Page 58 of Dangerous Mission

Typical.I laugh. “Someone’s been watching too many Jason Bourne movies,” I tease.

“Watching? Those moves are inspired by men like me.”

When I roll my narrowed eyes, he chuckles. It’s such a rusty sound.

How long has it been since he’s really laughed?

Rory reminds me of Scout. I know the kind. Just like Griff. All of the men have that hard edge to them, but Scout’s is next level.

And his barrier is by far the only one that makes my breath feel tight.

Which reminds me that he’s MIA and must be stuck dealing with something.

“Rory, what did you see up there?”

Guiding me down to the only even terrain, an opening by the cave entrance, he doesn’t reply.

“Why can’t you use a robot?” he asks instead.

“A robot?” I set my gear bag down on the tarp that’s been stretched over the ground under a rain canopy. “Oh you mean an UUV—unmanned underwater vehicle. They work in some cases, but not all. It’s better to get a human in there, especially when it’s time sensitive.”

I realize he’s very still, watching me. The tingle on my spine grows. “What’s wrong?”

He’s not really looking at me, more looking through me, “Nothing.”

“You might be an operative, but you’re terrible at lying.”

He glances at the cave, his nearly black irises flashing in the cloudy morning light. “Justconcerned.”

I don’t tell him I’ve been getting non-stop tingles on the back of my neck. Instead I focus on getting my gear ready.

“In this business it’s good to be cautious. Now where’s the map? I want to go over it again before I get changed into my wetsuit.”

He unzips the outer pocket on the bag he carried and extracts a laminated document. “Don’t go near the water,” he warns as he passes me the map. “I’m going up to get the tanks.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right here. You guys are worse than a bunch of mother hens.”

“I’m not letting anything happen to you on my watch. Scout would take it out in blood.”

After the way Scout talked to Griff, I wouldn’t be surprised.

My stomach knots as soon as I think about the impending nightmare—the clash of titans that’s going to take place as soon as Griffon gets out of the hospital.

And that worry doesn’t even include the blowback from what happens with Brundage.

God.I’m in a hornet’s nest.

And it’s all because of me.

I glance up the trail and see Scout descending through the slippery ravine.

My heart flutters, but when he glances up, the anger on his face makes my heart sink.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Focus on the mission. Focus. On. The. Mission.

Aria tunes into my energy immediately. “Is everything okay?”