She shook her head, still reeling over this latest development. Why would her dad have a hidden file on a flash drive? A list of names.
“Hey, you okay?” Alex asked, reaching for her shoulder but pulled away at the last second.
She wasn’t upset he didn’t touch her. Payton turned away from the computer and started pacing. It helped her think sometimes. “None of this is making any sense. Why would my dad have any of this? Why would be need to hide files on a flash drive? He was an analyst.” She caught Alex looking uncomfortable. The shield he kept up on his emotions finally down. “You know something, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question.
“The less you know, the better,” he said without meeting her eyes.
“Bullshit. My dad is missing, and you know something about what’s going on.” Alex remained silent. “What happened to working together? Was that the truth, or were you just blowing smoke?”
Alex was still quiet. That was all the answer she needed. He’d said it just to humor her. To get her to come with them. He probably thought she’d tell him everything she knew, and he didn’t have to reveal anything. She was glad now she hadn’t told them anything. To hell with them.
Payton grabbed her things and marched for the door.
“Payton, wait,” Colin called out to her. “It’s not safe.”
She stopped at the door and looked back at him, refusing to look at Alex. “It’s a lot safer out there then in here. At least with those enemies, I know what to expect. They don’t lie, pretending to want to help then stab me in the back.” She wanted to slam the door shut when she left, putting her final mark on her dramatic exit, but this was Colin’s house and he had at least wanted to help her, so she gently shut the door and called Hank.
Chapter 11
“Do you try to be a dick or does it just come naturally?” Colin accused as soon as Payton walked out.
“It was you who pushed for us working together. I’ve never made it a secret I didn’t want her involved,” he returned with a pointed finger. He didn’t want to argue with Colin, but he was frustrated and concerned about Payton’s safety so it was making him more agitated than normal. He touched his arm where their shoulders had touched, still feeling the burning tingles. Tingles that had gone to his brain and short-circuited it.
Nothing had been normal since he’d gotten off the plane. Not since seeing her. What he wouldn’t give to have his team here. They’d help him strategize and formulate a plan. Help him keep his head on straight. Now he was torn between going after Payton and losing focus of his real mission or letting her run off and worrying about her while he attempted to focus on his mission. Neither scenario was good.
“Because you want to fuck her?”
Alex whipped around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. “Excuse me?” He’d never heard Colin talk about women like that before. He considered it rude and vulgar. To hear him say it about Payton especially grated his already frayed nerves.
Colin stood from his chair. They were the same height and stared at each other eye to eye. “I told you before it was odd you used to be close until she hit puberty. Then you were constantly hurting her feelings. I know you said you’re doing it protect her, but I think it’s because you want to fuck her something fierce, so you push her away to keep temptation at bay.”
Alex felt his palms begin to sweat. “You’re talking crazy. I just don’t want her around period. You saw what she did on that public street.”
“Defend herself,” Colin replied dryly crossing his arms over his chest, staring him down. Alex wasn’t going to be able to talk himself out of this one.
“She’s a hot head.”
“Oh, she’s hot alright.” Colin got that wistful look in his eyes again that had Alex bunching up his fists.
“Don’t, it’s your last warning,” Alex warned him in the deadly tone that scared the piss out of insurgents.
Colin didn’t blink an eye. “Why? You’ve made it clear you don’t want her. Maybe I’ll ditch you, and she and I can work together. Perhaps a bit more.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
That was it. A red haze came over Alex’s vision, and he slammed his fist into Colin’s jaw. He was far from satisfied when Colin’s head whipped to the side then turned back on him. He swung again, but Colin was prepared for it this time and blocked it with his titanium arm. Alex winced in pain, but he didn’t let it slow him down. He swung his other fist at his ribs this time. Colin bent over and groaned a harsh breath then quickly delivered an upper cut that caused Alex to stumble back.
Colin charged him like a bull, driving them both to the ground and straddling his waist, and rained several blows to his face. Alex wrapped his foot around Colin’s left and thrust his hips up, throwing Colin to his back.
He got in one punch to Colin’s face before he slid out from under him and rolled away. Alex spat tasting blood in his mouth. Colin was a hell of a fighter. Alex could still best him, but he didn’t want to hurt his friend.
“You can’t have it both ways,” Colin told him, wiping blood from his face with the back of his hand. “You can’t keep her at a distance and try to keep her safe.”
“I’ll send her away.”
Colin rolled his eyes. “She’s not going anywhere while her dad is missing, and she knows someone purposely ran him off the road. I’m sure right now she’s on her way to follow another lead. One we don’t have. I told you, she’s going to do this with or without us.”
Alex didn’t want her to be part of it period but knew there was no way of keeping her out of it. Maybe with Colin around to keep him in check, he could do this.
“What do you have against her?” Colin challenged.