Will gave him an irritated look. He’d had an older brother growing up and had resented David’s hovering just as much as he resented Jack’s at that moment. Of course, there were days he’d give anything to hear David’s nagging just once more, so he nodded. “But only so you two can debrief me on Boston.”
An hour later, they sat in Jack’s dining room, the filet mignon Jack had prepared making Will’s mouth water so much he had to swallow before he asked, “So how long have you two been sleeping together?”
Maddie’s fork hesitated halfway to her mouth and her eyes darted toward Jack before dropping her gaze to her vegetables, trying to cover her initial reaction. But she hadn’t given away anything he didn’t already know. He’d picked up on the sexual tension simmering between Jack and Maddie even before he’d sent them to Boston—hell, that was one of the reasons he’d forced them to team up. They needed to get their shit together and either talk it out or fuck it out—and it seemed he’d correctly guessed which option they’d gone with.
Jack’s reaction was far more composed. He leaned back in his chair, wiping the corner of his mouth with the polished manners of the British aristocracy from which he hailed, before offering Will a hint of a smile.
“Only recently.” His eyes seemed to spark, as if inviting Will to challenge him.
Jack Grayson was deadly, calculating. He could be one seriously cold son of a bitch when the situation called for it, as it had at various times during the man’s career with the Alliance. But Will knew his lifelong friend was also a man who felt deeply—especially when it came to Maddie Blake.
Will turned his attention to his filet and finished off the first insanely delicious bite before he asked, “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“I’m sure it’s none of your business,” Jack countered.
At this, Will brought his gaze back up to lock with Jack’s. So, it was going to be like that. “Itismy goddamned business,” Will said, his tone even. “Yeah, I put you two together so you could work out your issues and do your fucking jobs effectively. You got me there. But I’m thinking maybe that was a mistake. Because now I’ve got two colossal clusterfuck missions to explain to the High Commander. And I can guaran-damn-tee that he’d like to know just how the hell you two managed to allow a bomb to detonate in a crowded Boston hotel, and then allowedanotherbomb to detonate out front of yetanotherhotel.”
Jack didn’t even flinch at the censure, his gaze steady. But Will could see that his comment cut through Maddie.
“Our objective was to secure the flash drive and to keep Claire Davenport safe,” Jack reminded him. “We achieved both.”
Will inclined his head in agreement. “Can’t argue there. But the collateral damage on this one . . .” He leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “I just need to know whether you two were distracted by what was going on between you and got sloppy. I need to know that I can count on you in the future. If you can’t guarantee me that, I’m going to have to put you on a mandatory mental health leave, Jack, and reconsider Maddie’s request for a transfer to another commandery.”
Jack’s carefully stoic expression registered a hint of alarm at this. He glanced Maddie’s way before returning his attention to Will, offering him that charming smile that meant he was about to try to wheedle his way out of something. “Will, don’t be—”
“It won’t be a problem,” Maddie interrupted. She cleared her throat and pushed her chair back from the table. “You have my word, Commander Asher. Yes, Jack and I slept together.” She sent a look Jack’s way that seemed heavy with meaning as she continued. “But now that it’s out of the way, we can get back to work. Of course, I respect your decision if you think I’d better serve the Alliance elsewhere.”
Will noticed that she didn’t glance toward Jack at all when she spoke. His gaze darted toward his friend to see Jack’s jaw tighten, the muscle in his cheek twitching, the only visible tell that he was angry. Apparently, he’d seen things between them a little differently.
“Jack,” Maddie said, rising to her feet and setting her napkin on the table, “thank you for dinner. I’m sorry I can’t stay for dessert as we’d planned.”
As she strode from the dining room, Will’s phone began to ring. He snatched it up from the table as he watched Jack bolt from his chair and go after Maddie.
Shit.
Maybe he should’ve played that one differently. Maybe he should’ve talked to each of them privately rather than confront them together. Maybe he should’ve just minded his own goddamned business and defended his people to the High Commander as he’d always done. Why the hell was what was going on between Jack and Maddie getting under his skin so badly anyway? Although his concern about them being distracted was valid, there was something more about the situation that was eating away at him . . .
He glanced down at his phone, having forgotten that it was ringing, and rested his forehead in his hand as he answered, “Yeah.”
“It’s Finn.”
Will straightened. “Tell me you’re in.”
Finn hesitated. “Yeah. I’m in, but . . . well, hell. There’s not shit on it, boss-man.”
Will’s heart began to pound. “What the hell doesthatmean?”
Finn sighed. “Just what I said. There’s nothing there. It’s blank. Either the data was wiped or this isn’t the flash drive. I think she played us.”
“We need to know which it is, Finn,” Will barked, surging to his feet and striding from the room.
“I’ll see if I can try to recover anything that was on the drive,” Finn told him, “but the only person who knows for sure is Claire Davenport.”
Will’s stomach clenched painfully, and for a second he seriously thought he was about to yack on Jack’s expensive-ass marble flooring.
“Get me on the phone with Boston,” Will barked. “I want to talk to—”
A sudden collision sent Will slamming into the wall, his phone flying from his hand and sliding across the marble. He grunted as his shoulder took the impact, and he turned with a furious frown, ready to take on his attacker. His frown deepened when he saw it was Jack. “What the hell is your problem?”
