Page 105 of Nothing to Fear

Ares halted, flashing a calculated grin laden with eerie friendliness.

Willow grabbed one of the mercs’ guns from the floor, covering the forty-five-degree angle to Gideon’s left.

“Someone’s been getting private tutelage from a very good teacher.” A smart-aleck smirk lifted on Alistair’s face. “Bet you’ve learned all sorts of naughty things from him.” He winked. “Ladies say he’s a real corker in the sack, but I bet he’s more of a damp squib with that pretty face. Care to weigh in?”

Gideon quashed his instinct to shoot the cheeky Brit. Allie was doing his job, trying to rattle Willow, perhaps enough to take the gun from her.

“We’re here to cover your back,” Castle said, scrubbing a hand over his shaved head. “Sanborn thinks Harper’s innocent, despite a deed for a villa in France in her name and the fact that her PIN was used to access the server room the night Novak was killed.”

Willow turned ashen. Shaking her head, she looked ready to hurl.

“Sanborn figured bounty killers were after her.” Castle tapped Ares on the shoulder, nodding for him to stand down. “We’re here to help.”

But that still didn’t answer the fucking question.

Ares moved, and so did Gideon, closer toward the blown-out storefront with Willow at his side. If he was on his own, he’d try for the alley, but he wouldn’t be able to get Willow over the brick wall and follow before the team caught them. Heading toward the crowd and busy lobby was the better option.

“What are your orders?” Gideon asked again, his gun hand steady as ice.

Maddox said nothing, her head bowed. Not a good sign.

Tension thickened, growing darker and more toxic with each second, like exhaust fumes.

“Hopefully, you found a solid lead at the bank,” Reece said.

“Otherwise?” Gideon crept away, keeping them in his sights with crushing focus. They had nothing to exonerate Willow, much less to stop a whitewash.

“We use her as bait to flush out the traitor.” Castle’s defensive-tackle body drew taut. “The mole wants her dead. Whoever it is won’t stop trying.”

Their plan was to let the traitor try to kill her? That was never going to happen.

Willow clutched his forearm, urging him to lower the gun. “Gideon.”

He met her warm eyes. The gentleness reflected in her beautiful face had him softening. The others blanked out for a second, fading into the background. “Our lead might be a dead end.” His gaze flickered to the team, ensuring no one took advantage of his divided attention.

They all stood riveted, a restless energy buzzing in the room. His pulse beat in time to the metronome ticking in his ears.

“It’s okay,” Willow said, drawing his gaze.

He’d give her anything but this. Running was better than letting Sanborn use her as bait. He wouldn’t risk her life. Not to catch the traitor. Not to save the Gray Box.

Not for anything in the world.

Willow stepped in front of him, putting herself between him and the team. “The real traitor is hiding behind a shell corporation. Give me time to dig, and I’ll find tangible evidence.”

The others exchanged questioning glances.

“We’re short on time,” Castle said. “We’ve got a Gulfstream requisitioned from Homeland Security on the tarmac, encrypted system onboard. We can give you the duration of the flight.”

“No.” Gideon roped an arm around her waist, hauling her toward the exit.

His teammates’ hands flew to their holstered weapons, but no one drew.

She pushed at Gideon’s arm, trying to pry him loose. “I’ll find something we can use.”

“Hell fucking no,” he bit through gritted teeth, carrying her, keeping the gun trained on the others. Pain twisted through his wounds, but he didn’t stop.

“Trust me.” Her bony elbow hit him in the injured side as she struggled, and agony ballooned in his rib cage. “Gideon. I need you to believe in me. Please.”