The Trouble With Temptation (Second Service Book 3)(37)

Michael met his pointed stare for half a second before he loosened his hold around Morgan’s waist.

So he wasn’t imagining anything. Michael still had feelings for Morgan.

Not that Ty could blame him. Hell, he was falling for her pretty damned hard. He hadn’t known her for a full week yet and the woman had him acting like a damned fool…the way he’d laughed at his friends for acting when they’d fallen in love. He could only imagine what they would think if they could see him now.

“I can’t believe you were able to throw this together in nine hours,” Morgan said, taking a step back.

“Eight, really,” Michael corrected her. “We took an hour break for tacos.”

“Tacos?” Morgan’s eyes lit up.

“There are still some in the commissary if you’re hungry. I’m happy to go back with you for seconds,” the dark-haired lady on Michael’s team said.

“You bet.” Morgan turned toward Ty. “Shall we go grab some dinner?”

“Do you mind grabbing me a couple? I have some questions for Michael.”

“Of course. I’ll meet you back in the room.” She handed him the gadget then lifted herself up on tiptoes to give him a kiss. A real one. On the lips.

Ty turned back to Michael the moment they were alone. The other man’s spine and shoulders were straight and stiff as a T beam. His hands were clasped in front of his waist, and his gaze was direct.

“Yes,” Michael said before Ty could open his mouth.

“Yes, what?” Ty blinked.

“Yes, I still have feelings for Morgan.” He lifted his chin a notch higher. “That was what you were going to ask me, wasn’t it?”

Ty shook his head and chuckled. “I didn’t need to ask. It’s pretty obvious.”

“I can assure you, I have no intention of acting on those feelings.”

“I know,” Ty said.

Michael’s eyebrows shot up high enough to meet his hairline. So, that was why the poor guy was holding himself so stiffly. He was anticipating a beat down.

“How could you possibly know that?” Michael asked.

“The same way you knew that I was going after the Bratva. You’re not that hard to read.”

“And you’re not upset?”

“How could I be angry at someone for something I’m guilty of myself?”

Michael silently held Ty’s gaze for a long moment, as if he was trying to figure something out and coming up snake eyes. By the looks of it, it wasn’t a situation he’d had much experience with. “So, why did you stay behind? What did you want to ask me about?”

Ty glanced down at the safe-cracking device in his hand. His thumb traced over the plain plate steel case. It wasn’t much to look at, but it might have been the most impressive improvised piece of gadgetry Ty had ever seen. He lifted it up in front of him.

“This,” he said.

“What about it?” Michael’s eyes narrowed. He might be relieved that he wasn’t about to get his ass handed to him by an ex-SEAL, but it was obvious the man wasn’t about to put Ty on his most trusted list.

“You made it from scratch?”

Michael nodded. “With help from my team.”

“And you did it in just eight hours?”

“You don’t believe me?” Michael asked, cocking his head slightly to the side.

“I believe you.” Ty flipped the device over in his hand before slipping it into his jacket pocket. “And I’m impressed. I know some people back at Quantico who would be impressed too.”

“That’s flattering, but I didn’t make it as a job application. I made it to save Morgan.”

Save, not help.

The smile froze on Ty’s face. “You don’t think I can keep her safe?”

“I don’t know you.”

It was one hell of a diplomatic answer. Maybe the suits back in Virginia would love him, but Ty wasn’t about to give him a pass.

Ty crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Really? Cause you seemed pretty confident you could read me a few hours ago.”

Michael looked at him long and hard before replying. Eventually, he shrugged his shoulders in defeat and pushed his hands deep into his pockets. “You seem incredibly competent at what you do, but it doesn’t matter what I think. The question is, are you one hundred percent certain that you can protect her once she walks into that club tomorrow?”

Doubt crept into Ty’s mind.

He knew the answer better than anyone. “Nothing is one hundred percent.”

“Then what percentage of risk is acceptable when it comes to Morgan’s life. Ninety? Eighty? Fifty/fifty?”

Ty bit into his lower lip. He wanted to blame Michael Silva for planting the seeds of uncertainty in his mind, but the truth was he’d been struggling with the same thoughts all day.

Morgan’s plan was a decent one, sure, and he might be totally willing to go along with it if it was anyone else in the world.

But it wasn’t anyone else.

It was Morgan.

“If that’s what you believe, why bother making the safe cracker?” Ty asked. “Why not try to talk her out of going in there instead?”

Now it was Michael’s turn to laugh. “You obviously haven’t gone to the mat with Morgan yet. Once her mind is made up, there’s no turning back. Especially when she’s convinced she’s doing the right thing. She’d try breaking into that safe tomorrow morning with or without my help. This way, I’ve given her the edge.”