Take - Page 77

Colt picked up the photo. “This feels personal, Reath.”

I released a breath. “When I stopped his attack on the embassy in Germany, some of his team was killed.”

“Okay,” Colt said.

“One of them was his wife.”

“Shit,” Beau said.

“She was setting a bomb and planning to kill innocent people. I didn’t interact with him much, but she was the best liar I’d ever met. Had wormed her way into a job at the US Embassy in Germany.”

“And Auclair loved her?” Colt asked.

“If he’s capable of feeling love. He seemed obsessed with her. They were both cunning, out for the biggest paycheck. I think he saw himself in her.”

“And now that he knows you’re involved in this situation,” Beau said, “it’s about more than just getting his hands on Frankie’s project.”

“He knows,” Colt said.

Frowning, I looked at my brother. “Knows what?”

“That you have feelings for Frankie.”

I shook my head.

“Quit lying to yourself, Reath. We can all see it.”

“I don’t want a woman. I don’t need love. I’ve done just fine without it.”

Colt met my gaze. “You need it. More than you realize. We all do. And most of all, you deserve it. You need to get your head out of your ass, because Frankie’s life is on the line here.”

“I’m well aware of that. My feelings are not what’s important here. And Auclair will never get his hands on her.”

I turned and stormed out.

32

FRANKIE

Iwas pacing.

I’d been at it a while.

“Frankie.”

I didn’t look at Dante—my bodyguard du jour—sitting on Reath’s couch. I just held up a hand in his direction. “I’ve got nervous energy to burn.”

I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t sit still if I wanted to.

My hand clenched in my pretty, floaty, seafoam green skirt. It was one I liked to wear on my days off. I’d paired it with a plain, white T-shirt.

“Reath will be fine,” Dante said. “He’s damn tough. He hides it well behind that pretty face, but trust me, he’s the most dangerous of all of us.”

“You look the most dangerous.” I spun to face him. “Beau gets a close second.” I paused. “Colt looks like he can handle himself, and I bet Kavner is deadly in the boardroom.”

“Yeah, we can all handle ourselves, but the most dangerous is the one you don’t see coming.”

I paced his way, all churned up inside. Reath was out there, facing off with Auclair. A man who clearly hated him. I wondered at the bad blood between them.