Page 62 of Deceive Me
“I—we—want you to realize what you did wrong, Elliot.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “A team is only as strong as their weakest link, and though I never thought I’d say it of you, you are their weakest link right now.”
She flinched.
“You’re also part of the glue that holds them together,” Con added. “We recognize that, but it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.”
“We’re demoting you,” Jack said flatly. “King will move up to Dain’s second. You’ll be on probation for six months. I want details of every moment of your life, everything—names, dates, actions—in writing. I’ll be verifying all of it personally.”
And nothing would fool him now that the suspicion had taken root. Jack’s tech skills were legendary.
“I want to know what you ate for breakfast yesterday and who you talked to on the phone last week. Every. Thing. You’ve. Done. Is that clear?”
Wonder what he’ll say when he sees Deacon on the list of things I’ve done. “Yes, sir.”
“And because of Dain’s complicity, he will also be receiving a review,” Conlan told her. Her chest went so tight she could barely suck in a breath. That she’d brought her team down was almost too much to bear, but to put Dain’s integrity at risk?
And all because you were afraid. Was it worth it?
“He was trying to keep me safe.”
“Elliot.” Jack sighed as he ran a hand down the back of his neck. “When are you going to realize that Mansa doesn’t want to kill you; if he did, you’d’ve been dead when the first surveillance photo was taken. He wants you, no doubt about it, but not like he did your mother. With you, he’s retrieving a commodity. And if there’s anyone that can keep herself out of his grasp, it’s…guess who? You.” He leaned in until they were eye to eye. “Your mother trained you for this moment. Trust the gift she gave you. It comes with some side issues, but when push comes to shove, it’ll get you through.”
Would it? Elliot could do no more than nod. When Jack and Conlan moved toward the coffeepot, she allowed herself a full breath, then grabbed her own cup on the way to the door.
Fionn stepped into her path. “Elliot.”
She couldn’t look at him. She knew she should, knew she needed to apologize again, ask how he was, if there was anything she could do—all the polite shit people did when someone was hurt. But raising her eyes off his boots was impossible.
“Elliot, I’m wanting you to know, I get it,” Fionn said, quiet enough that the words were just between them. “Deac explained. I get it.”
But he was still wary; she’d seen it in his eyes. That was the consequence of her choices.
“Thanks, Fionn.” Without waiting for a reply, she brushed past him and into the hall. If only she could leave the roil of emotions inside her behind as easily.
24
“GFS has a dorm that contains a few private quarters, mostly for clients,” Deacon explained as they watched the interstate pass outside the blackened windows of the SUV. He and Elliot occupied the middle bench seat, one on each side of Sydney’s booster, buckled snugly between them. “Commander Alvarez has been kind enough to invite us stay until we have further intel.”
“What’s ‘intel,’ Daddy?”
He tugged playfully on the ponytail gracing the top of his daughter’s head. “It means intelligence. Information.”
“What do you need infernation about?”
Elliot chuckled across from him. “Well, it does help you infer things.”
He waited until she looked his way to mouth, Smart-ass.
Elliot raised her eyebrows at him. Always, she mouthed back.
God help him, but he really did want this woman, and not just in his bed. She was nothing like Jules had been, but still fit him just right—
Except for the unfortunate trust issue.
The reminder wiped his amusement away.
“Commander Alvarez is…?”
Deacon cleared his throat. “He’s the owner, CEO, COO—you name it, he’s in charge of it at Global.”
