“By leaking classified information?” Kate challenged. “If anyone finds out, it could put an end to your career and any hopes you have for the vice presidency.”
The general shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. With all the mudslinging that goes along with political campaigns these days, it’s hard to find the line between truth and fiction. And most of my supporters would be in favor of military action against Russia.” His expression darkened. “They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with what they’ve done—to my son or Retiarius Platoon. Those boys deserved better. They deserve justice.” On that point, Colt actually agreed with him. “Ivanov is probably laughing his ass off. He got away with killing fourteen SEALs and no one is going to say a damned thing—not the Russians or the Americans.”
Kate frowned. “Russians?”
Colt knew what he meant. “After the plane was shot down, Ivanov vowed to declare war on the US if there were any more ‘incursions.’”
Kate nodded. “I remember. So, it’s in Ivanov’s interest, too, that the truth not come out. Pride might force him into a war he doesn’t want.” She gave her godfather a sharp glance. “This is your way of tweaking his nose as well.”
The general didn’t deny it. “You shouldn’t have involved her in this,” he said to Colt.
“I wouldn’t have needed to if I’d thought you’d agree to see me without her help.”
Kate obviously didn’t appreciate being talked over. “Sheis sitting right here and didn’t need permission from either of you. I want to find out what happened to Scott and the rest of Retiarius, too.”
The general frowned and looked between the two of them, obviously taking note of Colt’s reaction at the mention of the other man.
“Scott?” the general asked. “You mean Lieutenant Commander Taylor? I didn’t realize you knew him.”
“Oh, she knew him really well.” Colt couldn’t resist adding with more than a snide undertone, “She and Taylor wereveryclose—wouldn’t you say, Kate?”
Kate didn’t flinch. There wasn’t a tinge of a guilty flush on any part of her cheeks. She turned to look at Colt, her expression perfectly composed. “Yes, we were. He was there for me when my husband wasn’t.”
Turned out, Colt was the one who flinched. He didn’t flush with guilt, but he might have felt a prick of it along with the knife that slid right between his ribs.
Guess she wasn’t denying it anymore. Why did he suddenly feel sick? That shit was dead and buried. But she was twisting him up in all kinds of angry knots again, and he didn’t like it. For three years he hadn’t felt anything. He liked being impenetrable. It was the way he’d been before he met her.
Turning back to her godfather, Kate added, “We found out we had a lot in common. My father and his mother used to summer near each other on the Cape.”
Colt hadn’t known that. But he wasn’t surprised. Taylor’s blood was as blue as Kate’s. In other words, the type “to summer.” He didn’t know much about Taylor’s family history other than that they’d been loaded.
“I’m sorry,” the general said to Kate, sounding as if he meant it. “I didn’t realize that. But I would rather you weren’t involved. It could be dangerous. There are a lot of people who might not want the truth to come out.”
“If you knew that, then why did you involve Brittany Blake? You could have made her a target.”
“She made herself a target. She wasn’t going away—with or without my help.”
“Not like the woman in Iowa,” Colt said, watching the general’s reaction.
But it was Kate who looked at him sharply. “The woman who claimed one of the missing SEALs got her pregnant?”
Clearly she thought he’d been holding out on her.
Maybe he had, but he’d only just seen the bank statement, and it hadn’t been foremost on his mind after the rear admiral’s suicide. Colt nodded. “I assumed the government paid her off to keep her quiet.”
If the general knew about it, he wasn’t giving anything away. “It wouldn’t surprise me. She was creating a ruckus like the reporter, but why do you think she was paid off?”
“Five thousand dollars landed in her bank account a few days ago, and she’s taken down her social media posts.”
“That’s not much of a payoff,” Kate said.
“Maybe not for you,” Colt said. “But it was for her.”
Colt hadn’t meant it as a dig, but he could see she’d taken it that way. But when he’d been growing up, five thousand would have seemed like a fortune.
“Any idea where the money came from?” the general asked.
“Not yet,” Colt said.
