You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries #8)(96)

“Hey, take your hands off her. Now.” Theo moved in, his big shoulders encased in a suit. Despite the well-tailored look, there was no way to mistake him for anything but muscle.

Albertson let go of her arm and stared for a moment. “Shit. For a minute I thought you were…” His face went red and he held his hands up as though giving in. “Hey, the lady and I were just talking. No big deal. She needs to understand that when she plays with fire, she’s going to get burned. But then you should know all about that.”

Theo stared at him. “Why would I know about that?”

“You’re old enough to know that a man can lose the things he loves the most, the places he feels most comfortable in if he doesn’t know when to back off or who to be friends with,” Albertson said pointedly.

Theo’s eyes narrowed. “Is that right? You want me to deliver a message to my brother? Because that’s sure what it f*cking sounds like.”

“I don’t even know who you’re talking about,” he replied with a smile that belied his words. He was enjoying playing with them.

“It’s okay,” Theo promised, taking her by the elbow and gently bringing her to his side. “You might not know who he is, but I promise you, he knows who you are. Tell the senator hello from a lowly bodyguard. And if you come near her again, I’ll cut your balls off and make a toy out of them for my cat. I don’t actually own a cat, but if I have your balls dangling on a piece of string, I’ll get one just for the pleasure of watching it bat your boys around. Am I understood?”

Albertson took a step back, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. She could feel him watching her as Theo walked toward Simon.

“I suppose I can order us tea for the suite.” Simon sighed and put the cups down before walking toward the elevators.

“You sound a lot like your brother,” Phoebe told Theo as the doors closed.

“I guess the ability to threaten a man runs in the family,” Theo replied. “He was an * and he was lying. He thought I was Ian. I talked to Ian last night. He says he doesn’t know who this guy is.”

“I don’t think he’s our problem. I am interested in his boss, though.” The doors opened again and she heard Ten shouting.

She picked up the pace, shoving through the door that led to their rooms.

“Listen to me.” Ten was red in the face, his boots ringing on the marbled floors. “You don’t understand what I’m doing here.” His head turned down and a low growl came out of his mouth. “You can’t…yes. I understand. Yes, sir. By morning. Good-bye.”

“What was that about?” Jesse looked up from his seat next to Hutch.

Ten locked eyes with Phoebe and she could see the beast that was always just under his surface. She watched as he subdued it and shoved it back down. When he spoke he was calm again, though his words were clipped, his annoyance plain. “We’ve been recalled to DC. Hutch, shut her down. We’ve got to be packed and ready to go. They’re sending a plane to pick us up early tomorrow morning.” He turned back to Simon. “Agency only, man. I’m so f*cking sorry.”

“What?” Phoebe shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around the words. “Why would they call us in? Who called us in?”

“The executive director. He’s revoked my privileges. All operations under my command now have to be approved. I’ve been demoted and if I don’t show up in DC tomorrow, I’ll be fired.”

It was so much worse than being fired. “They threatened to disavow you?”

He nodded sharply. “You know what that means.”

It meant that Tennessee Smith would cease to exist. He would have no name, no passport, no home or bank accounts in the United States. He would be a ghost.

Ten turned to Jesse. “I swear to you, I’m going to figure out what’s going on and we’ll handle the Caliph. If I have to have the f*cker assassinated, I will. But I have to find out what’s going on first.”

“I think it’s the senator,” Phoebe said. “I think somehow he’s working with al Fareed.”

“Proof?” Ten asked.

She shook her head. “I have a whole lot of conjecture, but I need to know who recommended Ace. I was right about that. He couldn’t have made it on an Agency black ops team without some serious recommendations. Who was it?”

Hutch turned to his keyboard and his hands flew across it. He sat back and then tried again. “What the f*ck? Boss, I don’t have access to those records. What the hell? I’ve got the security clearance. Why am I blocked?”

She exchanged worried glances with Ten. They weren’t just being called back. Ten’s job was on the line and he was about to have his life picked apart by bureaucrats because he’d stepped into something none of them understood yet. Phoebe made her own command decision. “Simon, get your wife on the phone or better yet, get Adam. They could be watching Chelsea. Her job is on the line, too.”

Simon snorted, an oddly elegant sound. “She doesn’t particularly care one way or another. If the Agency fires her, she’ll just go to work for Tag. I’ll call Adam as well. We’ll have an answer soon.”

Jesse stood up. “I’ll start looking for flights for me and Si and Erin.”

There was something about the way he said it that made her wary. Already, they were splitting up. Hutch and Theo were moving toward each other, talking in low tones. Simon walked out of the room. Erin and Jesse exchanged a glance.