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“She won’t listen to me if I tell her to back down. Mia’s been ignoring me this whole time, she’s been putting herself in even more danger. She needs to step back.”
“We can’t kick her out of the investigation. And I hope to God you’re meaning just to leave her out of the investigation, not the whole company.”
“They already tried to kill her, Ben! What’s next? They won’t stop until they do. We need to do something.”
“Getting her out won’t solve a damn thing, Zach. You know that, right?”
“It’ll give us time until we can bring them down.”
“Without her?” I scoffed. “I’d love to say we’re able to do so, but without her, it’ll be a hell of a lot more difficult. First of all, because she’ll make our lives a living hell. Also, because we need her mind. The insights and fast thinking she has? That’s not something you can teach and learn. You’re either born with it, or you’re not. She was.”
“There has to be a way to leave her out.” His tone was panicky.
The doors burst open as she strode in, with her anger barely hiding her chagrin. “Please, tell me you’re not trying to kick me out.”
Danny appeared behind Mia, a look of uncertainty on his face.
“Were you listening behind the door?” Zach sounded affronted.
“You weren’t exactly whispering, Zachary.” At his birth name, he winced.
“Look, sis, this isn’t personal—”
“Like hell it isn’t!” she bellowed.
All three of us men jumped in surprise at her outburst. Danny and I stared at each other. Just like me, he had no idea how to intervene in a Bryant duel. So far, we’d never seen one.
“First and foremost, thisispersonal. You’re trying to getmeout becauseyoudon’t think I can handle it. It can’t get more personal than that.”
“I’m not saying you can’t handle it—”
“So what are you saying, Zachary?”
“It’s just...this is...” He rubbed his face and groaned. “This is just too much. You can’t ignore how dangerous this is.”
“I’m not ignoring it. But I know what to do. I’m an adult, I’m a professional, I’ve done this before, and I’ll do it again.”
“Just because you lucked out the first few times, doesn’t mean it’s gonna work out again.” The worst choice of words if I’d ever heard them.
“Are you really saying I hadluckwhile doing my job? Are you seriously saying I didn’t accomplish what I did out of hard work, good choices, and dedication? For you, it wassheer luck?” Her voice grew louder with each word. “What am I to you? Your lucky biscuit? A four-leaf clover?What the hell am I doing here, then?”
“Driving me crazy!” he yelled back. “Every time you step foot outside of here, I cringe, thinking of everything that could go wrong. You leave on an assignment, and I count down how long it’ll take for you to get back.”
“Are you out of your freaking mind, you controlling jerk?”
Not listening to her, he just went on. “All I think about is that day, years ago, when you left without telling me and I was almost too late in taking you and Ben away from Michael. All I can think about is that you jumped right into danger and I wasn’t around to protect you. What if you do that again and I’m too far away to do something?”
“I was thirteen! I don’t need you to save me anymore. I’m not a fucking damsel in distress who needs my big brother to slay my dragons. I’ve been doing that on my own for quite some time, but you’re too stubborn and arrogant to see that.”
“I’m not saying you can’t.” Zach tried a new, placating tone, but his shaking voice was a dead giveaway of his torment. “But I can’t work or function knowing you’re in danger.Youare the bull’s-eye.”
“So your answer toyourproblem is, instead of working onyourissues, to getmeout?” She shook her head in disgust. “Clear this up for me: you’re saying you can’t rest since yousavedme all those years ago and you don’t know if I’ll need your saving again. Why aren’t you as worried about Ben, then? Aren’t you worried he’ll be caught in a situation where he’ll need you, oh knight in shining armor, to rescue him? Why do you trust him to do his job, but not me to do mine?”
Before things could get any further, I intervened. “Mia, it’s not that we don’t trust you; we’re just worried.”
“We?” I should’ve stayed quiet. “We?Are you siding with him? Do you also think I should be left out because, God forbid, I have to take action and do something?”
I peered behind her at Danny, only to be met by his incredulous expression, which served to prove to me how wrong I was. “We all need help eventually.” My argument was as weak as my voice.
