Jesus.
“He’s right.” Ryker backed him up. “His cover is too deep, and his work is too clandestine.”
“So his cover gets blown…” Zade trailed off.
Walker gave them all a sad smile. “I’m on my own.”
“You’ve all worked ops like that before,” Ryker told them. “You know the drill.”
Sonofabitch.
As the pieces began to fall into place, Gabe ran a hand over the scruff on his jaw. “So the CIA, and whoever else is involved in this, spins a bullshit story about you having deserted your post with the Marines and going off on your own. They use their other contacts and assets to build you up to be the best in your field. The gun for hire everyone wants on their payroll. You do their dirty work, taking out targets our government wants to eliminate but can’t without risk of an upheaval within our allies, and in the meantime, you’re collecting intel on the men who hired you.”
“Like a double agent,” Ellena commented softly.
“That’s exactly what I am, Doc.” Walker offered her a sad smile.
“That’s a horrible way to live.”
Gabe couldn’t miss the pity crossing over his wife’s face. Of course, she had no idea the hell this man and hisjobhad rained down on his team and their wives.
His job. His life. And Walker had chosen both.
“I get the double-agent shit”—Matt spoke up—“but that still doesn’t explain why you’d hand over our women to the men who wanted them dead.”
“We almost lost them.” Nate swallowed hard. “Gracie and Kat damn near died because of what those men did to them. Menyoudelivered them to.”
“Your women were my employees’ targets.” Walker slid Ryker a sideways glance before looking back to Nate. “They were going after them, and it was either me or some other asshole. We made sureIwas the one they hired so I could protect them as best I could without blowing my cover.”
Gabe shot Ryker a look. “So it was all a setup?” Betrayal churned like acid rain inside his gut.
The agent sighed. “Gracie and Kat were already in those bastards’ crosshairs. We just made it so Walker was their only real choice. Listen, I get how fucked up it all is. But the CIA and Homeland had been after those guys for a long damn time. We had to make sure there was irrefutable proof that they’d done something to warrant their deaths by American hands. Reliable witnesses, victim statements…” Ryker slid Walker a sideways glance. “Something other than the word of a man everyone believes turned his back on our country.”
Shit.As much as he hated to admit it, what Ryker was saying made sense. “So kidnapping and attempted murder of innocent women—Americanwomen—gave you the justification you needed.”
Walker groaned when he moved his shoulder again. “Those two agencies sure know how to work the system, don’t they? It’s all about the greater good.”
“We knew R.I.S.C. would do whatever it took to get their women back,” Ryker further explained. “And I wanted to make sure that happened, which is why I first put you in contact with Ghost and his Delta team. I wanted to make sure you got your girls out of there alive.”
Gabe gave the guy a deliberate stare. “You also knew by the time we were done with those bastards they’d no longer be a problem for our government.”
“Or anyone else,” Walker quipped.
“Jesus.” Kole sat back in his seat. He glanced over at Walker. “The CIA and Homeland used you to make surewegot involved in those cases.” His pissed-off gaze shifted to Ryker’s. “Then you used our connections to Gracie and Kat to finish the jobs you didn’t want to.”
“Jobs wecouldn’tdo,” Ryker corrected him. “Not without a global scandal.”
“Goddamnit!” Matt’s fist landed hard on the arm of his chair. “I fuckinghatebureaucratic bullshit.”
“Why are you telling us this, now?” Zade directed his question to Ryker.
“Because I’m done,” Walker answered for the other man.
Gabe raised a brow. “Done?”
“Done. You know, I’m out. Finished. Finito.”
“Just like that?” AnI’m not buying itscoff sounded in Gabe’s throat.“I thought you just said there was no way out.”
