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“If I didn’t hate drugs so much, I’d sell them,” Saint said darkly.
Aubrey glanced over at the black-haired man covered in tattoos and wondered about his past. He was definitely unlike anyone she’d ever met. She could feel the darkness hovering just below his surface. With a shiver, she turned her attention back to Gray. He may be haunted and a little broken, but she could feel the goodness inside him. Gray was a man who wanted to release his past and move forward. If only he would open up and let her help him do that.
Saint, on the other hand? Aubrey had a feeling his darkness had seeped into his very soul, tarnishing and corrupting it. And that would be a damn hard soul to redeem.
“Do we know if El Escorpión is there?” Gray asked, leaning forward, hands balling into fists.
“Affirmative,” Zane replied. “I caught a glimpse of him when I tapped into security footage. Which is extremely limited, by the way. Only a few cams outside the warehouse.”
“I want to bring that fucker down,” Gray growled, amber eyes flashing.
Oh, crap.Aubrey felt the tension pouring off Gray. Vengeance burning within him. She wished she better knew what happened in his past so she could figure out how to help him move forward. How to let go of whatever was hindering and haunting him.
“We should destroy his precious product, too. Just for kicks,” Saint added wickedly. “Blow the warehouse sky high.”
“Fuck yeah,” Gray responded. They bumped knuckles.
Aubrey knew Ex Nihilo could take care of themselves and were black ops badasses to the extreme, but she couldn’t help the worry gnawing at her insides. So many things could go wrong, especially if Gray was hellbent on revenge. His emotions might cloud his judgment and that could be a death sentence.
The only thing that would make Aubrey feel better was if she could go with them. For some inexplicable reason, Gray seemed to find comfort in her presence and if she could provide a sense of calm to him before he and his team were thrust into danger, she would do it in a heartbeat. But, she didn’t want to say anything right then. Later, she would pitch her case and tell Gray exactly why she should have a seat on that flight to the Bahamas.
And Gray had better listen up.
???
“Fuck no.” Gray didn’t even hesitate. Just bit the words out and didn’t ask Aubrey a single question. He crossed his big arms, narrowed his amber eyes and a scowl pulled his mouth tight.
One minute they were making out and she figured it was her best opportunity to bring up going with them in the morning because his defenses were lowered. But he shot it down before the words were even out of her mouth.
“Gray—”
“Aubrey, you are not going to some drug kingpin’s private island where he keeps his stash. So, get it out of your head, okay?”
Aubrey straightened up to her full height of five feet two inches and placed her hands on her hips, determined not to just bow down and give in because he put on his growly face. She punched a finger against his solid chest. “You listen to me, Grayson Ellis. You’re going to be walking into the viper’s den. What if something bad happens to you or one of your team? Who will be there to help?”
“We all have medical training,” he argued.
“Basic field training, sure. But none of you will be prepared to handle a serious, life-threatening injury while bouncing around in a Zodiac, potentially running for your lives.”
But the stubborn man shook his head. “Absolutely fucking not.”
With a frustrated sigh, Aubrey threw her hands up in the air. It was clear he wasn’t going to budge on the issue, so she had to be smarter. Maybe do some negotiating.
“Okay, fine. What if I go—”
“No.”
“Let me finish, growly pants. I’m not saying let me go over to Mesa’s island with you. Instead, I can wait in the plane with Hunter. Just like before. And, if you guys need me, I’ll be there when you return. If not, then we take off and all is good.”
When Gray didn’t immediately shut her down, she took that as a good sign.
But then he shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair. “You don’t understand…” His voice was strained.
“So, tell me. Please, Gray. I want to help you.”
“You can’t.” He sounded so forlorn, so resigned, and her heart ached.
Even though her pitch was about being available in case his team needed medical attention, it ran so much deeper than her not being there to stitch them up. Her true reason for going was for the mental support Gray might need. This was about him and his demons. And she refused to let him give up on himself by allowing them to win.
