Page 42 of Always Been Mine

“You motherfucking son of a bitch,” Travis roared. “You were my friend! My brother. How could you?”

“I wasn’t a part of the accident,” Gabe said quietly, getting to his feet. “I only found out about Caitlin six months before you found her.”

“You’re lying!” Travis growled.

“You know how it is, Lieutenant. I can’t reveal specifics of a mission.”

“You’ve been working with Porter?”

Gabe inclined his head.

“Are you Dmitry?” Caitlin asked, walking toward Gabe. “Porter called a guy named Dmitry with the coordinates for the plutonium cache.”

“Wait a minute,” Travis’s eyes narrowed. “The Zorin Bratva. Dmitry Yerzov was his assassin.” Travis’s arm wrapped protectively around Caitlin. “Fuck, Gabe. That was you?”

Gabe’s throat worked convulsively. He wanted to come clean, but he decided against it. “I’m not confirming or denying.”

Travis growled, dropped his arms around Caitlin and started for Gabe again.

“Hit me again, Lieutenant, but this time I’m retaliating,” Gabe warned.

Beatrice decided to step in. “Let’s calm down for a moment, Travis.” She looked at Caitlin who nodded and hugged her husband’s waist to calm him down.

“This is too much to take in for everyone,” Beatrice said. It certainly was for her. She was reeling, but she could feel the tension in Gabe right now, even some self-loathing. She should be pissed at him for being party to what happened to Travisand Caitlin, but now was not the time. She wanted to tend to his injuries, but this revelation made her wary. Did she really want to know what he did as this Dmitry Yerzov guy? She decided distance was best right now while she sort herself out. “Gabe, go home. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Travis balled up his fists at his sides, and Gabe squared up. He meant it when he said he was fighting back this time.

“I agree,” Nate said. “Sullivan, get out of here before we change our minds.”

“I’m not leaving without you,” Gabe scowled at Beatrice.

“Bee is not leaving with you,” Nate snapped.

“Oh, yes, she is,” Gabe muttered, his arm reached out and yanked her against him. His eyes drilled into hers.

“I’m not leaving without you,” he repeated.

The air was charged with testosterone, seeing that the only levelheaded man right now was Ed, who would definitely side with Travis and Nate if the situation deteriorated.

“Okay,” Beatrice looked at a furious Nate. “I got this, Nate.”

“Bee—” Nate reached for her.

“Seriously? Fuck off.” Gabe shoved Nate.

“Jesus! Enough!” Beatrice yelled in exasperation. She yanked on Gabe’s massive arm and dragged him toward the exit. “Stand down, Reece, before you piss me off.”

Men!

Gabe wasrelieved Beatrice left with him. He didn’t want her to be out of sight. Not right now. Not when he didn’t know how she really felt when he had all but admitted he was the Russian assassin, Dmitry Yerzov. He thought he was ready to tell her everything, but it was harder than he first thought.

“Come home with me, please,” Gabe said quietly, casting a furtive glance at her.

“I can’t, Gabe. Look, come over to my condo and I’ll take care of your cuts. Travis did a number on your face. Is your nose broken?”

Now that she mentioned it, his face felt like one fucking swollen pulsating lump. He moved his jaw; it hurt, but thankfully it wasn’t broken. Most of the blood was from his nose, but he didn’t think it was fractured either. “I’m fine.”

“Now is not the time to act all macho—”

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