I shove out of the chair, which falls to the floor with a bang. I don’t wait to hear anything else. I push out of the room and motion for Cat to follow me outside. Away from the cameras. Away from the microphones.
Where I can keep her safe.
When we’re outside, I pat her down for bugs.
“What the fuck is going on with you, Ryker?” Cat wrestles out of my grip.
“Did you hear what he said?”
“Yeah, a hacker helped them,” Cat frowns. “So? I’m not shocked by this. Someone has to be pulling the strings.”
“Someone like Tatiana.”
She sucks in a breath. “No way.”
I wait.
“It’s not her,” Cat shakes her head.
“How do you know?”
“She helped us.”
“She also knew where we were every time we were targeted by a kill squad,” I point out. “She’s the one who got the motel room that first night.”
Cat backs away from me. “Can’t be her. She’s loyal to my family. She’s always helpful.”
“Is she?”
“You work with her, you tell me!”
I swallow and think about all of the ops Tatiana has saved with her hacker skills. “Tatiana always seems to have the answer, right at the moment we need it. Think about it, she suddenly knew where to find Dakota but hasn’t led us to Jeffrey Rose? Don’t you think that’s weird? If she’s that good?”
“No way. No how.”
“I don’t like it either, but ask yourself - is it possible?”
Before she can answer, her phone rings. Her eyes go wide as she answers. I can’t tell who’s on the other side, but the news isn’t good.
When she hangs up, she looks at me. “I have to go back to D.C. My boss is in the hospital.”
I frown. “Nope. We need to stick together.”
Cat sighs. “I’m headed to the hospital. Where I’ll also get my stitches and shoulder looked at. I need to know my boss is okay. She suspected a mole in the organization. What if they got to her?”
“And what will you do when we’re separated, and this hacker helper sends someone after you?” I point out.
She arches a brow. “What will I do? I’ll do what I’m fucking trained to do, you misogynist. The training I received - under fucking fire - in the United States Army. The experience I received tracking down bad guys and bringing them to justice. That’s what I’ll do. I don’t need you to save the fucking day, Ryker. I was just fine on my own before I met you.”
Cat shoves hard against my chest, then stomps away to the car. I’m still staring at the empty road long after she’s gone.
Chapter 36
“That sounds familiar.”
-Cat
Long after I leave Ryker standing outside the Saber Security safe house, my heart still aches. It’s a toss-up which hurts worse at this point: my heart or my shoulder. I thought things were moving in a good direction with my warrior, but then he opened his mouth and ruined it.
