his back.
That’s all she needed to see. She whipped her gun up and aimed it.
“I wouldn’t do that.” She moved to stand next to Gabe. “See, he’s related to you. I’m not.”
“I don’t get it.” Rick tried to shake his head but Gabe held him steady. “You sat in an office all day. What’s with the sudden need to rush to Gabe’s defense?”
“Please test my skills. I’m begging you.” Not that she would do anything in front of Gabe unless he was threatened, but Rick didn’t need to know that.
After swearing under his breath, Rick dropped his hands to his side. Lifted his chin. “I’m actually trying to get the CIA totally off your backs.”
Gabe hesitated a second before letting his vise grip go. “Since when?”
“I was threatened to make it happen or else.”
She didn’t get the comment. “What?”
“Your lawyer sent Elijah Sterling to see me. That guy’s record . . .” Rick blew out a long, ragged breath. “It can’t be real.”
Leave it to Eli to swoop in and provide backup. “I ran his team. It’s real. He’s that scary.”
“Thanks to some well-placed comments by him, I have something to work with. I’m going to push back on the people who hired me,” Rick said to Gabe. “Make it clear Natalie’s leverage and this hidden information she compiled is not something you play around with. Buy a bit of room, let them see everything is okay, or at least convince them that they have a lot to lose if they don’t ease up.”
“How much time will this take?” Gabe asked.
“A week?” Rick shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know.”
“Good.”
The word clunked in her brain. An unending run away from some unseen threat? No, thank you. “How is any of what he said good?”
“Rick is going to handle his end, which will support all the threats Bast is making on your behalf.” Gabe talked slowly, emphasizing each word. “We’ll lay low while all of that shakes out.”
She knew he was trying to tell her something, but she didn’t get it. Didn’t really want to. They were talking about her life like it was nothing more than a cheese sandwich to be bargained for and discarded. She expected that from Rick. Not Gabe. “You trust him? You think whoever is paying him will just back off because we’re all waving threats around?”
Gabe nodded. “Yes.”
“Of course,” Rick said at the same time.
They seemed so sure. Both stared at her with an annoying stop-worrying expression. As if she was the one out of line here. “Up until right now I thought you both were pretty competent.”
Gabe stared at her for an extra beat before turning to Rick. “It’s time for you to go.”
“A storm is kicking up.” Rick touched the tab to his zipper as he glanced out the window.
“Then you should move fast.”
“Gabe.” Even she thought that might be taking the vengeance angle too far. If something happened to Rick out there, Gabe would not forgive himself. Forget how mad he might be, this guy was his brother, and Gabe had proven over and over again to be decent.
“I don’t believe for one second hanging out here for the rest of the day and tonight was his original plan. He has a plane waiting or some mode of transportation.” Gabe shot his brother a skeptical look. “I’m just wondering why you came all the way out here to deliver this news yourself.”
“Didn’t think you’d believe one of my employees if I sent him out here, talking in code and shouting about Bast’s arguments and Natalie’s leverage.”
“True, but Andy can reach me.”
This time Rick zipped his coat. “He hasn’t been all that helpful to me on this operation.”
She knew she’d liked Andy. “I wonder why.”
“I’ll walk you out. Make sure you leave.” Gabe grabbed his jacket with one hand as he shoved his brother toward the door with the other.
• • •
Somehow they made it out onto the porch. The snow had started to fall, a bit harder now than earlier. Gabe knew because he’d spent the early morning walking the area around the cabin, looking for tracks or any other signs of life. If he had known he could have stayed in bed with Natalie a few more minutes and let Rick come to him, he would have.
Natalie. Gabe shook his head. Fought off a smile.
She’d been on his side through this battle. Got all furious on his behalf over Rick’s choices about Brandon. Gabe often wondered if the world flipped upside down who