"Saff, I know. I know it's all you've ever wanted, but I’ve been trying to keep you safe.”
"Bullshit, Gabriel. I've done everything that's been asked of me. Everything. I watch these trainees come in and out of here. I turn them into great fighters. Good strategists. And when I ask for a shot and you sideline me, I know it can't be because I’m a woman because we've turned out female agents who could kill you in their sleep. So what is it?"
My brother scrubbed his hands over his face. "Look, when I came to live with your mum and dad, it felt like Christmas. Like an actual honest-to-God miracle. And I swore that I would do anything to stay. It didn't matter what. When dad pulled me aside, I thought he was going to tell me I had to go because my grades hadn't really been enough, but he told me we were going to work on it. The only thing that he asked from me was that I look out for you always. And I have done my best to do that. I am supposed to look out for you.”
“You know what's funny? You keep trying to tell me how irresponsible I am, how not ready I am, always making emotional decisions, but this is my legacy. I was born to do this, Gabe. And you seem to not see it. That and the fact that you're keeping me from it."
He frowned then. “I'm not keeping you from your legacy, damn it."
“You want to put the billionaire in the field. A guy who's done nothing more than slum his way through half of Europe on his daddy’s money."
“Your daddy had money."
I cringed at that. “Yes, I had the privileges afforded to me, but I’m no billionaire's kid. And I would trade all the money in the world to have my fucking parents back."
"There are extenuating circumstances, Saff."
"What do I not understand? Don't you think I want to serve and protect people like my parents did?"
"Of course, Saff, of course. I just— I’m trying to keep you safe."
"Maybe you should trust me, trust my training.”
“Fucking hell, Saffron, are you in a hurry to get yourself killed?"
I folded my arms. “It's not about that, Gabe. You know it. I deserve the right to prove myself."
He glowered at me, his piercing green eyes so familiar to me after all these years, that firm set of his mouth. I could see why Tabatha was so enamored with him. He was good looking. He was also stubborn. Mule-headed. Obstinate.
The point was, he was a pain in my arse. Had been since the moment he showed up on my doorstep.
He was never going to see me as an equal.
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know, Saff, if you would let me get a word in, you would see—"
“I would see what? I'm sorry, Gabe. I can't just sit back and do nothing. For years, I watched everyone go out, waiting for my turn, and now you're putting the billionaire bad boy into play? How can I sit back and not say anything?"
“You’re looking at it the wrong way.”
“I am embarrassed, Gabe."
“Enough. Tell me about your King hesitation.”
“I'm hard on him because he's cavalier and brash. He's good, and with more training and toning down his assholery, he could be really good. But he's not ready, and you're putting him in the field. That reflects poorly on all of us. Me especially, because I’m his training officer."
“It can't be helped. This is from Oversight. It pertains to the sighting of Massimo Igno."
My eyes went wide then, and I scooted to the edge of my seat. "Massimo? Are you kidding me? He's a ghost."
“Yes, but he is getting married to Gabriella Natanya. She was saying to her sisters that he's taking her on a pre-wedding vacation to the Winston Isles. I need eyes and ears on him."
Massimo Igno was number five on so many international wanted lists. Weapons, especially technical ones, were his specialty. And he'd proven slippery. Hard to catch. We thought we had him in Spain once, years ago. Dad had been leading the team then, but he'd slipped the snare. I had to ask the question. "Will his father be there?"
Gabe met my gaze with a grave one of his own. "No. As far as we can tell,Antonio Igno won't be in attendance.”
Drake Webster, Igno’s right hand was the man who killed my parents. And I had vowed when they died that I would be the one to bring them down. "Massimo's our intel. It's just him and Graciella."
“You're going to put King in that den of beasts and terrorists? He's not ready for that. You need someone with experience. What are you doing, Gabe?"