Page 53 of Gravity
Viper stalked the far side of the room, shoulders wound tight, pacing like a caged animal. His glare pinned Titus, who sat calmly amongst the storm, unrestrained. He didn’t need cuffs—half a dozen trained killers in the room could drop him before he drew a full breath.
Titus leaned back in his chair and let a slow, knowing smirk curl his mouth. Sexy, deliberate, a challenge.
Viper’s jaw clenched. He wanted to wipe that smirk from the fucker’s face, preferably with his fist.
“This is bullshit,” Viper snapped, voice sharp as a blade. “He shouldn’t even be here.”
Dave didn’t flinch. “He stays. We need to figure this out.”
The silence that followed was heavy. Viper’s jaw worked, but he didn’t push.
Titus leaned forward, eyes flicking over the scattered plans. His gaze slid to Boston, then Sage. He shook his head once, slowly. “It’s not going to work.”
Boston’s boot stilled, jaw tightening. “Excuse me?”
Titus ignored him, eyes on Dave now. “Like I said last night, Franklin won’t trust them. Too young. He’d see it before they opened their mouths.”
Rip muttered, low but clear enough to carry: “He’s right, you’re too young.”
Boston bristled. “You saying I can’t pull this off?”
“Kid, you even breathe wrong and Franklin will eat you alive.” This time, Titus fired back. Then paused, voice dropping low, eyes cutting to Dave. “He would trust someone your age.”
The words hit like a match dropped in gasoline.
Stone stiffened where he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes hard.
“No,” he said, voice flat, dangerous. “Absolutely not.”
Dave straightened, heat climbing his spine. “Stone—”
“You’re not walking into Franklin’s den.” Stone’s voice carried, edged and certain. “You’re not in the field anymore. That part of your career is over.”
Boston shifted in his chair, muttering under his breath. Sage stilled, eyes flicking between them.
“This isn’t a debate,” Dave said, tone flat. “Franklin won’t deal with them alone. If I don’t go in as a handler or a seller, we lose the only shot we have.”
“This is bullshit, he knows where Franklin is, let’s just go in,” Viper growled, jerking his chin at Titus.
“He’ll see you coming a mile away, he’s got sentries. The warehouse butts up against the water. He’ll be gone before you even get close,” Titus murmured.
Stone stepped closer to Dave, jaw clenched. “Then we find another way. Put someone else in the chair.”
“There isn’t anyone else my age,” Dave snapped back.
Stone’s hands curled into fists. “You think dragging yourself into the line of fire makes you indispensable? It makes you reckless.”
The room went tight.
Viper stopped pacing, eyes narrowing.
“Enough,” Dave cut in sharply. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Franklin.”
Titus gave a short, abrupt nod. “Franklin deals with handlers on a weekly basis.”
Viper folded his arms and stalked to the table. “Handler model makes the most sense.”
“I can go in and try to get him and his devices—I just need a tech to crack them,” Titus said.
