Page 40 of Every Last Breath

Cutter gave a curt nod and hightailed it toward the analysis section.

Sanborn’s attention swung back to her. “Castle stays.” The grit in his tone was coarse. Final. “Part of your backup, with Reece and Reaper, who are already in the conference room. That’s your team.” He flashed his best pro smile, smoother and brighter than hers by far. “If you still want it.”

She pulled on her good-soldier expression. “Of course, I want it.” At least she’d have her battle brothers. For Reece, you support your friends and keep your word, or you’re not worth your weight in salt. And Gideon was the guy you wanted at your six, never in your face. Both were rock solid, would have her back. They were family in an unfailing way she didn’t have with Castle.

“Castle knows you in a way the rest of us don’t,” Sanborn said. “I’ve lost officers who’ve gotten emotional on a mission before. I won’t lose you down a rabbit hole. Are we clear?”

Sanborn didn’t have the faintest idea the havoc he was about to wreak, assigning her brother as her babysitter. “It won’t work. Castle and Cole can’t—”

Yelling erupted inside the conference room. They exchanged glances and rushed into the room just as Castle flung his chair behind him into the wall and charged around the conference table.

Planted in a wide stance, Cole stood, gaze locked, razor-sharp and lethal. He gripped his helmet like it was a bowling ball, ready to swing.

They’d always rubbed each other wrong, but it’d never escalated to violence.

Fists cocked at his sides, Castle was a mountain in motion. “If you think you’re going to waltz back in, fuck my sister, and piss all over her life again, you’re mistaken.”

Her stomach lurched. She’d never seen this fiercely protective side of her brother. Reminded her of her father, in the best and worst ways. Cole didn’t know what she’d gone through after he left, about the baby she’d lost or how the emptiness had broken her. She never wanted him to know. But Castle had a front-row seat to her misery.

Gideon and Reece jumped in front of her brother to stop him, wrangling him by the arms to hold him back.

Doc sat stunned and wide-eyed. Willow Harper hunkered in her seat, clutching a notepad to her chest.

Maddox glanced around to find Sanborn standing behind her, looking cool and collected. Meeting her gaze, he shot her one of those go-handle-it looks. This was her team, but she fired a this-isn’t-my-mess-to-clean-up look right back. Sanborn had lit the fuse to this shit bomb.

“If you can’t lead them in here, what are you going to do in the field?” Sanborn asked.

“I’m going to knock that arrogant look right off your damn face, Reznikov.” Growling, Castle drove forward, not letting anything, not even four hundred pounds of resisting muscle, stop him from crossing the room.

* * *

A big guy could be taken like any other, but fired up, Castle appeared to be a worthy opponent. He’d make Cole work for a win.

Maybe Castle had a right to be angry. Despite his damned good reasons, Cole had left Maddox behind to deal with grief brutal enough to send her to a private psych facility. And he’d been drowning in his own crap at the same time, impotent to check on her.

Letting his shoulders drop, Cole lifted his chin and prepared to take one hit. One.

Castle yanked free of Frick, or was it Frack—fuck it, Reece’s arm, and a ruthless fist slammed into Cole’s cheek. Pain bloomed. The salty taste of blood hit his tongue.

“I owed you one.” Cole ducked, sidestepping the next blow. “I won’t give you another.”

Snarling, Castle lunged. Cole blocked the fist with his helmet and gave Castle a swift kick to the shin. He swung the helmet to the back of the knee. Castle dropped but recovered with quicksilver speed.

Fuck, all he’d done was poke the ogre. Last thing Cole wanted was to use real force.

As Castle grabbed Cole by the jacket, Maddox jumped in between them. A part of Cole wanted the beatdown he probably deserved, but he wasn’t equipped to lose.

Maddox shielded him with arms outstretched. “What are you doing?”

“You’re going to let him back in, aren’t you?” Castle clenched his jaw, chest heaving.

She stood rigid, eyes hard. “We have a mission and lives to save. We need his help.”

Of course, she was protecting the asset. Cole straightened, drawing everything inside tight. He was such a dumbass to think for one second that he was anything more than a means to an end.

“Communication is the first step in building an effective partnership.” Sanborn strode to the head of the black glass-top table. “As of right now, you’re one team. There is one fight. Retrieving a bioterror weapon before it can be used. Take a seat.”

Guarded, in slow motion, everyone sat. The tension in the room was thicker than a setting slab of wet concrete.