I hold dear. And if you think I endured all of that because I was waiting for some big payday, then you are truly an imbecile.”
Carter’s eyes narrowed as his chin dipped down. He opened his mouth, ready to shout, but stopped when Rhys suddenly stood up, positioning himself between her and Carter.
“That’s enough,” Rhys practically growled.
A tense silence filled the room as the two men stared at each other. Tessa looked back and forth between the two, uncertain who was going to win this showdown…or why Rhys was standing up for her at all.
Sure, they’d shared a moment earlier, but this guy was his boss.
In the end, Carter was the one to back down. After a couple of seconds, he turned and, without a word, moved back to the fireplace. The tension didn’t exactly dissipate though. A blanket of heavy silence fell across the room as everyone stared at each other.
Eventually, Jake leaned forward in his chair. “Hell, I don’t know why we’re even fighting over this,” he said. “Everyone knows Anders Boyd isn’t winning any humanitarian awards. He’s always cared more about money than people.”
“We can protect you, if you trust us,” Charlie chimed in. “You don’t have to be scared.”
If only things were that easy.
“You don’t understand.” Tessa shook her head.
“So, help us understand,” Carter said. For the first time he didn’t sound like he was chastising her.
Tessa looked up into Rhys’ ice blue eyes. The man had risked his life for her. He’d patched her up when she was hurt. Even now he was protecting her from his friends. The least she owed him was the truth.
Unfortunately, that was the one thing she couldn’t give. Not the whole truth at any rate.
But maybe she could give him something better—a chance to save his own life, and his friends’ as well.
“I’m not frightened for my own safety. I’m frightened for yours.” She tore her gaze away from Rhys’ long enough to glance at everyone in the room. “For all of yours.”
“Explain,” Carter said gruffly from his post in front of the mantle.
Tessa saw Rhys’ jaw tighten. “Please,” he added.
“The day that I tossed all my years of work into the SciGen incinerator, I destroyed every link to the project…except one.”
“You,” Rhys said. His chest expanded as he drew in a long breath. “You’re the last link.”
Tessa nodded. “That’s why I risked escaping. If Boyd ever hopes to resurrect the project, he needs me alive. He may make me wish I were dead, but he will never kill me.”
Rhys’ shoulders visibly stiffened. “He is never going to touch you again.”
“You can’t know that. I know how ruthless he is, and how determined,” she said. “That’s why I can’t risk talking to anyone about the project. That’s why I don’t want you digging into my work. I can’t risk making any other links for Boyd to track down.”
“I’m not afraid of Boyd,” Rhys said.
“You should be. The longer I’m in the wind, the more desperate he’ll become. He’ll come after all of you, and the more you know, the less likely he’ll leave you alive.”
“We know how to take care of ourselves,” Jake said.
“I’m glad you’re so confident, but that’s not a risk I’m willing to take. I refuse to have your lives on my head.” She looked past Rhys, up to Carter. “So, it seems that you and I actually agree on something, Mr. Macmillan. I don’t believe you should take this case either.”
The lines around Carter’s eyes tightened as his chin tilted down. She’d seen the same look on more than one face over the past few days. He was studying her, trying to figure out her motives, gauging the truthfulness of her words.
Tessa stayed still in her seat, her gaze never wavering.
“You’re right, Dr. Rosenthal. We do agree on something,” Carter said finally. “I’m afraid I can’t have your life on my head either. I’m assigning Rhys as your personal security detail.”
Tessa’s
Carter’s eyes narrowed as his chin dipped down. He opened his mouth, ready to shout, but stopped when Rhys suddenly stood up, positioning himself between her and Carter.
“That’s enough,” Rhys practically growled.
A tense silence filled the room as the two men stared at each other. Tessa looked back and forth between the two, uncertain who was going to win this showdown…or why Rhys was standing up for her at all.
Sure, they’d shared a moment earlier, but this guy was his boss.
In the end, Carter was the one to back down. After a couple of seconds, he turned and, without a word, moved back to the fireplace. The tension didn’t exactly dissipate though. A blanket of heavy silence fell across the room as everyone stared at each other.
Eventually, Jake leaned forward in his chair. “Hell, I don’t know why we’re even fighting over this,” he said. “Everyone knows Anders Boyd isn’t winning any humanitarian awards. He’s always cared more about money than people.”
“We can protect you, if you trust us,” Charlie chimed in. “You don’t have to be scared.”
If only things were that easy.
“You don’t understand.” Tessa shook her head.
“So, help us understand,” Carter said. For the first time he didn’t sound like he was chastising her.
Tessa looked up into Rhys’ ice blue eyes. The man had risked his life for her. He’d patched her up when she was hurt. Even now he was protecting her from his friends. The least she owed him was the truth.
Unfortunately, that was the one thing she couldn’t give. Not the whole truth at any rate.
But maybe she could give him something better—a chance to save his own life, and his friends’ as well.
“I’m not frightened for my own safety. I’m frightened for yours.” She tore her gaze away from Rhys’ long enough to glance at everyone in the room. “For all of yours.”
“Explain,” Carter said gruffly from his post in front of the mantle.
Tessa saw Rhys’ jaw tighten. “Please,” he added.
“The day that I tossed all my years of work into the SciGen incinerator, I destroyed every link to the project…except one.”
“You,” Rhys said. His chest expanded as he drew in a long breath. “You’re the last link.”
Tessa nodded. “That’s why I risked escaping. If Boyd ever hopes to resurrect the project, he needs me alive. He may make me wish I were dead, but he will never kill me.”
Rhys’ shoulders visibly stiffened. “He is never going to touch you again.”
“You can’t know that. I know how ruthless he is, and how determined,” she said. “That’s why I can’t risk talking to anyone about the project. That’s why I don’t want you digging into my work. I can’t risk making any other links for Boyd to track down.”
“I’m not afraid of Boyd,” Rhys said.
“You should be. The longer I’m in the wind, the more desperate he’ll become. He’ll come after all of you, and the more you know, the less likely he’ll leave you alive.”
“We know how to take care of ourselves,” Jake said.
“I’m glad you’re so confident, but that’s not a risk I’m willing to take. I refuse to have your lives on my head.” She looked past Rhys, up to Carter. “So, it seems that you and I actually agree on something, Mr. Macmillan. I don’t believe you should take this case either.”
The lines around Carter’s eyes tightened as his chin tilted down. She’d seen the same look on more than one face over the past few days. He was studying her, trying to figure out her motives, gauging the truthfulness of her words.
Tessa stayed still in her seat, her gaze never wavering.
“You’re right, Dr. Rosenthal. We do agree on something,” Carter said finally. “I’m afraid I can’t have your life on my head either. I’m assigning Rhys as your personal security detail.”
Tessa’s
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