My roommate, Decker, elbowed me with a look that said, “You’re in deep shit.” But I rolled my eyes as he continued down the hall.
“Sure.” I turned and shuffled toward Mark, more than ready to ditch this damn cane.
A few of the guys were getting ready for an upcoming assignment, but I’d be sitting this one out.Again.After I’d been injured a few weeks back, I was still struggling to get around, still forced to attend daily rehab sessions while recovering from surgery.
“Shut the door,” Mark said, taking a seat behind his desk.
Liam—his second-in-command—was already occupying one of the seats across the desk. Where Mark had blond hair and a surfer vibe, always the life of the party, Liam was more serious, taller too.
I tried not to wince as I sank into the chair. My knee fucking hurt today, but I didn’t want to let them see my pain as weakness. I just wanted to get back out there.
“How’s the knee?” Mark asked.
“Fine.”
“How’s the head?” Liam asked.
“I got some pretty good head last week, thanks.” I smirked, though neither of them laughed.
He rolled his eyes. “Not what I meant, asshole.”
I sobered, sensing they meant business and no amount of joking would get me out of it. “My head is fine.”
“That last mission—” Mark blew out a breath. “It was a fuckup from start to finish.”
We’d done a formal debrief, but I’d been waiting for something like this. I’d been anticipating this conversation for weeks. I figured they were just waiting until I was well enough post op to return to work full time.
I nodded. “It was fucked up.”
“Not just it, but you,” Liam cut in. “Youfucked up, Cujo. You assaulted our client’s son, George. The ambassador’s son and sole heir.”
I clenched my fists, my blood boiling with anger. “And that somehow excuses his behavior? The piece of shit was abusing his wife, his daughter.”
“No, but you put this company and other men’slivesat stake. Hell, you got injured yourself, and you’re damn lucky it wasn’t worse.”
And I’d do it all again if it meant protecting them from that monster.
“What was I supposed to do?” I threw my arms up, feeling as if it was a no-win situation.
“We were hired to protect their family.” Liam let out a deep sigh. “And we were going to help them.”
“When?” I glared at him, demanding answers. “After it was already too late?”
I’d had my suspicions, but when I saw the look of pure terror in the little girl’s eyes and the way her mom tried to protect her—I’d snapped. I’d gone after him, attacking with unrestrained fury. I’d definitely lived up to my fucking call sign—acting like a rabid St. Bernard as I pummeled the bastard.
“Look—” Mark’s expression softened ever so slightly, and I assumed he was playing the good cop to Liam’s bad. Liam was trained as an interrogator, after all. “I’m not saying the guy didn’t deserve it. And I’m not saying I wouldn’t have wanted to do the same in your shoes. But you can’t let douchebags like that fuck with your head.”
He was right about that, but I wasn’t going to admit it. The asshole had gotten in my head. The situation had hit a little too close to home.
“Which is why—” Mark took a deep breath “—we’re putting you on a desk job for a while. You can focus on strategy until you sort your head out.”
“But—”
Mark shook his head, and I knew there was no use arguing. Mark’s word was law—at least in the Virginia office of Cole Security. And deep down, I knew he was right. I’d fucked up, and I was no use to anyone in the field—not at the moment.
“For how long?” I clenched my teeth, knowing this was a test. He was reading me, just as I was reading him.
“We’ll reevaluate when your doctor clears you for more activity.”
