“Are you denying me the right to accompany my wife?” Gavin tilted his head, as if to make sure he was hearing Agent Flores correctly.
“Ye … No. I mean, yes.”
Ginny had to bite her lip to keep herself from bursting into nervous laughter at the agent’s confusion.
“My wife is not leaving this airport without me at her side. Isn’t that right, wife?”
Ginny’s amusement vanished as she nodded her head, too scared not to.
“Miss Bellamy isn’t married.”
“We were keeping it a secret, on a need to know basis. The FBI didn’t need to know before. Now you do.”
“You can take it up with my superior.” Agent Flores’s voice found firmer ground.
Gavin eyed him disdainfully. “Which is what I just said.”
“Oh … right.”
Ginny would have had some sympathy for the agent, but she was too busy being concerned for her own welfare. Waves of fury were rolling off Gavin, as if he was carefully holding himself in check. She was regretting not telling him this morning about the deal she made with the FBI.
Gavin turned his back on the agents, propelling her toward a cluster of chairs in the middle of the room, making sure to keep a distance from other passengers waiting for their flights. Train moved to stand behind them, and Ginny saw Train whisper something in Gavin’s ear before going out the glass door to the airfield. Killyama’s husband was dressed in a tan flight suit that had several military insignias prominently displayed. She wasn’t able to take her eyes away from his authoritative stride until he disappeared out of sight.
“We are going back to the plane,” Agent Flores stated.
Ginny found herself pushed down farther on the plastic chair with Gavin’s arm placed snugly over her shoulders. Hammer took the other seat next to her, firmly blocking her in between the two large men.
The three agents stared at each other, as if perplexed at what to do.
Gavin stared at Agent Flores unsympathetically. “How long have you been on the force?”
“I have been in training for four months.”
Gavin appeared disgusted as he motioned at the other agents. “How about them?”
“The same time. We were in the same training class at Quantico.”
Ginny saw Gavin and Hammer share the same dark look before Gavin shot out another question. “How long has the agent in charge been on the force?”
“Agent Collins has served with the FBI for eighteen years. He’s due to retire after this assignment.”
“Well, isn’t that a fucking coincidence?” Gavin’s exasperation was evident.
The agents stiffened at Gavin’s insinuation.
“What does that mean?”
“You’re the FBI; you figure it out.”
“If you’re insinuating that Miss Bellamy will come under any harm with us assisting her on her journey to Clindale because of our lack of experience, then you’re mistaken. She is under our protection—”
“What did you do before joining the FBI?” Gavin interjected.
“I was an attorney.”
Ginny could tell from the flush rising in his cheeks Gavin’s eye language wasn’t complimentary.
“How about them?”
“I’m sure that Agent Flores is very good at his job—” Ginny broke off when Gavin’s laser-like glare settled on her. Lowering her eyes, she mumbled under her breath, “Never mind.”
“Agent Garcia was a network administrator. Agent Clark was a lab supervisor.”
“None of you have law enforcement or military background?” Gavin asked harshly.
“We were given extensive training in the academy, and all of us have passed the requirements needed.”
“Except graduating.”
The agents couldn’t deny that truth and began looking over their shoulders toward the bathroom. Their relief became palpable when their supervisor exited the restroom.
Mopping his brow with a damp paper towel, his eyes widened when he saw his men gathered in the seating area of the terminal.
“Flores, why haven’t you escorted Miss Bellamy back to the plane as you were ordered to do?”
The three agents stepped to the side, exposing Gavin’s presence.
“I’m Gavin.”
“I know who you are.”
Gavin gave the men a lethal stare. “Seems like a fucking lot of you know who I am.”
As Agent Collins wiped his brow again, Ginny noticed his hand was shaking, despite his demeanor being more assured than the younger agents.
“Escort Miss Bella—”
“Mrs. James,” Gavin corrected.
Agent Collins’ assurance dropped a notch, yet he continued with his order. “It has no bearing with the job we have been assigned to carry out.” Agent Collins used his hand to motion toward the doors. “The pilot texted me that the winds have let up and it’s safe for us to fly. Mr. James, your wife may call you once we reach Sherguevil Island.”
“My wife isn’t going anywhere without me.”
“That isn’t possible. Miss Be—Mrs. James chose Hammer as her escort. We have no room for more passengers.”
“Reaper can take my place,” Hammer stated.
Agent Collins narrowed his eyes in anger. “Mr. James doesn’t have the required paperwork to travel to Sherguevil Island.”
Gavin opened his duffel bag to remove a yellow envelope. “Which paperwork do you need? I have two forms of ID, one of which is a passport; I have our marriage certificate, my health records and inoculations, which are current.”
“The owner of the island requires anyone traveling there to have been quarantined for the last ten days.” Agent Collins seemed more confident this would stymie Gavin.
Gavin shut it down. “Considering I’m married to Ginny and the intimate nature of our relationship, if she has the virus, so do I.”
“I need to call my director.” Agent Collins’ frustration became more apparent as Gavin threw his objections aside.
“Do that. And if he denies Ginny’s and my request, then he can forget any deal she made with the FBI. Believe me; that’s what I would rather she do. I have my lawyer on speed dial, and dude, the last fucking thing you want to do is get her involved. Dealing with Diamond will be like poking a hornet’s nest—and she won’t leave the FBI unscathed.”
“The FBI has nothing to hide.”
Ginny thought his denial would sound better if Collins would stop wiping his sweaty brow.
“We’ll find out, shall we? I find it extremely concerning that the agents sent to Treepoint to keep Ginny’s sister and me sidelined in the courthouse were the more experienced agents, while the ones sent with Ginny haven’t even graduated from Quantico. Don’t you find that unusual, Hammer?” Gavin asked mockingly.
Agent Collins gave the younger agents a disgusted look at the knowledge they’d shared with Gavin. “If you’re trying to say there are any irregularities—”
“I’m not trying to fucking say it. It’s a fucking fact,” Gavin spat.
“Agent Garcia, Clark, and Flores are embarking on their fieldwork, as every new agent does. They are at the top of their class, and the director approved their part in this assignment, as the situation with the virus has diminished our numbers. Escorting Miss Bell—” Collins corrected himself. “—Mrs. James is a low risk operation, and it was deemed advantageous to use trainees rather than seasoned agents, as they are needed elsewhere.”