A flick of her gaze to the side didn’t dissuade him, though he glanced at Gabriel, and his smile widened. The man didn’t look like a Marine, though he’d proven to be highly capable and an asset with his experience as a field agent and analyst. The cool assessing look in his eyes was a reminder of Brad’s earlier challenge.
“We have an issue,” Titanium began as he dropped a file folder on the table. “The information on the mission is here along with your destination, temporary IDs, and the locations for a couple of fallback safe houses to be used as needed.”
No one reached for the folder. Copper folded her arms, ice frosting in her eyes when she glared at Titanium.
Gabriel slung an arm around her, then glanced at Chrome. “What’s the issue?”
“Tungsten’s identity may have been compromised. Someone’s looking for him, and they are doing detailed searches.”
“I thought he was dead,” Copper replied to Chrome. The dynamic amused Brad. She might be pissed at him, but apparently, she was even more pissed at Titanium. He could work with that. “What are they going to find?”
“It’s the nature of the searches, Copper,” Chrome said, interrupting whatever Titanium had been about to say. “They are using specific details about him, his life, and who he was before. Ant’s having trouble knocking them all out because the parameters keep changing.”
“Parameters of his previous life?” Gabriel studied him. “Likes, dislikes, relationships?”
Give the man a beer. He caught the thread fast.Copper frowned. “I don’t exist anymore either.”
“True.” Chrome tossed a grainy photo down on the table. The resolution was absolute shit, but Brad recognized it immediately. Based on Copper’s frown, so did she. It had been taken on their first ‘vacation,’ when the two of them escaped to the Caribbean to snorkel far away from fields of fire and orders. She was a lot younger, and her hair was a different color. The profile shot, however, flattered her, and the white bikini bottoms only emphasized her graceful curves and complimented her dark skin tone. “This is the problem. They have a photo of you, which means, if they have any decent tech, they will keep searching until they find a match. We’ve scrubbed your ID five ways from Sunday, but it won’t matter a fuck if they find even a link.”
“Is it Red Wolf?” Cool anger threaded through her question.
The terrorist was still out there—the man who’d cost them all, who’d lured them into a trap and fucked their worlds up.
“Don’t know. Doesn’t matter if it is or not. We know he’s looked for us. We know he was close to compromising our new IDs; it’s why we changed them. Sachi James is in an unmarked grave.” Chrome tapped the photograph with his finger. “Whoever this is seems fixated on Tungsten, and by extension, you.”
“For the time being,” Titanium intervened, “we’re relocating the two of you, while we track the problem. Copper, you excel at making people disappear, you blend better than anyone—your record is impeccable. Securing the two of you together is easier than doing so at separate locations, and you can help make him disappear.”
“Three of us,” Gabriel stated, his tone uncompromising.
“Why hide at all? Send me out there. I’ll find out who it is, then we neutralize the issue. Done deal.” Fearless and unflinching, she wanted vengeance.
“No.” Brad heard the echo of Chrome and Gabriel past his own voice as they all three denied her request.
“You and I had this discussion,” Chrome told her. “Wecan handle all three of you going. The question is, can you? You don’t have to do this. You can say no. We’ll explore other options.”
“This is the best option.” Titanium’s impatience filtered through his words. “They don’t have to like each other, they just have to go deep and stay there. We’ll take care of the rest.”
“Yes,wewill. I’ll decide what the best option is.” Chrome pivoted and faced Titanium. “My team. My fucking rules.”
Fresh violence perfumed the air. While Titanium couldn’t glare, his expression hardened, and Annie thumped her tail as she leaned into her master’s leg. Chrome hadn’t so much as acknowledged Brad’s presence since he’d walked in the room. Folding his arms, Brad shook his head. Across the table, Copper had done the same thing. The mirroring made him smile.
Gabriel glanced at him, then Copper, and said, “Do you have any idea who it might be?”
“I know as much as you do at this point.” He had no reason to keep any information from them. Not anymore. Chrome and Titanium had taken their disagreement down a notch and were arguing in a near silent whisper. “You don’t have to do it, Sachi. I can take care of myself, and you’re safe here at the compound.”
“Well, thanks for your permission. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.” The scorch in her gaze shouldn’t have turned him on, but fuck, he hadn’t been able to talk to her forever. Just watching her breathe left his cock hard and aching. With another glance at their commanders, she reached over and snagged the folder. Flipping through it, she studied the information.
“You’re welcome.” He just wanted to rile her. The cool dismissive look was hot, but her furious gaze was hotter. “It doesn’t matter, we have the resources. It won’t take us long to pinpoint the source, then we can take it out. Problem solved, and we can get back to more interesting matters.”
At first, she kept her gaze on the folder, but he knew she wasn’t reading. Her eyes barely flickered. When she glanced at him again, her nostrils flared. “Or you can disappear again, since it seems to be what you’re good at.”Yep.He’d pissed her off.
“I’m sorry I disappeared this time, babe. They were waiting for me when I came in, and you were talking to Chrome when I had to get on the plane.” Which reminded him... Pulling her phone from his pocket, he slid it across the table. “I’d have called, except I had your phone.”
“It’s done,” Titanium said, and Chrome blew out a breath. The two pivoted to face the rest. “Pack your bags. You’re wheels up in thirty minutes. We’ll contact you when we’ve secured the package, and you’re safe to return.” Not waiting for their agreement, he left with his golden retriever at his side.
“And a fuck you very much was had by all.” Brad shook his head. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
“Copper?” Chrome continued to ignore him. “Say the word.”