“I understand.”Time for the secondmillion-dollar question.“What if Wade intercepts?”
Michael looked at the bedroom door again.
“I trust you to make the right decision in the moment,” he said.
I nodded. That was Michael’s way of saying to kill the son of a bitch if he gets in my way. I wasn’t opposed to that and was already thinking about my guns and which I’d take.
“Sawyer, I know this is a bit outside the box of what you normally do for me.”
“I can handle it.”
“I know you can. But given the fact you’re going to be traveling with potentially five people, I want to send someone else with you to help.”
“Okay, that might be good. Things are starting to get busier too, even outside of the Aria’s-family-rescue project.”
“I agree. Maybe we need to promote someone. They’d still be under you, of course, but someone else you can rely on,” he said. “I don’t know who I’d promote yet, but you and I can discuss that when you get back. Right now, we just need to focus on getting Aria’s family here in Vail. I’m going to send someone with you who will be able to handle anything and give you excellent weapons support.”
“Who are you thinking? Steven? Weston? Irving?” I asked. I rattled off those three guys because I worked easily with them. All three of them were good with guns too. Michael leaned back in the chair and examined my face for a moment. “What? Are you thinking someone else? Who? Aaron?” Aaron was okay, I guessed. He talked too much for my taste, and I couldn’t imagine being trapped on a jet with him for so long.
“Taylor.”
Blindsided.
“Taylor?” I stood and stared down at him. I was sure the expression on my face showed my disdain for his choice.
“Yes. Taylor.”
“Maybe it’s because it’s the middle of the night and I can’t think clearly, but I’m confused.”
Michael stood. “What’s confusing to you?”
“I thought you wanted to send someone strong, reliable, and trustworthy with me.”
“I am.”
“No, you said the lesbian chick, Taylor.”
“Stop. She’s bi. Anyhow, I think the fact that she’s one of the only women we know whodoesn’twant to fuck you, really gets under your skin.”
“What? No! Besides…You’rethe one with the major hard-on for her. Ever since junior high school you’ve always stood up for her. You’ve always kept her tucked in your back pocket and welcomed her when she got back from the military.”
Michael smiled as if he was thinking about old memories with her.
“She’s a good person.”
“Fuck that good person shit. I’m a good person for not killing your father. You and I aren’t exactly saints, so you haven’t saved a good person from a normal employment life. So cut the good person shit. You’re going to have to give me more than that, Michael.”
“I don’t have to explain anything. I don’t owe you any info on her, nor do I need to explain my relationship with her to you.”
“The fuck you don’t. You’re sending me into another country to rescue your girl’s family. And my only backup is this chick you put on a pedestal.”
“Sawyer, next to you, there is no one else I trust more than Taylor. Especially with this mission.”
“Is it because she’s a chick? You want to send someone motherly to help?”
Michael laughed. “Taylor is hardly the motherly type. You know that. She’s reliable and, don’t hate me for saying this, she might be a better shot than even you. She’s better with a gun than any of the guys, for sure.”
“Fuck. Please tell me this is a joke and that you’re not sending her with me.”
