Instead, he slipped out of the room and into the bathroom, grabbing the toiletries he would need.When he returned, Slade was standing there, mouth agape, staring.Was it his imagination, or was Slade shaking?
Reminding himself he did not want to get into it, he took a deep breath.It took a moment, but he got his wits about him.Atticus zipped his bag, then hefted it onto his shoulder.His backpack with his laptop was at HQ, where he’d left it, but he glanced around the space to ensure there wasn’t anything else he needed.
When he turned, he found Slade standing in the doorway.
“Talk to Brantley,” Slade said firmly.
“About what?”
“About someone else goin’ to Dallas.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.“We’re not havin’ this conversation, Slade.”
“Tell him you’ve got obligations here.”
“It doesn’t work that way.”
He should’ve expected Slade to stop him, and that was precisely what he did, blocking the doorway, making it impossible for Atticus to pass.
“I don’t want you to go.”
“I have to.”He avoided meeting the man’s gaze.“Please move.”
“Atticus.”
He looked up into Slade’s eyes.
Slade’s voice was pleading when he said, “If you care about me at all, you won’t do this.”
Atticus’s ire rocketed to a blaze in an instant.“Won’t do this?Are you fucking serious right now?Thisis my job.”
“Your job is here,” Slade insisted.
“My job is wherever Brantley and Reese say it is.”
“You don’t find it weird that Brantley assigned this to you and not someone with—”
Atticus filled in where Slade left off.“Someone with more experience?Someone who’s been with the team longer?Someone who knows what they’re doing?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Move,” Atticus insisted, putting his hand on Slade’s chest.
Slade didn’t budge.“Are you fucking him?”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Atticus said through clenched teeth, barreling past Slade.
“You are, aren’t you?Is that where you were last night?In his bed?And now Brantley’s sendin’ you to Dallas with him so y’all can be together?”
Atticus didn’t bother asking him why the fuck he would think Brantley would do something like that.Their boss didn’t give a shit about their personal business.
“I knew this was gonna happen,” Slade hissed.“I knew you were gonna cheat.They all do.”
Atticus ignored him.He continued toward the door.Before he reached it, his cell phone rang.Figuring it was Archer trying to figure out when he’d be back at HQ, he answered.
“Yeah?”
“Hey, man.We’ve got a situation.”
