His heart skipped.
Yep.
He knew.
Their run as partners was over.
What hurt the most was that he already knew it was his fault that Gene had been hurt, and he was already doing battle with the demons in his head that told him he was a piece of shit for allowing it to happen.
It was his fault.
Gene would be safer without him.
Still, that love inside him held steady, and he fought to find a way.
“But we’re a good team,” he said. “We close cases all of the time. We closed this one in a single day.”
Gabe was to the point.
“That’s accurate, Agent,” he said, watching him. When he saw Blackhawk’s eyes dilate, he knew he got it. “In fact, you’re too good. That’s the problem.”
Ethan was about to have a panic attack.
“Is this because you’ve been told we are in a relationship?” he asked, going there.
Oh, Gabe wanted to play mind games. Truthfully, he missed them. That was why he did what he did, more times than not.
He.
Was.
Bored.
Okay, and the lives of his agents were his responsibility. He basically sweated blood to keep them safe, and the two men were way too cavalier.
“Yes,” he said. “You know the rules. I’ve decided that it’s too much of a risk. Mr. Cantrell will be fine without you. It’s my way or the highway, Blackhawk. You could have been honest, but you two opted to lie to me. Do you think I wouldn’t check to see if you caught a flight back?”
Oh, God.
The panic was messing with him.
Gabe continued.
“You caused a shitstorm with Javier Hughes, and I had your back over that video. Do you know how pissed the director was when he found out? I’ve been spending way too much time protecting both of you, especially since you lied to me. Part ofbeing a team is trust. Had you come to me, and been honest, this would be a different conversation.”
No, it wouldn’t have been.
Ethan was smart enough to know that. Now, though, he was fighting for the calm. His whole world was falling apart, and he wanted to puke.
He.
Was.
Losing.
Gene.
He fought as hard as he could.
