Hidden Impact (Safeguard #1)(55)

She stared at him. Shock. Pain. Despair flashed in her eyes.

“Qù n? mā de! Oh wait, let me translate that one for you. Fuck off!” Maylin balled up her fists. “From the very beginning you’ve told me ‘no.’ Won’t help me. Can’t help me. I am so done with dragging you all along against your pathetic practicality!”

Gabe held his peace. He couldn’t be angry in return. Couldn’t find anything to refute her because she was right. It’d been her indomitable will that brought them this far. The rest of them had only been caught up in her wake.

“How good am I when I admit I can’t do this without you?” Maylin continued to rage, tears falling down her cheeks. “Does it make me any better to admit what I can’t do? Will it bring my sister back safely?”

“No.” He had to give her the word again. It was the only answer he had to give and it ripped apart his heart to do it.

Maylin’s nostrils flared as she breathed in deep, pulling all of her spectacular temper back into herself. When she spoke again, her voice trembled with contained anger. “What can I do?”

Stay with me.

He wanted to say it, but he’d shoot himself before hurting her even worse with the selfishness of that statement. He was failing her. “I don’t know yet. I’m looking for more options for us.”

“But your Centurions won’t help us?” Still so carefully controlled.

He shook his head. “The kind of resources we’d need to do this infiltration and extraction would put most companies in the red for years. A single person with your income? You could mortgage the rest of your life and your first-born child to us, and it still wouldn’t be enough to cover the cost. We wouldn’t let you sign a contract for it.”

And she would’ve. No doubt. She’d give her life for her sister.

Wouldn’t he give his for Maylin? Yes, but it wouldn’t be enough.

She pushed past him, the kettle still screaming on the stove. He reached out and switched off the burner. When he turned around, she was standing at the front door. “Did you tell me because there was no hiding from it anymore? The way you told me about Jewel? Is this what you do with every important piece of information in your life?”

He opened his mouth and nothing came out. To say he wasn’t the type to share was too flippant, but he couldn’t think of a way to properly explain. Probably because any explanation was really an excuse.

Her back became poker straight and she brushed her hair off her shoulder so it fell in a cascade down her back. Perfectly composed from this perspective. None of the turmoil he’d seen a second ago visible. He was effectively shut out.

“How is Centurion Corporation supposed to be better than Edict?” Her voice was low and measured, cool and distant. “How could you let me hope?”

She put her hand on the doorknob.

“Don’t go, Maylin.” He didn’t try to stop her physically. All he could do was ask, and he didn’t even have the right to that anymore. “Please let me keep you safe. Your sister would want you safe.”

It cut her and he hated himself for it. But Maylin could be used as leverage to make An-mei do the research she’d been taken to do. It was another reason Jewel wouldn’t have blown up the car. Maylin was valuable.

“I need air.” Maylin turned the doorknob. “I’ll be outside. When I come back in, I’d rather sleep alone.”





Chapter Sixteen

Gabe winced but didn’t try to change her mind. As she stepped outside, his phone rang. Hell of a time, but damn, it’d be better to answer it and distract himself than to stand by the window like a creep and watch Maylin put walls up between them. He hit the answer button. “Diaz.”

“Is your girl still with you?” asked Harte. The man did not sound chipper.

But Gabe wasn’t the type to guess what anyone was about to say. He’d answer and deal with what came next. “Yeah.”

“Good. We’re going to need to talk to her again. And review the reconnaissance information from your team.”

“Something change?” Centurion Corporation policy wasn’t about Harte and his decision. He’d stand by it if it was the right thing for the corporation. But if new developments became a concern, Harte would reevaluate as needed. It was what made him a good CO. So whatever was going on had to be a true game changer.

“Some of the feelers you put out turned up interesting information.” Harte didn’t sound irritated, but Gabe figured they’d have a discussion about how he’d continued to investigate a disapproved contract after all this was over. Harte had a long memory.

“Yeah? It came straight to HQ?” Not what Gabe was expecting, but whatever it was, it’d moved Harte to call him.

“Contracts information comes to me.” Harte made it a simple statement of fact. “I’m not familiar with the exact wording of your inquiry, but your source decided it’d be prudent to send it through to me first.”

“Okay.” Gabe wasn’t going to argue.

“Phoenix Biotech has put out a request for proposal on a contract. Security for an extremely sensitive shipment of biohazard material. The RFP is by invitation only, so we wouldn’t have known about it without your inquiry as we were not invited to submit a proposal.”