Page 79 of Deceive Me
Fionn shoved a hand through his hair. The desperation in his eyes as he fumbled for his own phone kicked Elliot’s heartbeat into overdrive. A couple of taps and he brought it to his ear.
Trapper limped toward his teammate. “Tell us, Fionn.”
“Sheppard is gone.”
A shock wave went through the room.
“What?” Dain asked. “How is she gone? The woman had a concussion, for God’s sake. Security—”
“She invented half our security,” Fionn growled. His call must’ve gone unanswered, because he jerked it away from his ear and threw it across the room. “Where is Deacon?”
Dain was tapping on his phone already. “We’ll find him.”
Were they worried about Sheppard attacking Deacon and Sydney? As soon as the question entered her mind, Elliot knew the girl would never take that step, not even if Mansa hadn’t been out of the picture. And now—well, Sheppard would know he was dead; no one could’ve missed the chaos in the makeshift medical wing all night. Elliot’s mind replayed Sheppard’s begging as she stood next to the young woman’s bed. Her reason for planting the bomb no longer existed.
No, Elliot bet Sheppard had run for a far different reason, a reason that nothing to do with Deacon and everything to do with the desperate man pacing in front of her right this minute.
A man who was done waiting, apparently. “I need to go.”
Fionn rushed the door, but it opened before he could reach it. Deacon walked through, Sydney secure on his hip. The sight of them hit Elliot like a blow to the chest, so hard she found herself sitting abruptly back in her chair.
Deacon zeroed in on the movement immediately. She couldn’t read his gaze, and honestly, she didn’t want to. Some things were better left alone.
“Where’ve you been?” Fionn was asking. “We need to be gettin’ you someplace safe.”
“No, we don’t.” Alvarez walked toward them, the phone still to his ear as he talked. “Cameras picked up Sheppard leaving through the west gate forty-five minutes ago.”
“That gate’s closed,” Deacon said, eyes narrowed. “How did she—”
“She’s Sheppard.” Alvarez sighed, a heavy sound that seemed to come from his very toes. “There’s not much our girl can’t hack, and you know it.”
“Damn.”
Fionn’s response was a bit more volatile than Deacon’s; he marched through the door, slamming it so hard the impact vibrated the table beneath Elliot’s hand. She focused there, praying Deacon would follow his friend.
He didn’t.
For a moment the men stood silent, seeming stunned. All except Deacon, who watched the door with a worried look. It was Saint who finally broke the gridlock.
“Well, if he needs an assassin, Elliot’s available.”
Dain groaned. Elliot swore she heard a snigger—either King or Trapper, she wasn’t sure which, but she didn’t blame them. Sometimes gallows humor was the only way to push through the shit.
Alvarez had a questioning look in his eye like he wasn’t sure if that was a joke or not.
“I’m not gonna kill Sheppard,” Elliot assured him.
A chorus of noes and of course nots echoed in the room. Elliot gave them all a narrow-eyed glare.
Deacon cleared his throat. “Commander, could I borrow Elliot for a few?”
“Certainly!” Alvarez beamed at her.
Elliot didn’t move. She couldn’t.
“Ell.”
It took a few moments to turn her head, but she finally managed to meet Deacon’s eyes. Could he read her fear? She didn’t want him to, but the way his expression softened said he had anyway.
