Blood On The Mountain

Read a short excerpt...
...“You like to be active.” Nathan said it like he knew it already. “Not that into lying around doing nothing.”

“Not really.”

“I get that. But sometimes it’s good to let go and just lie back.”

The thought was enough to make Gabe’s skin itch. “Doing nothing has never gone well for me.”

“Maybe you haven’t been doing it right.”

“I’ll keep that in mind if someone takes a shot at you.”

Nathan chuckled. “Okay, you win. Feel free to be as proactive as you like if anyone tries to kill me.”

“And if they don’t?”

“Enjoy yourself. If you can.”

Oh, Gabe could. That was what he was afraid of.

Forty-five minutes later, they were strapped into their respective business class seats and the plane was taxiing for takeoff.

The flight was nine hours, and Gabe was glad Nathan had chosen to sit in the window seat instead of the aisle. The thought of being trapped in one place that long made him queasy. When Nathan pulled out a book, Gabe asked, “Do you mind if I go to sleep for a while?”

Nathan’s lips quirked. “I suppose I can manage to stay out of trouble.”

“Smartass.”

Gabe reclined his seat, grateful for the few scant inches gained by flying business over economy.

He fell into a light sleep, lulled by the hum of the plane’s engines. Even before the Bureau, he’d been able to rest without losing complete awareness of surroundings. Of course, being the youngest of three might have had more to do with that than any innate ability. Surviving sibling pranks did wonders for one’s self-preservation.

He slept through the first drink service, but woke up when the lunch cart came through. Nathan seemed to have made good progress on his book, which was propped open in his lap as he dozed.

Gabe took advantage of the opportunity to study the man.

Physically, he hit all the right buttons. Toned more than fit, with abundant laugh lines and a mouth made for smiling…and other more salacious things. He was also several inches shorter than Gabe, which was a particular attraction that Gabe didn’t want to admit to.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He really shouldn’t be thinking about a client like that, even if Nathan had shown obvious signs of being interested. It wasn’t professional. If they did get in trouble, it was a good way to get one or both of them killed.

“Keep thinking so hard and you’re going to get grooves in your forehead,” Nathan said without opening his eyes.

So much for subtlety. “You’re supposed to be asleep.”

“No, you’re supposed to be asleep. I’m supposed to be reading.” Nathan cracked one eye open. “What are you so afraid of?”

“It’s not fear; it’s professionalism.”

Nathan snorted. “This is new for you, isn’t it?”

Gabe was grateful when Nathan closed his eye again. “About a year-and-a-half.”

“Jeannie took it well.”

“Jeannie was a fucking saint.”

“Jeannie’s also got balls.” The corners of his mouth lifted. “If she were my type, she’d probably be where you are now.”

“You could do worse.”

“So why isn’t she? Where you are now, I mean.”

“She had enough of fieldwork in the agency. She prefers working with people rather than strategies. And she’s a she, and we all agreed that’s not the best choice for where we’re going.”

Now both eyes were open and fixed on him. “Is that all I am to you then, Gabe? A strategy?”

“It’s what you hired me for.”

“Fair enough.” Nathan turned his attention back to his book.

Gabe waited. “That’s it?”

“You’re not interested in anything beyond business. I get that.”

“Hey, now, I never said I wasn’t—” Gabe caught himself, but it was already too late. It appeared Nathan was every bit as skilled as Jeannie at getting Gabe to play into his hand. That didn’t bode well at all.

Nathan grinned. “Now we’re getting somewhere...”