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She immediately protested. “That’s really not–”
“Hannah,” Will said, his voice low. His hand rested on her back, and he used it to turn her toward him as he stopped walking. “Let us protect you, okay? My job isn’t done just because Kuznetsov is on ice.”
Hannah searched his eyes, looking for any sign that this was more than a job to him. It had to be. But now wasn’t the time to push him on it. Instead, she nodded and followed Ross McClain down the sleek hallway.
He showed her into a room that reminded her of a house, with couches, television, and even a small dining table. Doors extended off the edge of the room, with placards on them. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo. Five rooms?
“You’re welcome to any room you’d like. Miranda likes to crash in Alpha when she’s working extra hours.” There was an amused smile on Ross’s face. “But technically they are all unoccupied right now.”
“Why do you have these anyway? Are they for you all? I don’t want to intrude.”
Ross was shaking his head. “One of the reasons Flint and I started Black Tower Security was so that we were in a position to help people who couldn’t help themselves. The vulnerable. These rooms were part of that vision. If someone needs a safe harbor, we wanted to be able to provide it, right here at BTS.”
Hannah already had immense respect for Will and his team, but hearing about the vision of Black Tower and seeing how they were committed to helping people made her feel even more amazed. Will worked for good people, and she had to imagine that even if he had to do difficult things in his job, being able to trust the leaders of Black Tower made a big difference.
“That’s really wonderful,” she said.
Ross smiled. “I’ll let you get settled a bit. Feel free to let anyone know if you need something.” He looked at Will. “Come by my office as soon as you get a chance.”
Then Ross was gone, and it was just the two of them.
She stepped closer and felt her entire body relax when Will took her in his arms. She let herself stay there for a moment, her cheek pressed against his chest and the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat providing a steadiness she didn’t feel yet.
“Are you okay?” he asked. His voice was gentle.
She tipped her head up to meet his eyes. “I don’t know. Is it bad that I’m glad he’s dead?” She pressed her eyes shut, feeling guilty about the admission.
Will squeezed her tighter for a moment. They pulled apart, and Will led her to one of the couches in the living room area of the apartments, then settled her against his side.
“If it’s bad to feel that way, then we both are,” he finally admitted, his voice slightly tortured.
She pressed a hand to his cheek, urging him to continue.
“My mission was to bring him in, and I failed. But protecting you… I can’t explain how glad I am that he can’t hurt you again.”
Admiration and warmth spread through her chest at his admission. She knew that nothing was more important to Will than the mission.
“Do you.. Do you think it’s over then?”
Will shook his head. “I don’t know. I need some time and some help from the team to figure out if the Syndicate would see you as a threat. I don’t know that they would at this point.” His eyes slid to hers. “But if you decide to publish something about Marshand, it might set them off. Especially if we tie Damien to the assassination somehow.”
Hannah let that sink in. “What about Gina and her family? I can’t just abandon them when their water is contaminated. I won’t be another person who stands by while they get hurt.”
Will pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll take care of it. We’ll make sure the story is told and that Damien pays for his role in the problem. But we have to do it while protecting you.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
Will leftHannah in the apartment wing to freshen up and hopefully take a nap, something he desperately wished he could do also. Instead, he stopped by Ross’s office and briefed him on everything that had happened.
“Could you do me a favor?”
Ross frowned. “Of course.”
“It’s for Hannah. She’s put together an entire expose on Marshand Chemical Group and their role in the contamination of the water supply near Lecanto in Florida.”
“But you’re afraid if she breaks the story, it’ll put crosshairs on her back from Syndicate.”
Will nodded. “Exactly.”
