Broken hearts & Coup d'etats - THE SPECTER SERIES [book three]

Chapter ELEVEN

Jackson Ford

"Why the fuck didn't she come to us with this!?" My temper rises as I pace back and forth in front of West's desk..

Meanwhile he flicks through the creepy surveillance photos on my phone, the ones that Ellerie had tried to hide from me last night..

I heard her shuffling around in the kitchen after I arrived at her apartment.. After she has acted so strangely answering the dooor armed the way shd had, my suspicions got the best of me..

I'm not proud of myself, but I'm getting to the point of desperation when it comes to knowing her secrets..

And I'm not even entirely sure why..

West and O'connor share a look with each other.. West shaking his head with his brow furrowed, while O'connor snorts with laughter.. "Heh, Us.. You mean, you?"

I scowl at him, now is not the time for his juvenile jokes.. Yeah, I care about Ellerie, but it's more than that.. We are supposed to be her team mates..

Her friends..

And she didn't feel like she could trust us.. Any of us..

I'm well aware of the ways I have fucked up..

Believe me, I'd be the first to admit the reel of my mistakes is long when it comes to that woman..

But this is beyond just me..

This is Alpha's screw up..

"Not just me, O'connor.. She didn't come to any of us.. She doesn't trust any of us.. I'm pretty sure she went to Paxton.."

Patrick let's out a low whistle and a chortles a taunt.. My jaw twitches with irritation.. "Ah, you mean Mr-Steal-Your-Girl?.. Yeh man, you should definitely be worried.."

I glare at him, stony eyed.. He holds up his hands in mock surrender.. "You're missing the point, dumbass.. She's gunna chose Delta.."

West drops my phone with the creepy snapshots of Ellerie on the desk with a growl.. "God damn it.. We need her. I fucking warned you Ford.."

I've had enough of that shit before he even gets going.. No way am I going to let them pin this whole thing on me.. If Ellerie decides to transfer to Delta Force, it won't just be because of me, and these two fools need to see that.. "Are you fucking kidding me, West?"

He gives me a warning look, but I ignore it..

They both need to own their actions.. I may have overstepped in my concern for Ellerie's safety, but these two have little but the pitiful excuse of letting their prejudice against outsiders and the FBI cloud their judgment of her..

Far more than I ever did..

They treated her as though she was untrustworthy.. Something that would have hit hard for her, given the effort she put in.. Of all the mistakes I've made, not trusting her was never one.. "She's not an idiot, you think she didn't notice the way you guys excluded her?.. I'll admit I fucked up, I got overinvested.. But you guys.. You didn't invest in her at all.. Why would ahe stay?"

Patrick's face is set to stunned and I'm not sure whether it's from my calling them out, or by my admission..

Calling my feelings for Ellerie and 'over-investment' is about as close as I've gotten to admitting out loud that those feelings actually exist..

I have no idea how its going to sit with the bossman, given the last woman I 'overinvested' in was his only sister.. My love for Dahlia is what got her killed, something I'll never forgive myself for and I doubt West will either..