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Authors: Victoria Paige
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knees.
“Admiral?”
The older man looked up and rose from the steps. “Where were you, Gabriel?”
“I’m not accountable to you,” Gabe answered coldly as he moved past the admiral to unlock the door. Porter followed him in without waiting for an invitation.
“Is it true you were with Beatrice Saturday morning?”
Gabe stilled, suddenly unsure where this was going. “She told you?”
“Is it true?”
“Yes,” Gabe bit out. “If this is some form of belated fatherly outrage, you can turn around and walk out that door. It’s between me and her, and I don’t know what the fuck she was thinking telling you.” His nostrils flared. “Unless you had one of us followed.”
“Fatherly outrage is the least of your concerns right now,” Porter shot back. “Eric Stone is dead. Beatrice is a person of interest. She left a damning voicemail on that man’s phone, threatening him.”
All the anger leached out of Gabe as concern for Beatrice took over. “They think she killed him?”
“Or hired someone to do the job. Woman scorned and all that,” the admiral said dismissively. “I know Beatrice had nothing to do with it. Besides, autopsy and tox screen show death by natural causes.”
“Which is?”
“He died in his sleep.”
“Fuck!” Gabe muttered.
“Exactly.”
The degree of separation from Eric Stone to the admiral and even to Gabe was too close, and death by natural causes, too suspicious in the world of covert ops and assassins. “You’re thinking it’s a professional hit?”
“I’m pulling some strings to have our own techs run some tests to check for lesser known toxins.”
“Hybernabis,” Gabe said softly. “It’s untraceable, makes the victim look like he died in his sleep, or if he has an existing heart condition, a heart attack. There’s a chemical you can add to flush it out so it’d show up on the report.”
“Are you breaking the assassin’s code, Gabriel?” Porter asked.
“No. That compound is on the CIA watch list. One of the elements is hard to procure, which is why it’s a very unpopular popular drug if you know what I mean.”
“Did you use it?”
“You know I did, Admiral.”
“Beatrice doesn’t want to use you as an alibi.”
“Why ever not?” Gabe growled.
“She said you had a confrontation with Stone last week and it might shift the investigation to you.”
Gabe inhaled sharply, not sure whether to feel elated that she cared for him enough to protect him, or annoyed that she would think he’d let her go through this alone.
“It’s time for you to get your head out of your ass, Commander.”
His eyes narrowed at the older man, pretty sure he knew what the admiral meant, but he was feeling masochistic right now. He needed a push.
The admiral snorted. “I’ve left you well enough alone these past few months, Gabriel. I know coming back from being Dmitry Yerzov is tough. But, son, you’ve gone all the way to the other end of the spectrum, a level above being a pussy. You should be ashamed to be called a Navy SEAL.”
“Now wait a goddamned minute—”
“From what I’ve gathered from my daughter, you’re nowhere near getting through to her—”
“Yeah? Well, her daddy issues ain’t helping, and I’m really uncomfortable talking to you about your daughter. She’s an adult. Fine time for you to be showing concern—”
“I’m more concerned about you.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you hear a thing I said?” Porter huffed in irritation. “You’re not the man you used to be, Gabriel. The man three years ago was the man my daughter fell for. You’re not even close. You treat her with kid gloves. Hell, if she takes you back the way you are right now, she’ll eat you alive. Drag you around and spit you out like a chew toy. Don’t make me regret helping you with my daughter.”
“Back the hell up,” Gabe snapped. “I do not treat her with kid gloves. What do you think I should have done to her when she kneed me in the
“Admiral?”
The older man looked up and rose from the steps. “Where were you, Gabriel?”
“I’m not accountable to you,” Gabe answered coldly as he moved past the admiral to unlock the door. Porter followed him in without waiting for an invitation.
“Is it true you were with Beatrice Saturday morning?”
Gabe stilled, suddenly unsure where this was going. “She told you?”
“Is it true?”
“Yes,” Gabe bit out. “If this is some form of belated fatherly outrage, you can turn around and walk out that door. It’s between me and her, and I don’t know what the fuck she was thinking telling you.” His nostrils flared. “Unless you had one of us followed.”
“Fatherly outrage is the least of your concerns right now,” Porter shot back. “Eric Stone is dead. Beatrice is a person of interest. She left a damning voicemail on that man’s phone, threatening him.”
All the anger leached out of Gabe as concern for Beatrice took over. “They think she killed him?”
“Or hired someone to do the job. Woman scorned and all that,” the admiral said dismissively. “I know Beatrice had nothing to do with it. Besides, autopsy and tox screen show death by natural causes.”
“Which is?”
“He died in his sleep.”
“Fuck!” Gabe muttered.
“Exactly.”
The degree of separation from Eric Stone to the admiral and even to Gabe was too close, and death by natural causes, too suspicious in the world of covert ops and assassins. “You’re thinking it’s a professional hit?”
“I’m pulling some strings to have our own techs run some tests to check for lesser known toxins.”
“Hybernabis,” Gabe said softly. “It’s untraceable, makes the victim look like he died in his sleep, or if he has an existing heart condition, a heart attack. There’s a chemical you can add to flush it out so it’d show up on the report.”
“Are you breaking the assassin’s code, Gabriel?” Porter asked.
“No. That compound is on the CIA watch list. One of the elements is hard to procure, which is why it’s a very unpopular popular drug if you know what I mean.”
“Did you use it?”
“You know I did, Admiral.”
“Beatrice doesn’t want to use you as an alibi.”
“Why ever not?” Gabe growled.
“She said you had a confrontation with Stone last week and it might shift the investigation to you.”
Gabe inhaled sharply, not sure whether to feel elated that she cared for him enough to protect him, or annoyed that she would think he’d let her go through this alone.
“It’s time for you to get your head out of your ass, Commander.”
His eyes narrowed at the older man, pretty sure he knew what the admiral meant, but he was feeling masochistic right now. He needed a push.
The admiral snorted. “I’ve left you well enough alone these past few months, Gabriel. I know coming back from being Dmitry Yerzov is tough. But, son, you’ve gone all the way to the other end of the spectrum, a level above being a pussy. You should be ashamed to be called a Navy SEAL.”
“Now wait a goddamned minute—”
“From what I’ve gathered from my daughter, you’re nowhere near getting through to her—”
“Yeah? Well, her daddy issues ain’t helping, and I’m really uncomfortable talking to you about your daughter. She’s an adult. Fine time for you to be showing concern—”
“I’m more concerned about you.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you hear a thing I said?” Porter huffed in irritation. “You’re not the man you used to be, Gabriel. The man three years ago was the man my daughter fell for. You’re not even close. You treat her with kid gloves. Hell, if she takes you back the way you are right now, she’ll eat you alive. Drag you around and spit you out like a chew toy. Don’t make me regret helping you with my daughter.”
“Back the hell up,” Gabe snapped. “I do not treat her with kid gloves. What do you think I should have done to her when she kneed me in the
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