Gabe (In the Company of Snipers, #8)(119)

It all made sense now. The Stewart’s tiny home. Their meticulously groomed yard. The tidy shed. The remodeling. It was a damned oyster with a hidden treasure. A pearl of immeasurable worth. The woman Alex loved.

The scorching, feral kiss ended with a lingering hug and straying hands that brought a smile to Gabe’s lips. He knew the feeling, because he wanted to get his woman into bed, too. Under the covers. Bare-assed naked and ready to play. Argh. He forced his mind from the pleasant thought before his misbehaving body got any harder.

When Kelsey stood on her own two feet again, Alex ran a quick hand over his face, while Shelby offered the happy couple the box of tissues. She returned to Gabe’s side where he could get his arm around her.

Kelsey blew her nose and wiped her eyes, still very much locked to the side of her man and still crying. Alex hadn’t let her go, his right arm securely around her waist.

“Did you ever sneak into our bedroom, besides the night you brought the rose?” she asked.

He shook his head, his eyes misted. “No, but I wanted to. This is the first time I’ve held you since I hid you at Olsens’ place.”

“Oh,” she murmured. “Then I really was dreaming all those other times when I thought you were there. Umm, do we know the Olsens?”

Another shake of his head. “You don’t. I do. Craig is Murphy Finnegan’s Army buddy. A damned good man.”

“So it really was you who saved me? Not Sam Becker?”

Alex growled. “It was me, damn it. I saved you. Not him. Becker only told you that to throw you off track. He needed you to think I was dead until this whole mess was over and done. Damn him.”

A small smile tweaked Gabe’s lips. His boss was one possessive man where Kelsey was concerned.

“God, I love happy endings, Boss.” Zack’s sarcastic voice disturbed the reverent moment. “Don’t be looking to me for no hug and kiss, though. I’d just as soon kick your ass. Where in hell have you been?”

Alex blew out a deep breath. “You’re right, Zack. I’ve been in hell, which is why I’m here now. It’s time I set things straight. I’m going back to work today, and I need my two best bodyguards on my six. You coming with, or do you plan to stand around the rest of the day and blow smoke up your ass?”


Gabe caught the attitude of a damned hard man, a man he could follow. He placed a quick kiss in Shelby’s hair. “I’m going. You coming?”

She wiped her nose one last time. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”





Chapter Thirty-Six


The whole back-to-work moment couldn’t have gone better if Alex had planned it. He made a commanding statement walking into what had once been his TEAM headquarters without so much as a warning. And alive.

Gabe adjusted the sling immobilizing his arm. He’d made it to his feet and intended to be all he could be. Pain meds worked wonders. He’d donned the clothes Zack had brought.

Shelby stayed at his side. There’d be no relaxing until this showdown was done.

Mark Houston looked up from what had previously been Mother’s workstation where he stood with Maverick and Taylor. He did look more rested than he had the last time Gabe had seen him. But he was wary. Instantly defensive. His left brow lifted. His shoulders squared when he spotted Alex. He leveled an accusing stare at Gabe and Zack, and ouch. Damn it. That hurt.

Gabe offered a shrug in return, feeling like a traitor to his beleaguered boss.

Maverick gave him a silent nod. Taylor very nearly smiled, if one could call the twitch of the corners of his mouth a smile. Everyone else seemed frozen in place. And that clever saying about a place being so quiet you could hear a pin drop? Times that by a couple million, why don’t cha?

Once Alex drew to a halt, the whole damned world stopped turning. Again.

Mark nodded at Kelsey first, then the man who used to own The TEAM. “Alex.”

Not Boss? Ouch. Not off to a good start.

Alex returned the nod. “Mark. I hear you did a great job while I was gone.”

“We did.” Mark’s gaze flittered back to Gabe. “Why are you not in the hospital where you’re supposed to be, Junior Agent?”

Gabe cleared his throat. “Duty called, umm, Boss.”

Mark’s gaze narrowed, and remorse flooded Gabe. He’d just slapped Mark in the face, figuratively maybe, but just the same. Being here with Alex was all-out treasonous to the man who’d salvaged a dying team in the middle of damned tough times.

Alex tried again. “This is still the best team in town.”

Mark’s upper lip curled in a definite ‘No shit, Sherlock’ sneer.

No one spoke. Hell. No one dared breathe.

“The President will be here in thirty minutes,” Alex continued evenly.

Still Mark didn’t speak, his eyes still locked on the ghost in their midst.

Alex ran a hand over his head, and Gabe wanted to referee or something. These two seemed locked in a stare-down that wasn’t going anywhere, but Alex had made it clear before the elevator doors opened on level two. He’d do the talking.

Kelsey had taken position at Ember’s counter. Zack still stood at military rest behind Alex, another open declaration in support of the treacherous renegade in their midst and a slap in Mark’s face.

Alex looked around the circle of his personally handpicked agents—or at least they were his. Right now they worked for Mark, and they seemed to know it. None of them had so much as smiled at their former boss. They seemed to be waiting on a cue from their leader, and that person wasn’t Alex. Not yet.