. Tell me one thing. Boil it all down to one sentence—whatever you think is so damn bad. I’ll prove how you can trust me.”

“Gloria Astor traffics women, and that’s why she’s so damn bad.”

He stiffened, inching back to be sure Adelia was awake and not dreaming—or hallucinating. She wasn’t.Maybe she’shalf-comatose and hyper-aware.He’d been like that before after no sleep for an extended period, but she hadn’t been trained for it. Her mind was still on the run, and she trusted him. It was a vulnerable spot to be in. “Can you be serious?”

“Um-hmmm.” Everything about her look and tone begged him to issue a challenge.

And he would. But first he had to triple check she wasn’t sleep talking orsleep something because what Adelia suggested was madness. “Gloria Astor?”

“At least we know there’s nothing wrong with your hearing.” Adelia twisted her lips.

“Don’t be a smart ass, Adelia.”

Her defensive posture roared at his condescension, and if she hadn’t compared Mother Teresa to Jessica Rabbit, he wouldn’t have thought she’d gone bonkers.

“Why’s Delta protecting her?” Adelia pushed.

Why did they protect anyone? “She’s a client.”

Adelia’s eyebrows arched for as long it took her to inch back. “She’s not who you think she is.”

Colin didn’t like the distance, and he didn’t like questions about his work. If she had a reason to question what the rest of the world knew to be true, then Adelia needed to spit out more than vague assertions. But she didn’t, and his patience was growingthin. “And?”

“She’s not.”

“Well, neither are you, and you don’t see me scooting away.” Colin tapped deep into his inner reserves to keep from arguing more. Hair dangled over her cheeks to hide her expressions. “I mean—”

“Don’t worry about what you mean.” She brushed her hair back as he reached to help. “Don’t.”

His hand froze. He pulled back. “All right.”

Unsaid words and tension hung inthe air. He didn’t think either of them would understand if they tried to explain. Chemistry wasn’t enough. Caring for one another couldn’t support the weight of the unshared unknown—

“I have to tell you something.” She interrupted his spiral of thoughts. Maybe he was wrong. Adelia wanted to share, maybe more than he knew how to listen, and he waited in the silence as she moved again, allowingmore distance between them than Colin wanted.

“I’m going to listen.” And he would try. Not that he understood when Adelia said things that were the equivalent of telling him black was a cheery yellow color. But he would try his damnedest.

“Gloria Astor is the enemy. Mine. Yours. I know you can’t see it.”

“No,” he admitted. “I cannot.”

“The entire world can’t, but it’s true.”

“Gloria Astor,”Colin repeated.

Adelia nodded. “The only way I could prove it would hurt a lot of people.”

“So, don’t prove it.” He inched his hand close, but she ignored it. “Ignore her. Pretend you’ve never heard of her.”

Adelia shook her head. “She’s evil, and that kind of sickness has to be stopped.”

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