Ace wasn’t sure if he imagined it or maybe if it was an accident, but he swore Ruby brushed her lips over his neck before refusing help as she climbed from his lap and emerged from James’s car. Sola and Kennedy were there to surround her and whisk her away to the medical area.
Even letting her out of his sight long enough for an examination felt like a horrible idea, but Ace didn’t have much choice or any right to barge in and observe something that was technically none of his business.
Jordan, James, and the rest of the team headed for the command center for a debriefing and to plan their next steps. But Ace couldn’t bring himself to follow. Was he an asset to the team, or a hindrance?
Lucas stepped out from the shadows in the garage, where he’d been leaning against the wall out of the way, next to JRad. His slightly uneven gait brought him closer.
Liam looked between Ace and Lucas without saying a single fucking word. How pissed was he?
“You have to trust yourself before anyone else will.” Lucas squeezed Ace’s shoulder, causing a groan to fall from his lips. It was true.
How could Liam have faith in him if he wasn’t sure of himself? But how could Ace be confident when it was clear his partner didn’t believe him capable of taking care of himself? They were caught in a vicious cycle.
JRad, on the other hand, concentrated on Liam. “You blew that. You know it, right?”
Liam cursed and kicked the tire of James’s car. Of course that did nothing but punish his toe since the thing was clearly not standard road gear. “Yeah.”
“Ace had that shot. He could have taken it in his sleep.” Lucas seemed to support JRad’s assessment. “I’ve only been to the range with him once and I know that, so you must too.”
Liam nodded, swallowing hard.
“What you should have said was, ‘Do it. You’ve got this.’” JRad shook his head as he scolded Liam. “If you don’t step up and assume control, Ruby and Ace are only going to keep getting let down or worse. Take responsibility for them. Yes, it’s fucking terrifying, but if you value their opinions, then recognize they are putting their loyalty—and whatever else—in you for a reason. Deserve what they’re willing to give. Don’t keep throwing away that gift or you’re all going to get messed up even worse than you have been already. I don’t think you have many chances left.”
Liam nodded, but his brow was scrunched as if the advice was still attempting to penetrate his thick skull. They ambled into the headquarters and recapped the mission, agreeing that JRad would set up a monitoring system for whatever the fuck signal Ruby had embedded on the drive and apparently sent him information about while working at gunpoint.
She was incredible and Ace was sure then that his infatuation had evolved into something with greater significance than admiring her cute butt or chatting with her during group dinners. There was more to Ruby than he’d even realized before.
And he wanted her.
Whether or not Liam acted on JRad’s advice, Ace intended to make the most of his last shot.
When Ruby returned, shoulders back, head high and a colorful cartoon bandage on her cheek, she seemed like she might have received some advice of her own. “Jordan, can I have Liam and Ace? I need to work out some stuff with them.”
Their boss attempted to stifle his grin but it peeked out in a lopsided smile nonetheless. “Sure, Ruby. I’m glad you’re okay.”
She nodded. “I will be. Today was a good reminder that our time is up sooner or later and I don’t plan to fuck around wasting any of it anymore.”
JRad beamed at her. “I always said you were my best student.”
Without meeting their gazes, Ruby spun around and headed out the door in the direction of the elevators. “Let’s go, boys. We need to talk.”