A sadistic criminal who has left a trail of bodies across Europe and the US.
And she had been moments away from marrying the man.
Nash frowned at the closed bathroom door. He could hear the roar of the water from inside. Before Delaney had raced in and slammed the door shut, she’d looked far, far too pale. Her gaze had been terrified, and he did not want Delaney terrified. Ever.
He stomped toward his brother. “What in the hell did you do?”
“Moi?” All innocence, Ryan pointed to himself. “I just followed orders. I came in to gently wake our old friend, and…how was I to know that she would wake up screaming? Who could have predicted that response?”
“You scared her.”
“Uh, yes, thus the screams, but that was not my fault!”
“I mean you did something to scare her when I went to get her fresh clothes. You said something while I was gone.” The water was still roaring from the bathroom. Not just the sink, though. Had she turned on the shower, too? “What did you tell her while I was out of the bedroom?” He’d been gone for moments. How could his brother screw things up in mere moments?
But Ryan pursed his lips.
Hell.
He loved Ryan. Truly, he did. He’d literally taken a bullet for the man before. He would kill for his brother in a heartbeat. Done. But Nash could still want to kick Ryan’s ass, and he would be kicking that ass if Ryan had said or done anything to hurt Delaney.
Ryan ran a finger over the slightly crooked bridge of his nose. A crook that had come when they were younger and Ryan had caught their sister when Agnes fell out of a treehouse. He’d saved her and received a broken nose as a memento.
Ryan had a tendency to rub that slight crook whenever he felt guilty.
Hell. “What did you tell her?”
A grimace from Ryan. “I offered to step in as her bodyguard.” His hand fell to his side as Ryan gave a brisk nod. “It’s really the best option. You know the boss is coming in for a personal chat with her. Using her will be an opportunity that the agency can’t pass up. Not like we can let Delaney just waltz off into the sunset.”
Yes, he was aware of that. “You, as her bodyguard?”
“Yes, I mean, it makes the best sense.” Ryan nodded. “She trusts me, she likes me, we don’t have a messy past like you two do.”
Leave it to Ryan to point out the obvious.
“Oh, wait, hold the thought,” Ryan said. “My watch is vibrating.” He tapped the screen of his watch. “Boss is approaching. How about we take this conversation downstairs, hmm? I’m sure Delaney will join us when she is done.” He swung for the door.
Nash stepped into his path. “You did not.”
“Did not…what?” Ryan squinted at him. “Please be way more specific with me.”
“Oh, fuck. You did.” He could see the truth in Ryan’s eyes. “You said something to her about our messy past.”
“Dude. Would I do that?”
“Yes! Yes, you would.” Dammit. “Did you say something about me that made her sick?” Because she’d definitely looked sick before she’d run into the bathroom. “Did you tell her about the missions I’ve worked?” Had Ryan told Delaney about the people Nash had killed?
“I’m not the one sharing CIA secrets. That is you!” An offended huff from his brother. “I think the sickness part came from when I might have mentioned that her groom was a psychotic criminal who’d left a few bodies across Europe and the US. But I mean, come on, some things needed to be said. Just because you were afraid to pull off the band-aid didn’t mean I felt the same way. Better to just get that hard truth right out in the open so she fully understands the severity of the situation.”
He grabbed Ryan’s shirt and fisted it. “What else did you tell her?”
Ryan swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Our boss will be here soon. We should really get downstairs. Not like she enjoys being kept waiting. You know how Jez gets.”
“What else?”
“I don’t know…”
Uh, yes. He was sure that Ryan did know.
