Sean shook his head.“You had Tomas as Cillian’s middleman trying to make deals with the Russians.If I was looking to bring in another partner to broaden my business reach, so to speak, I’d want a recent example of their work.Which means I wouldn’t put it past Cillian to bomb the gala.It matches his MO.Large gathering of people for a high body count in a city where the spread of Splice might slip through quarantine efforts and make everything worse.If Emmet gets caught in the blast, then Cillian will probably toast his death with a bottle of whiskey.”
“The Russians already have Splice bomb-makers.Why would they want to partner with the Reborn IRA, especially if that group is splitting into factions?”
“Maybe they aren’t.Maybe it’s a ploy.”
Jamie pinched the bridge of his nose, running through all the pieces on the board, reviewing what they knew and extrapolating on what they didn’t.“If they don’t need a partner, then it’s more a hostile takeover.It’s about destruction, about getting rid of the competition.”
Sean’s eyes narrowed.“All the competition?”
“There’s no law against monopolies in the criminal underworld.”Jamie handed the tablet back to him.“Let the others know, will you?I need to update my report for the UMG.”
“Will do.”
Sean left the office, closing the door behind him.Jamie pressed his hands to his eyes, grinding down until brightly colored spots exploded across his eyelids.His heart was still racing, and the adrenaline was making his hands shake a little.Balling them into fists, he retook his seat behind the desk and reactivated the data he’d been working on before Leah came in and threw everything ninety degrees sideways.
As angry as he was, Jamie refused to focus his anger on his sister.It wasn’t her fault Jamie let his guard down in his own home.Losing his secret in a way he couldn’t control left him feeling off-balance, something he couldn’t afford to be, not now.Not when the gala was shaping up to be more than just a criminal networking party.
Leah was definitely not going to the gala if Jamie had to tie her up and lock her in a room.He’d never forgive himself if she got hurt.
Jamie threw himself back into the task at hand, the new, extrapolated information meaning he needed to alter their plans and, in turn, clear those changes with the UMG.If the gala was less a gathering and more a potential grave site, then they had to account for that.Factoring in the possibility for Splice chemical bombs on-site was going to seriously impact their ability to contain this mess.
Sometime later, the door to the office pushed open while Jamie was in the middle of noting a change in the UMG’s perimeter on the holographic map.He looked up, freezing when he saw Kyle standing there with a plate in his hand piled high with pasta and chicken, along with a beer.
“You should probably take a break and eat,” Kyle said.
Jamie saved his work and closed everything down.The desk dimmed to opaqueness as Kyle came forward, setting the food down in front of Jamie.He straightened up and tucked his hands into his pants pockets, looking at Jamie with a gaze that was impossible to read.
Jamie didn’t care for the distance that had cropped up between them.He got to his feet and came around the desk, drawing Kyle into his arms.He tilted Kyle’s head up and kissed the other man slow and deep, trying to convey without words that nothing had changed between them.The tension in Kyle’s body gradually faded, and he sighed quietly against Jamie’s mouth as he broke the kiss.
Kyle plucked at Jamie’s shirt before smoothing out the wrinkles.“As nice as that was, I didn’t come back in here to make out with you again.”
Jamie tugged Kyle with him around the desk, letting Kyle lean against it while he retook his seat.“What’s going on?”
“Sean said Emmet might be using an alias and that you think the gala is the Russians cutting out the competition.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.”Jamie picked up his fork.Now that he could smell the food, his stomach was making itself known to him.“I’m looking into it.”
“And what about us?”
Jamie twirled pasta around his fork and dragged it through the sauce.“I’m not breaking up with you just because my sister found out we’re seeing each other.She thinks I’m a raging hypocrite because of our relationship, but there you go.”
“You kind of are,” Kyle pointed out quietly.
Jamie shrugged off the criticism, stabbing his fork into a piece of chicken.“I don’t regret a single decision I’ve made when it comes to you.Maybe it’s not the right decision from a command point of view, but I’m not willing to give you up.That hasn’t changed.”
“And if they report us when we get back to DC?”
“Then they report us.I won’t stop them.I didn’t ask my sister or Sean to lie for us, but I don’t think that will happen.”
“But if they do?”
“Then we cross that bridge when we get there.”Jamie took a larger-than-was-polite bite but didn’t care.He was starving.“You should probably bring me another plate.I’m going to demolish this.”
“Next time, don’t skip lunch.”Kyle tipped his head at the door.“If you want another serving, come eat it with the team.Everyone’s a little tense out there, and seeing you might make them feel better.”
Jamie shoveled another bite of food into his mouth before picking up his plate and beer.“All right, let’s go.”
Jamie would rather have space to think, but a good commander put his people before himself.Jamie followed Kyle back to the living and dining room area, where everyone was eating.Leah’s luggage was stacked neatly by the front door, most likely having been brought in by her security team while they argued.Leah sat at the dining table with Katie, Madison, and Annabelle, discussing what sounded like Katie’s dress.The others had taken seats around the flat-screen television, watching a sports channel and heckling at what was happening in the game.
