Page 101 of Tattletale

“Yeah?” He reaches over to clasp my shoulder.

“Do you remember when Eden was taken last year? When you knew she was in danger, how did you feel?”

Linc loosens his grip. He looks across the table at the woman he loves. “My whole world fell from its axis. Something was off. Like every step I took was on an angled surface. I’d breathe, but I couldn’t seem to get enough air. I could feel her fading, and I hated myself for leaving her like that.”

“Like what?” Eden asks, her eyes filled with sorrow.

“Needing me,” he answers. “I left you needing me.” He peels his eyes away from Eden to look at me. “How do you feel right now?”

I focus on the way my blood is boiling beneath my skin. My breath is ragged. There’s a deep-seated rage inside of me for anyone testing me like this. I’m a playful golden retriever…until I’m not. Until you fuck with Cricket. “I feel like I’m going to burn this fucking world down until I find her.” I whip my gaze to Vesper. “Try and stop me.”

Vesper narrows her eyes, unintimidated by my outburst. “And what if she doesn’t want to be found?”

“What are you saying?” My words come out in a hoarse whisper.

“I promised her freedom. I told her if she wanted to leave PALADIN, I’d let her.” Vesper points to the center of the table. “Maybe this is her way of starting over.”

No.I shake my head. “You’re wrong.” I stand and stare at my comrades. I’m enraged at their nonchalance. “Do you guys not get it? One of us is missing. She’s not just another assassin serving PALADIN. She’s our family. She’s going to be my wife. Cricket wouldneverleave without saying goodbye. I don’t care what kind of renegade you think she is. She needs you to have faith in her even when it doesn’t make sense.” I grip the edge of the table and watch my knuckles turn white. “And if that’s not enough motivation—understand this. There is no Lance without Cricket.” I look at Vesper with an angry, pleading stare. “If you give up on her, you’re giving up on me, too.”

Vesper’s eyes flick to Eden. “What do you think?”

Eden tucks her long, brunette hair behind her ears. “You can’t ask me to be logical about this, Vesper. She’s my best friend. If you’re asking me what we should do”—Eden meets my gaze and gives me a short nod—“release the dogs.”

Vesper takes in a deep breath, then begins to bark out orders. “Callen, get the security footage from Cricket’s apartment and The Crusader. I need to know exactly when she went off the grid.”

“On it.” Callen doesn’t waste time. He’s on his feet immediately, patting my back as he passes by to leave the room.

“Linc, I need you on a flight to Italy.”

“Leonardo?” Linc asks.

Vesper nods. “He sent me this photo. He didn’t even blink at his son’s death, the cruel bastard. I want to make sure he’s not on a manhunt for Cricket. Luca was killed in Italy. If she’s there, she won’t make it out on her own with the mafia hunting her down.”

Linc nods in reply.

“Eden, come with me. We’re going to the White House. I need to know if Vienne has anything to do with this,” Vesper continues.

“What about me?” I ask. “If you think I’m just going to sit here and—”

“Find Gabriel and see what you can find out,” Vesper says.

I nod. “Right.” I’m on my feet in the blink of an eye, immediately deciding on searching his hotel to start.

“Lance,” Vesper says, stopping me.

I turn around and lift my brows askingly.

“If he hurt my daughter in any way, bring me his head.”

I stop by my condo before heading to The Crusader to hunt Gabriel down. Cricket mentioned the penthouse is his primary residence. If he’s not there, we can try the bed-and-breakfast. We know because of his appearance at the university yesterday that he’s still in town. I suppose if he was guilty of killing her, he’d be halfway to China by now. Hunting a billionaire with endless funds and resources is like finding a needle in a haystack. It could take years to track him down. But make nomistake, if he’s culpable, I’ll only consider it job security. My new life mission will be ending Gabriel Lochland.

But the moment I open my condo door, my search is over.

There he is, sitting with one ankle crossed over his knee on my living room couch. Gabriel smiles when he sees me. He holds his hands up in the air, one of which is heavily bandaged.

“Are you armed?” I level a dangerous stare at him.

“Not at all,” he replies.

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