No one spoke.
Until Chris did.
“We have to tell him,” Chris stated. “If her life depends on every possible secret, we can’t pretend. That cat might be out of the bag, despite us trying to keep it in there.”
Now, Gabe was curious as fuck.
“What?”
Ethan had no choice.
“I’m not legally married to Elizabeth,” he said. “Legally, she’s not a Blackhawk.”
Gabe lifted a brow.
What?
Was?
This?
“I don’t understand.”
Chris moved closer to Ethan and slipped his hand into the man’s, knowing this was a dagger to his heart. It was something they wanted to keep secret, more so to protect him—not Chris.
Then, he explained.
“Remember the operation in Colombia where we had a fake wedding to keep our cover?”
He nodded.
“Yes. Charlie took me hostage, overtook my security, and flew in to find his‘baby girl’. I don’t know what…”
His eyes went huge.
“Did you get married in Colombia?” he asked, finally taking that leap from point A to point B on his own.
Chris sighed.
And nodded.
“We gave Charlie the license to destroy. He took it from the priest and was supposed to trash it. Instead, he submitted it and kept it quiet forYEARS. We found a box he’d put aside for Elizabeth when a lawyer delivered a letter from him. In it, there was the license.”
Ethan stood there.
“So, that is her legal marriage. She’s not married to me, Gabe. She’s Elizabeth LaRue Leonard, and has been for all of this time. Our marriage isn’t valid. I’m not her first husband. I’m her second. Callen is her third, and Gene is last.”
Gabe knew how bad this was.
“If he drops that bomb, this is a shitshow. Why didn’t you get this handled?” he asked. “Why didn’t you get it annulled?”
They all said nothing.
And Gabe knew.
“She is risking her career and reputation for you, isn’t she?” he said to Ethan.
The man nodded.
