Page 65 of Keeping Collette

“You know we need to be in peak physical condition if we go on a mission. We’re all getting soft sitting at desks.” Fox lifted his chin, as if daring them to argue with him.

This wasn’t the same man who they’d fought alongside. Who’d they’d shared some harrowing experiences with and had gotten out of alive because they’d worked together as a team. That was what they needed to do now.

He glanced at his friends, and silent messages passed between them. No matter what they had to do, they were going to continue with what they’d always done—share the burden with their brother.

“You’re right,” Deal stated. “We do have to be in top shape, and considering that we work out every morning, we are. There’s more going on with you, and we all notice it. Problem is, you don’t want to see it within yourself.”

Fox looked away from them, and they waited him out. If they had to stand on this beach for hours, they would. They’d do anything for their friend, just like he would do the same if any one of them was hurting.

His shoulders slumped and his head dropped to his chest, and they moved to surround him. Not too close, but close enough for him to know that no matter how shitty he treated them, they had his six—like always.

“Fuck!” he shouted, and then straightened up, turning to face them all. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I’ve been an asshole. I’m just so angry at myself for not seeing it. For falling into her trap as if I was a naïve teenager who’d never dated a fucking woman in my life.”

Fox had always been the strong one. The one who’d never let anything ruffle his feathers, even when their missions had gotten so fucked up it was ridiculous. He’d always kept his head and held it together. To see him this… broken, wasn’t something they were used to.

“What can we do?” Deal asked, anger at what Cynthia had done rising in him. Violence against women turned his stomach, but if she was standing in front of him, he wouldn’t hesitate to hit her.

She was a cruel woman. Not only had she hurt Fox, but she’d hurt Steffanie and countless other innocent souls with her sick and twisted morals.

“What you’re doing. Calling me out. I’m surprised it’s taken y’all this long,” Fox smirked, and for a heartbeat their leader was back, before he turned serious again. “There’s another reason I’m pissed at the world.”

“What else is going on? Is it something we can help you with?” Hound queried. Was he as confused as Deal was with regard to what Fox was talking about?

Granted, he’d been focused on Collette and all the shit going on with her to know what was happening in the office. Unless… “Is it to do with Zadie Nyx?” He recalled that there’d been a battle between Fox and Zadie’s team about him traveling with her as she toured around promoting her new film.

“Yes,” he bit out. “She’s refusing to go unless I accompany her. She’s adamant that no one does a better job of protecting her than me. No matter what Ox said to them, explaining that he couldn’t lose me for the length of time of the tour, it didn’t make any difference. Or that our contract is specifically for LA events only. They’re not listening. They even want me to go to fucking Australia with her for the premiere.”

Deal wouldn’t have minded an all expenses paid trip to Australia, but considering what the team was dealing with in terms of Collette’s case and the other things they do with the FBI, losing their team leader for that length of time would be a pain in the ass. It would mean one of the other guys would need to go on upcoming missions, and while they didn’t mind, they all had families now, or were growing families in Irish’s case.

“What are you going to do?” Jag asked, stretching his legs.

“I’m going to have to fucking go.” Fox rubbed his temple. “There’s no way I can get out of it. Even Rowan, as much as she dislikes me, wants the best for her sister, and according to Zadie, that’s me, and no one else.”

This was the last thing they wanted, but sometimes there were things they had to do no matter how much they disliked it. Deal was glad that he hadn’t been given the Zadie Nyx job, because that would mean if he was in Fox’s shoes, he would have to leave Collette, and there was no way he was going to do that right now, no matter how much money they paid him.

“When do you leave?” Deal asked.

“In two weeks. I’ve now got to go over the tour and the stops. Scope them out to find out their weak points and liaise with the studio and the other security team they’re going to hire. We have a stop in New York, and I thought that we should use the guys from the New York Alliez office to provide back up. If I could, I’d get them to join me on each east coast stop. At least then I’ll know I’ll be working with competent people.”

“Request it,” Hound said. “If they want you, then they get you what you want.”

Jag nodded. “He’s got a point. Like us, those guys in New York are all former military. They also won’t be starstruck by Zadie.”

“Yeah, I might do that.” Fox seemed more relaxed now, and maybe it was a combination of what Cynthia had done to him and this upcoming trip with Zadie that had him acting like a bear with a thorn in its paw that morning.

“We done now?” Deal asked, eager to get back to Collette. They would be heading into the office together to go over the intel Ox and Irish had gotten from Craig Onslow.

“Yeah, we are. Um, just, thanks.”

They all gave Fox a chin lift. No matter if they had to reiterate their support a couple of more times, they would do it, because he was their friend and brother.

Chapter Thirty-One

Collette was beginning to the think that the second seat to the left of the head of the conference table was her spot. Every time she had to come to the main conference room at Alliez’s office, that was where she sat.

Nervousness balled low in her belly, and she hoped that somehow, when she left today, she would have a clearer picture of Courtney’s last few weeks. She still wished her sister had told her about this “Gary” she was talking to. If she had, and Collette had seen that he was sending her headless photos when Courtney had no idea what the guy looked like, then with her warning, maybe her sister would still be alive.

Nope, she wasn’t going to think that way. Hadn’t she already worked out that there was no point looking back? That looking forward was the only way to go?