With an arched brow, Nate Carter stared up at him from over the top of his computer. “And I thoughtyouwere supposed to be in the hospital.”
“I signed myself out so I could be out there, looking for Jenna and Ben. Not sitting on my ass in some swanky hotel room with you.”
“Guess it’s a good thing you’re standing then, huh?” Matt Turner, Bravo Team’s medic smirked.
Years ago, back before the CIA and Homeland recruited Adrian to work deep cover, he and Matt had served on the same Marine anti-terrorism unit. The guy was as solid as they came, and he now knew the truth about the whys and hows of Adrian’s so-called desertion.
But there was aslightchance Matt was still pissed about the fact that, during one of his government-sanctioned ops, Adrian had kidnapped the woman who was now Turner’s wife.
Whatthefuckever.
They’d ironed all that shit out once, already. Adrian was not in the mood to do it a second time.
“You got a problem with my being here, Turner?” He faced off with the Bravo operative. “If so, say the word, and I’ll go find them on my own.”
“Oh, give it a rest, would ya?” Matt put his hands on his hips and scowled. “I thought we cleared the air like three months ago.”
Adrian shrugged. “I thought so, too.”
“Well, if anyone has the right to still hold a grudge, here, it’s definitely notyoursorry ass.”
“I’m not holding a goddamn grudge, Turner!” He hauled himself over to the other man.
“Then what’s your fucking problem, Walker?”
“Myproblemis we’re standing around here with our heads up our asses while Jenna’s going through only God knows what!” Adrian’s voice boomed inside the open space. “She’s out there somewhere, terrified and alone. She probably thinks no one is coming for her, and the truth is, we’re not because we don’t even know where to fucking start!”
“You mean ‘they’, right?” Zade King—one of Bravo’s designated snipers—looked over at him from his seat across from Nate. Always the boy scout of the group, the former SEAL was calm, his voice low and steady.
“What?” Adrian snapped back.
“You saidshe’sout there somewhere,” Zade clarified. “Thatsheprobably thinks no one is coming for her. But I’m sure you meant to say ‘they’, since both JennaandChief Campillo are missing.”
Who the fuck is this guy, the grammar police?
“Unless, of course, there’s a reason he’s more focused on Jenna than Ben,” Kole Jameson, Bravo’s lead sniper joined in on the fun from across the room.
“You know”—Matt spoke up again—“now that you mention it, Walker did specifically ask about Jenna the second he got here. And is it just me, or did he used to be a lot less uptight?”
Adrian’s knuckles became white as he gripped the crutches’ small, padded bars tightly.
See? This is why I work alone. I fucking hate people.
“I’m just as worried about Ben, too, assholes,” he spouted off the half-truth. “I only asked about Jenna first because she’s—”
Mine.
“Yours?” The corner of Nate’s smartass mouth lifted as if he could read Adrian’s mind.
Adrian was about to tell the computer genius where he could shove his laptop when Gabe stepped forward, putting an end to the juvenile pissing match.
“Enough!” Gabe’s voice echoed off the expensive walls. “We have two people missing with no leads as to what happened to them or where they could be. What wedon’thave is time to waste on this dick measuring bullshit. So put ’em away and get your asses focused on what’s important. Understood?”
“Copy that, Boss.” Nate went back to clicking on his keyboard.
The other Bravo men mumbled and nodded as they went back to whatever they were doing before he and Gabe arrived.
Adrian glanced around the room, the dread he’d felt before growing exponentially with every second that passed. Despite his sarcastic remarks, he knew deep down there was no other team he’d rather have working this case.