Zane quirks a brow. “Oh, this should be good.”
I smirk. “Back at base, I caught Whitmore trying to bribe one of the local contacts. Nothing big at the time, just little trades here and there. A favor for a favor. Didn’t think much of it.”
Zane goes still. “You never mentioned that.”
I shrug. “Didn’t seem important then. But looking back? That was the first crack.”
Asher’s jaw tightens, and I see the same memory flickering in his eyes. Jason was always good at hiding his true nature—until he wasn’t.
“Bastard always knew how to play the long game,” Asher mutters.
We lapse into silence. Some ghosts refuse to stay buried.
After a long pause, Asher clears his throat. “As much as I love—” He stops himself, looking away. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard. “Dubai is still happening,” he finishes.
I exhale slowly. There it is. The final nail in the coffin.
“Mia will be better off with you two,” he adds, voice rough. “She needs stability. Not someone who’s already got one foot out the door.”
I frown. “But I thought after last night…”
“You thought what? That I had changed my mind? That I won’t leave?” Asher says. “That sleeping with her would make me change my mind? What are we even doing here, huh? Jesus, we’re on a mission and we’re all sleeping with our client. What would have happened if something had happened while we were all distracted?”
Zane and I say nothing.
“Like I said,” Asher says, looking away. I can see the way he has his fists closed by his side as if he’s holding himself back
He has feelings for her.
Zane steps back, wiping his hands on his jeans. “So this is really happening?”
Asher doesn’t answer right away. When he does, his voice is quieter. “Yeah.”
I look between them, the weight of it settling deep in my chest. We’ve all been dancing around this since the beginning, pretending we could avoid the inevitable. But I can’t keep pretending. Not anymore.
Asher feels the same way I feel about her. That’s why he thinks this is the right thing to do.
“I can’t lose her again,” I say, voice steady. “And I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep her, even if that means keeping both of you.”
That gets their attention. Zane’s brows pull together, and Asher finally looks at me, something unreadable in his eyes.
“Damon,” Asher starts, but I cut him off.
“I don’t have all the answers,” I admit. “But I know one thing for damn sure: I’m not letting her go without a fight. And if you can’t do the same, you’re free to go.”
The words hang between us, thick as the humid air. Asher doesn’t say anything. Zane exhales, shaking his head like he’s still processing it.
“Guess we better make sure this place is locked down,” Zane finally mutters, turning back to his work.
Asher lingers for a second longer, then nods. “Yeah. Let’s finish up.” He looks down at his phone. “Oh, and before I forget, we got an email from that job we set up for next month. The principal wants to meet us.”
“Well, that’s not happening anymore,” Zane grumbles, tightening the last bolt on the sensor. “Mia comes first.”
I nod. There was a time when I would’ve hesitated, when I thought I could separate work from personal life. But not now. Not after everything.
“We’ll have to send a response,” I say. “Can’t exactly leave them hanging.”
“Damn shame, though,” Zane mumbles. “Would’ve been good money.”
