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“Now start talking,” Ghost demands. I love his deep voice but not like this.
“With her here?” Rocket asks, glaring at him.
“No point hiding anything now. Your arrival already has her freaking out, if you haven’t noticed.” My gratitude toward Ghost just grew that little bit more.
“Thank you.” I tell him with my eyes just how much I mean it. “This is my life. I deserve to know what the hell is going on, don’t you think?” My voice comes back to me with a bit more strength. I can feel the skepticism oozing from Rocket. He doesn’t know what to do or how to take me.
“It’s not normal practice,” he grunts at Ghost, trying to let him know how pissed off he is.
“Like that matters now. None of what you are doing is ‘normal practice,’ now is it.” Digging his heels in, Ghost is not giving in to his boss. He wants me here, and for that I want to kiss him so hard right now.
“Fine, it’s your funeral when shit goes south with this. I’m trying to protect you both. And I’m not convinced her knowing all this is going to help.”
Ghost just glares at him to let him know it’s time to talk.
“The official memo I was sent was to tell you it’s time to bring Cassandra to Washington for the court case briefing. That she would be safe, as Jason is being watched by the FBI. But we both know that a senator is not going to get blood on his hands. He’ll pay someone to do that.”
A cold shudder runs over me at what Rocket means. Jason will hire someone to kill me!
Deep down I knew that, but knowing it and hearing someone say it are two different things.
Rocket continues, “Actually putting it in writing that Cassandra will be safe to come to Washington smells off to me. Besides, when do we normally take a witness for briefings? They don’t even go for the court case half the time. This guy has money and power, and I think there’s a mole in the camp.”
“Which camp?” Ghost bluntly asks.
“I don’t know. I would hope it’s in the FBI, but I wasn’t taking any risks by telling anyone I was coming here to talk to you. I’m in a car I rented under a fake name, and I left my work phone at home. Which you know, Ghost, how big a risk that is. I’m not only putting my own life in danger but the operatives that I look after who won’t be able to contact me. Here you are dragging the client out of the room because you don’t trust me all of a sudden, after sixteen years of working together. Instead, how about you use your fucking head and realize I’m here to protect your ass and hers, dickhead.” Walking closer to Ghost, the two of them are sizing each other up. I can see the anger radiating off them both.
Rocket’s pissed that Ghost doesn’t trust him, and Ghost is furious that he doesn’t know what is going on, which makes him feel vulnerable in keeping me safe.
If there were a visible color for the amount of testosterone in this room, then it would be like a black-colored pea-soup fog, and I wouldn’t be able to see two inches in front of me. If I weren't here, I can’t guarantee there wouldn’t be fists being thrown right now.
“Well, tell me something that reassures me of that trust.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Rocket glares at Ghost, trying to get him to see that just him being here should be enough.
Seriously, these two need to get on with this.
“Enough!” I startle myself with the loud word coming out of my mouth. “Get over yourselves. Tell me what the fuck is going on with my life!”
Both faces turn to me with shock.
“Yes, remember me, the one over here who someone or maybe several people want to kill at the moment while you two are trying to fight over who is the bigger badass or who is in control?”
Pushing myself between the two men, I look Rocket straight in the eye.
“Start talking, Rocket, in plain English. No code words or bullshit. Lay it all out there,” I demand, poking him in the chest with my index finger to emphasize I mean business.
The fear from earlier is gone and instead anger is brewing inside my body. Nothing makes me more fired up than secrets, and especially when they relate to me!
“Damn, I guessed you would be a handful, but you have fire inside you. I like it. It’s going to help keep you alive. And give him grief, and I think I like that even more.”
Ghost wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me back toward him, and the tingles I shouldn’t be feeling right now are running through my limbs. I can’t help it.
“Settle, Cassandra. Let’s all sit and calm down.” His voice is calmer than it has been since Rocket got here. Rocket’s eyes zero in on Ghost’s arm for a second and then move on.
Ghost pulls out a chair for me, and I glare at both of them before finally sitting, with them following suit.
“Start talking, both of you, but you first,” I say, pointing at Rocket.
