She took a step closer, lowering her voice as she said through clenched teeth, “Is this your way of forcing Jack and me to deal with our issues? Making me watch as he seduces anotherwoman?”
Will’s brows came together. “I don’t give a shit about your issues with Jack as long as they don’t interfere with the job that needs to be done. If you can’t handle the fact that we sometimes have to do things that are unpleasant, then I think you might want to reconsider that desk job with the Bureau.”
“Commander—”
“Let me make one thing very clear to you,” he interrupted. “I have made some allowances because you’re new to this and are still figuring out that I’m not yourpal, Ms. Blake. I am your commander. If you can’t take orders when I give them, you and I are going to have a serious problem. Is that clear?”
Maddie realized that his warning was more than that—it was a threat. She was screwing up big-time by questioning him, by expecting special treatment because of who her father was. And wasn’t that exactly what she’d told Jack shedidn’twant?
She heard Will heave another sigh, and when she met his gaze she noticed it had softened. His hand was gentle, comforting when he reached out and gripped her upper arm. “I guarantee you, Maddie, if someone gets his hands on that information before we do, whatyouneed, whatIneed . . . none of it will matter a damn. And Ian’s death will be for nothing. Because if that intel contains the proof that the Illuminati exist, then it no doubt contains the proof that the Alliance does as well. If our existence and influence is proven, all we’ve built will fall apart. And the oath that our fathers all took, that my and Jack’s fathersdiedfor, would mean nothing. I need you on this mission. Can I count on you?”
Maddie studied Will Asher for a long moment, truly understanding for the first time how a man his age could rise so quickly to one of the most powerful positions within the Alliance. She lifted her chin a notch and squared her shoulders. “What do you need me to do?”
He gave her a curt nod, a hint of a proud smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Finn will send you all the specifics when you get settled in Boston. For now, I just need you to get your asses moving.”
With that, he strode back to the H2 where Luke waited, trying to look like he hadn’t heard the dressing-down she’d just received. Maddie hung back for a moment and felt Jack come up behind her, the warmth of his presence enveloping her.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked. “If not, I’ll talk to Will. I can go on my own.”
She shook her head. “No, he was right.” She turned her head, giving him a sidelong glance. “And so were you.”
Before he could ask what she meant, she took out her cell phone and dialed a number she never thought she’d call again. It made her stomach churn when she heard the voice on the other end of the line. “Senator Miles! How are you? I’m going to be in Boston for a few days and would love to see you while I’m in town . . .”
When she finished the call she threw her bag into the back of the H2 and turned to where Jack was leaning a hip against the vehicle, arms crossed over his chest as he waited. “Well?”
“Well, thanks to that perv’s crush on me, we now have two tickets to the congressman’s little shindig. Make sure you bring something pretty to wear.”
She heard his chuckle as she climbed into the H2 and had to close her eyes for a moment as the sound made her chest go tight. God . . . even the sound of his laughter made her heart ache. If it was already this bad just being around him as little as she’d managed to be so far, the next few days were going to be sheer torture . . .
* * *
“You didn’t say a word when I was ripping Maddie a new one.”
Jack swung his bag over his shoulder and straightened, not entirely surprised to see Will standing in the doorway to Jack’s office, looking conflicted. He knew that scowl well—he’d seen his friend wearing it more and more often lately as he tried to tighten his grip on those under his command, keep the distance that he told himself he was successfully maintaining. But Jack knew for a fact that the safety and well-being of his people weighed heavily under that stoic exterior. And if there’d been any doubt, his reaction to the news of Ian’s death had certainly confirmed it.
“She told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to treat her any differently than I would the others,” Jack said, searching his closest shelf for another book to read on the flight to Boston. The office he kept in his home in the compound was decidedly old-world compared to the rest of the place. Its sleek exterior was a modern design, but his office—his library—could easily have been transported from the library at his parents’ manor in the English countryside. He finally grabbed a tome at random. “I’ve seen you offer several of our brothers the same reminder at one time or another.”
“Was I out of line?” Will asked, running a hand over his hair as he came into the room, his eyes downcast. “I probablyamasking a lot of both of you . . .”
“Will, my brother,” Jack said on a sigh, “I’m sure you didn’t come here to ask me about whether or not I thought you were too hard on Maddie. So shall we get to the true reason for your seeking my counsel?”
Will paced the room for a moment, one hand at the back of his neck. “I want you to do what you can to keep Claire out of this, Jack. I don’t want her hurt.”
And there it was . . .
“She’s not going to stop digging,” Jack reminded him, wishing he could lie to his friend. “Not while she still believes you’re alive.”
“If you see her, assure her I’m not,” Will pleaded. “I don’t want anything happening to this woman.”
Jack came forward and clasped Will on the shoulder. “You can’t protect everyone, Will. It’s the sad reality of what we do.”
“But shouldn’t we be able to protect the ones who matter most?” Will demanded. “Shouldn’t we be there when it counts?”
Jack knew he wasn’t talking just about the fathers they’d both lost. Few knew the tragedy in Will’s past that haunted him and made him keep his distance from those under his command. Jack was one of those few. But he also knew that Will couldn’t help caring, no matter how hard he tried.
“Then be there,” Jack told him. “Stop torturing yourself about whatcouldhappen to Claire Davenport and do what you must to ensure it doesn’t.”
By the irritated look on Will’s face, Jack knew he’d struck a chord. “Don’t you have a plane to catch?”
