Chapter Three
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
FBI Satellite Office
Minutes Later
To say that he was worried about his agents would be an understatement. Greyson Croft didn’t like how angry Gene was when he headed out to confront Gabe. It was never a good plan to tangle with the bossman.
He could get mean.
Add in that Gene had been in a rage…
That was a bad mix.
How bad was he?
Well, Alice gave him an update when she drove his ass to the airport, and she said it was a rough one last night.
Yeah, that didn’t bode well for whoever came in contact with the man.
He.
Was.
Pissed.
Then, add in that Ethan wasn’t answering his calls or texts either, and now, he had two people he needed to worry about.
With Gene gunning for Gabe, and Ethan walking away, that left the office in shambles.
They were now two good agents down, and he didn’t like what that meant for any of them.
LONG.
DAYS.
Philadelphia was a mess on a good day, and that morning, they’d gotten word that Javier Hughes was up to his nonsense again.
Why wouldn’t he pick the worst time to play games?
Word on the street was he’d put out a request for information on both Gene and Ethan. He was actively trying to find ANYONE who might know where to find the men.
One of Antonio’s informants had called in, trying to earn a buck.
Well, it was about to get spicy here.
Honestly, as their friend, he wanted to be upfront with Gene and Ethan. It might be in their best interest to leave Philly regardless because the sicko was being a dick.
As the person running the shitshow office, it was against HIS best interest to lose them.
Blackhawk and Cantrell were damn good at what they did.
It was shitty having to wait for Javier Hughes to do something illegal. He went from asking questions to buying a hit in a matter of seconds.
Yeah, he escalated that fast.
Sadly, there was nothing they could do to stop him either. After talking to the DA, they needed him to violate his parole, and info from snitches wasn’t enough to do it. If they wanted him revoked back into the clink, he needed to do something they could prove.
And that sucked.
With each time he tried for Ethan, Gene got caught in the crossfire. At some point, he knew the man would get frustrated at being cockblocked and make a move on Gene.
As he sat there, his phone rang, and not the office one. His cell lit up, and when he opened it, he saw Gene’s name.
Well, thank freaking God.
It appeared someone was checking in.
Now, he’d see if he was back on the team, or on his way to lock up and needing bail.
That was more the vibe he gave off yesterday.
“Please tell me you haven’t been arrested.”
Gene actually laughed.
Oh, that had been a possibility, but now, he was on his way to the airport to catch a flight to Damascus. He had a man to retrieve.
All he could hope now was he wouldn’t lose him regardless in a fight.
Because Gene was still feeling angsty.
“No, but it was close. I kicked in his office door, but it all ended well.”
Greyson hoped he was kidding.
“You did what?” he asked, not sure if the man was busting his ass or being serious.
With Gene, you never knew.
Oh, Gene found him amusing. Today was a weird day, and it was only starting.
“I said what I said. I’m on my way to catch a flight. Both Ethan and I will be back in-house by Monday. Gabe ordered us both back to Philadelphia.”
He.
Was.
Shocked.
Was he dreaming?
Did Gene somehow manage to soothe the Dragon Slayer and get Ethan his job back while not losing his own?
HOW?
“Do I ask how the fuck you pulled that off? He’s not dead in your trunk, right? You’re not parking the car in the airport garage for him to decompose, are you?”
He snorted.
“Where was that suggestion an hour ago?” he joked.
Then, he reassured him because the last thing he needed was Alice on a flight to wrangle him, and the woman was crazy enough to do it.
“No. Let’s just say that the agent I trust in this office had my back. She helped me talk some sense into him.”
Greyson was pretty sure Gabe didn’t have a lick of sense in him to be found. So, how that happened, no freaking clue.
“If you say so.”
Oh, he did.
“So, we’ll be back. Hold down the fort until then. I have to go get EJ. IF he comes back. I don’t know what’s going on in his head because he has his phone off still.”
Greyson heard the tone.
“Don’t do something you’ll regret. Stay calm. Clearly, Ethan is going through it. You can’t be going through it too. One of you has to have some calm.”
Oh, well, that posed one question.
When exactly did Gene get to have his emotional breakdown? Because he had a sick fuck trying to poach his man, he’d been assaulted in an alley, shot in the chest, and who knew what was next?
If all of that wasn’t breakdown worthy for him, what exactly was?
That was the question.
And it was a doozy.
For.
Fucking.
Sure.
“I’m not going to do something irrational. Hey, do you think he’d elope?” he asked, suddenly.
Only, he didn’t get the answer he’d hoped for at all. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t thinking about just getting married since they had Gabe over the barrel.
Or was that pushing his luck?
After hearing that, Greyson laughed.
“Yeah, there is nothing irrational going on in that skull of yours at all. Just retrieve the partner and get back here. Hughes is up to his bullshit again, and we’ve got work to do to make sure Ethan doesn’t get abducted, or you killed.”
Gene sighed.
He was so damn tired.
The man was a pain in his ass, and Javier liked to pop up at the worst times.
Like today.
He had shitty timing since he’d just burned Gabe, and there was no way he’d have their backs. Gene and Ethan were going to have to be really careful going forward.
Only, Greyson likely brought it up for a reason, so Gene had to ask.
“What did he do now?”
Greyson told him, knowing it was likely going to put him over the damn edge.
“He’s put out feelers to find you. One of Antonio’s street snitches brought in some information to get greenbacks for meth or his drug of choice.
Both of your names came up. He’s trying to locate your hole, and he’s offering up big money, too.
It’s only a matter of time before someone hates you and rats you out. ”
Well, it was a good thing he was in DC at the moment, and Ethan was in Damascus.
Was he shocked?
No.
Javier was desperate to get to Ethan, and Gene was more desperate to make sure the dickless wonder didn’t get his wish. He was the cock-block fairy on this one.
“We have NOTHING in our names, so unless we get ratted out…”
Oh, Greyson knew who he was talking about.
“I will personally put a bullet in her if she says jack shit to Javier Hughes,” he admitted. “Trust and believe that I’m three days past being patient with her.”
Oh, well, Gene knew that for a fact.
He might even be more angsty than he was. After all, he’d been sleeping with the enemy on this one.
“Well, speaking of her, she’s about to be removed from her cushy spying job there. I had to burn her to Gabe. It was the only way to get Ethan his badge back.”
Well, shit.
Greyson wanted to be the one who burned her good. In fact, he wanted to be the one who made her cry.
He was petty like that.
The mere fact that he’d let her into his world, and she’d ratted out Gene and Ethan to Gabe…
That was on him, and he knew it.
“So, how long do I have?” he asked.
Gene looked at his watch.
“I left the office ten minutes ago, give or take. I’d say the call will be coming in shortly once he regroups. Likely it’s going to be to you. She’s being recalled. So, you have until that call comes in. Oh, and don’t fuck her!”
He snorted.
“I’m not going to fall into that bear trap. I haven’t slept with her for a while.”
Gene got serious.
“You fucking succumbed before Ethan and I went to Puerto Rico. That was less than a week ago. Greyson, don’t rage fuck the traitor! Confront her in the office and don’t take your pants off!”
He didn’t plan on it.
“That was before I knew what a piece of shit she is, and we figured out her identity. I’m going to out her as soon as I get off the phone with you, and then, I’m going to get a beer to celebrate making her cry. I might punch her in the face.”
Gene parked at the airport.
“You absolutely won’t do that.”
Yeah, likely not, unless she hit him first. Then, it was anyone’s guess.
Still, he was allowed to have that fantasy, right? In it, he dropped her into a tank of sharks, too.
“Do I have to sic Alice on you?” Gene asked. “Because I owe you one for that move.”
He was all chuckles over that.
“Well, it worked. As for falling down that rotten rabbit hole, no, I won’t sleep with her. Scout’s honor,” he said.
Uh, only now, he had to ask.
“Were you a Boy Scout?” he asked.
Damn.
It was a tough crowd today.
Fortunately for the Scouts, he wasn’t.
“Sniper’s honor.”
That made Gene laugh.
How could it not?
“Just don’t be stupid. We’re almost free of her. Have your fun breaking her, but just don’t sleep with her. Okay? You don’t need that baggage. The kid might be born with her honor, and your face.”
That was amusing.
Oh, there was no way he was doing that snake, ever again.
Bet.
On.
It.
“I’m catching a flight,” Gene said, struggling with the two suitcases. “I’ll check in. Stay safe,” he said. “I’ll call if this goes south.”
Well, then, Greyson hoped he didn’t hear from him.
“You too, Buddy. See you when you get back. Bring the runner to my place. We’ll order pizza and clog our arteries together.”
That was a deal.
They’d need to start working on their contingency plan if Javier found their hidey-hole.
“See you then.”
When he hung up, Greyson picked up his phone and called down to the morgue.
It.
Was.
Time.
He was about to have a little fun and make sure that the woman who thought he was a fucking idiot got a little taste of her own deceit.
Because it was coming.
She was about to be blindsided.
He couldn’t wait.