AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s not you who will pay if you fuck up that kind of meeting.”
Theo hadn’t seen the need not to be brutally honest.
Graham remained silent, but he slowly nodded his understanding of such a warning. He then walked back to the sink, taking the time to rinse out his mug before setting it down in the sink. Theo had monitored the man’s movements closely, and he realized from the pulse in Graham’s temple that he wasn’t as calm as he would prefer Theo to believe.
“Brook took herself out of the equation, and I can only assume she did so under the belief that Dobbs would cease and desist. Doesn’t make sense to me, but I can’t come up with another reason why Brook would up and disappear like she did last night.” Theo had tried his damnedest to wrap his head around her reasoning to no avail. Then again, his mind wasn’t working on all cylinders right now. Not even the coffee had helped in that department. “Thoughts?”
“Brook doesn’t do anything without good reason,” Graham said with full conviction as he turned around. His jawline had tightened, and while he was obviously concerned about her wellbeing, there wasn’t a sliver of doubt in his eyes. His trust and faith in her were unmistakable. “If what you’re saying is true about Lorena Dobbs’ character, then maybe Brook went underground to force the woman to make a mistake. We all agree that Dobbs is impulsive, which is why she attacked Sylvie earlier than planned…if that even was the plan. It’s good that DeSilva has men posted at the hospital and Sylvie’s apartment. Those are two less locations that we have to worry about, which is why I think—”
“Don’t go there, Elliott.” Theo caught the twitch of Graham’s lip at the use of his surname. If Graham wanted to drop titles, so be it. “There isn’t a chance in hell that I’m having one of DeSilva’s men shadow me for the unforeseeable future. I’ll watch my own back.”
Theo would have preferred to have Brook by his side, but she had chosen a different path. Her decision had stung, and he would damned well make sure she understood the damage her choice had made to their friendship. He had truly believed that they shared the weight of their emotional baggage, and she tossed his load…and trust…on the first plane out of dodge.
“You are her best friend, Theo. I know that for a fact,” Graham acknowledged with a small shrug. “There are times that emotion gets the best of Brook, but she trusts you with her life. There are only five people on the face of this planet who have earned that honor, and two of them are in this room.”
Theo had to hand it to Graham, because the man’s conviction in Brook was incredibly unwavering. Theo wanted to believe that Brook would reconsider her recent choices once she had time to think things through, but given her history, he could understand if she ended up pulling farther away from everyone. That didn’t mean he had to agree or even like it.
The sound of the buzzer being pressed alerted them to Paula Nowacki’s presence.
“Bit should have just given me a list,” Theo muttered as he finished the rest of his coffee. “I need to get back to the hospital anyway.”
“You’re no good to Sylvie if you end up in a gurney next to her,” Graham said without moving toward the doorway. “Theo, you need sleep. Even if it’s only three or four hours. If you don’t want one of DeSilva’s men shadowing you, that’s the price. I might be a silent partner, but I’m not going to be the one to tell Brook that she lost her best friend—the health-conscious one—because he wasn’t smart enough to take care of himself.”
Theo grimaced, because three to four hours could mean the difference between apprehending Dobbs and missing that opportunity.
Graham was right, though.
Theo would be of no use to the others if he couldn’t put together a coherent thought. He would limit his rest to two hours, though.
“Sylvie will pull through,” Graham reassured Theo as he finally pushed off the counter. “She’s tough, just like the rest of you. I’ll go and let Paula into the office.”
“Elliott.” Theo waited for Graham to turn around, his hand on the doorframe. “I appreciate the talk.”
Graham tapped the wooden frame before disappearing around the corner.
“Get some sleep, Neville,” Graham called out. “I’ll meet you back here at sixteen hundred hours to regroup.”
Theo resisted voicing his reservations regarding Graham paying Jacob a visit in federal prison. The man was just as good at reading people as his sister, and he shouldn’t be underestimated. Theo had to remind himself that Graham had dealt with worse people during his combat tours.
Theo glanced over his shoulder to the open area that Brook had constructed for the team one Christmas. The black leather couch was one of those soft ones that Sylvie likened to lying on a soft stick of butter. He sure as hell hoped he got to tell her about his thoughts on the subject. The alternative was unacceptable.
Chapter Seven
Graham Elliott
February 2024
Friday — 11:47 am
The cold metal of the table and chairs didn’t interest Graham. He’d pulled some strings to have Jacob brought to this particular area, one that had no cameras and no microphones. What he had to say to Jacob shouldn’t be on the record. It wasn’t that Graham believed that anything he said to a psychopathic serial killer would have any impact or that any ground rules would be followed, but it was important for Jacob to know the ramifications of his behavior.
There had been many times Graham could have picked up the phone and ended Brook’s nightmare. It had taken every ounce of his willpower not to act on his impulse, but he had promised her otherwise. He was a man of his word.
Regrettably, those circumstances had changed the second that Brook had decided to disappear into thin air. Jacob possessed the information the team needed to locate Lorena Dobbs and bring her into custody. By doing so, Brook wouldn’t feel the need to stay hidden in the shadows.
Unless Jacob had finally broken his sister.
Graham refused to believe that scenario.
