“That’s not important,” Gabriel stated.
She softened her grip on her elbows and blew out a slow breath. “I realize you saved our lives and I’m grateful you came along when you did. None of this makes sense to me and I’m trying to wrap my brain around the fact that there were two men who just tried to kill us. And now I’m finding out that The Russian wants me dead.”
“He won’t get to you on my watch.” Gabriel didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. Was this Blake character a fixture in her life?
“None of this makes sense.” She looked like she was searching for something to grab hold of to anchor her to this new reality.
Gabriel figured she deserved to know something about him. He told himself that gaining her trust would make the mission go easier, but it was for another reason he didn’t want to think about or admit.
“I used to work for a Blackwater-type organization that is now defunct. One of the men I worked with opened an independent agency and I happened to be with him when the news came in that you were a target.” All of which was the truth.
“So, what? You work for him now? Last I heard you were in the military.” More of that spunk was returning. He didn’t want to recall how sexy he’d thought she was when she was being spirited.
“None of that’s important. But no. I don’t work for anyone right now,” he admitted. Gaining her trust again would be impossible but telling her something about himself might just make what he had to say next easier to chew. “You need to come with me.”
She glanced from Gabriel to Blake and his heart did that traitorous flinch again.
“Why me?”
Gabriel didn’t respond. He gave her a minute for her brain to catch up.
A few seconds later, her mouth formed an almost perfect O. “You said my name is on The Russian’s list.”
Gabriel nodded and relaxed his arms at his sides. “Hearing this news isn’t easy.”
“I wrote a book about [European history]. What does this have to do with men in ski masks with guns?” Reality seemed to smack her in the face, hard.
“I should’ve taken the threat more seriously,” Blake finally seemed to find his voice.
“What are you talking about?” Kinsley asked, wheeling around on him. “Is that why you were trying to call me earlier?”
“I tried to warn you to be careful. I thought it was just some crackpot. You know, you hear about that sort of thing happening. A false threat trying to derail a launch. It sounded a lot like something one of my old co-workers would’ve said actually and I thought he was playing a prank.” Blake’s expression was that of being one hundred percent dumbfounded.
“What kind of threat?” Gabriel zeroed in like a laser on a target.
“It was from some group calling themselves, Justified,” Blake reported.
“How did it come in?” Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. The name wasn’t familiar, and it was generic enough for dozens if not a hundred groups to call themselves by the same. It was most likely a cover for The Russian, but Gabriel needed to make sure a new cell hadn’t crept up.
“What about those men from earlier?” she gasped. “Can’t you get information from them? Force it out of them?”
“They won’t talk. If we’re lucky they’ll still be locked up by morning,” Gabriel said.
“How can they get out?” Kinsley’s shock widened those beautiful blues.
“That’s not the question we need to be asking right now,” Gabriel countered. “What’s our next move? How will I keep you safe until the threat is neutralized? Those are better questions.”
“Are you saying this isn’t over?” Kinsley paced. “If my book caused this that’s easy, we’ll meet with the publisher and cancel distribution.”
“I did a major promo blitz,” Blake said. “I convinced McMahon and Hamburg to send out a hundred advanced review copies in order to generate buzz.”
“Well, the secret’s out then. But I don’t remember writing anything about a group by the name of Justified.” Kinsley rubbed her temples like she was trying to ward off a headache. “Why come after me?”
Gabriel sat there, contemplating her words. The answer came to him quickly. “Because whatever information Justified is concerned about getting out isn’t in the book.”
“Which means it could be in my research,” she caught on.
“There are only two reasons to kill you.” Those last two words tasted bitter in his mouth. “One is to stop you from uncovering the truth.”
“And the other?” she asked.
Gabriel shot an apologetic look.
“To silence you.”
Kinsley let Gabriel’s words sink in. Kill. Silence. Truth. The initial shock of seeing Gabriel again was strong but she’d moved from seeing her situation for what it was—the reality of it had struck hard and deep—to denial. None of this could be happening. Her first love couldn’t be standing two feet away from her. Her research and book couldn’t cause her to become a target of—what?—a militant group? A terrorist?
And her life couldn’t be crumbling around her.
A split-second was all it took to destroy ten years of sacrifice and research, long nights at her office. Being on the screen until her eyes had dried up and she could barely blink anymore.
“This place is not safe.” Gabriel with the thick hair that was so brown it was almost black stared at her. He wanted a reaction but she didn’t oblige. “We can’t stick around much longer.”
“It’s like Fort Knox in here,” she said.
“Everyone knows this location. It’s compromised.”
A man wearing a uniform walked up to Gabriel.
“The chopper’s on the roof, sir,” the uniformed man said.
Gabriel gave the green light and a pair of men rolled a stretcher into the room, moved Blake onto it and wheeled him out of the room. Kinsley started to leave with Blake.
There had to be a government agency program she could go into. Even if
