Page 76 of Rescuing Erin

“Because I need to make money.”

I took a moment to choose my words carefully. But the longer it took to think of a nice way to say what needed to be said, the more I realized there was no such way.

“I’m just gonna say this, and it may make me sound like an asshole, but I am who I am, and there’s no use hiding it. I don’t need you to contribute financially. Even if you had the means and made more money than me, I still wouldn’t take it. This is not an ‘I’m a man, you’re a woman’ thing. This is me, I provide, I protect, I do anything and everything to give you what you want. That’s my job.”

“And what’s mine, Colin?”

“To love me and support me.”

“That’s not a job. Those things are easy, they’re a given. You’re my husband. Of course, I’ll love and support you.”

“It won’t be as easy as you think. I’m bossy and—”

“I know who you are, Colin. But I’d like to feel like I bring some sort of value to our marriage.”

“I want you to listen to me very carefully, sunshine. You depositing money into an account doesn’t mean jackshit to me. Me coming home to you after a shit day, means something. You giving me a soft place to fall when a mission has gone to hell, means something. Knowing you’re by my side, means something. Us being a team, and you loving me, means the world to me. There is no dollar amount on the value you bring to my life or our marriage. If you want to continue to work at the charity, do it. If you want to go back to school, do it. If you want to be the CEO of a fortune 500, I’ll stand by you. If you want to stay home and learn to paint, sunshine, I’ll hang every masterpiece you create on the walls. Whatever decision you make, needs to be because it’s what makes you happy and not based on money.”

“If you change your mind and need me to work, you’ll tell me?”

“I won’t.”

“Promise me you’ll tell me.”

I didn’t like how uneasy she looked sitting next to me worrying her bottom lip. I had money, plenty of it, but if the day came we needed more I’d work five jobs before she’d ever have to take a job she didn’t want.

“I promise.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “You ready to go in?”

“No. Not until you lean over here and give me a kiss.”

Erin’s smile grew, and my heart jumped. Damn, but I loved seeing her happy and knowing I made her face shine like it was now, even better.

* * *

“Is this a fax?” I asked Zane, chuckling as I read the old school cover sheet. “I haven’t seen one of these in years.”

I’d spent the last two hours going over the SITREPS Tex had put together. Yesterday, my gut told me we were missing something big. Today, after going over everything again, it was screaming at me. Warren was a douchebag, thankfully, a dead one. His role and motivation were clear. I could even understand Camio Telecomm’s interest in the Angel program being reinstated. They needed the information it gathered. Partly for the news outlet they’d purchased, but mostly for the contract money to stay in business. I’ve seen men do some fucked up shit for less.

What I couldn’t figure out was the connection between Greenwold and Warren, beyond the obvious. Warren had to have had something big to hold over the man to make him flip and go along with terrorizing Erin. There was nothing during his time with the NSA that would suggest he’d turn. His record was spotless, not even a hint or rumor of impropriety. Michael Greenwold was well liked and respected. What the hell had changed?

“Tex sent it. I forgot we even had a fax machine until Ivy brought the report to me,” Zane answered.

Declan and I stopped going over the reports we had spread over the conference room table and waited for Zane to go over the document.

“Christ Almighty. Either of you familiar with Omni?”

“Yeah. It’s a cross between the Freemasons and Skull and Bones,” Declan answered.

“Only the most powerful players get invited to join. Most people think Skull and Bones are the ones behind the CIA, but Omni is a few more rungs up the ladder,” I interjected. “Why?”

“Greenwold is a member,” Zane informed us.

“How the fuck did Tex find that out? No one has ever been able to confirm the club’s members.”

“Seriously? I don’t question how Tex finds anything out. You know who else is a member?”

“Warren?” I asked.