𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗲

38 - Price of Power.

I was completely immersed in my thoughts, completely oblivious to the world outside my head. I didn't even register the sound of footsteps nor the squeaking of the door hinges when Sawyer stepped into the room.

"Where the hell did you go last night?" he bellowed at me, for a moment disregarding the fact that I was his boss.

My eyes flicked up to him, eyebrow arching in confusion at his sudden outburst. "Why?" I simply asked, allowing him a chance to explain his emotional eruption.

"What do you mean why?" His voice ramped up in volume, eclipsing his earlier shout. "Jesus, Frankie, we're over here beefing up security, dealing with threats coming at us from all angles, and you just ghost on me like it's some sort of game!"

Oh, that.

"I'm sorry, you're right," I conceded, "I was caught up and didn't want to leave Noah unprotected, especially not without the only person I trust with my life by his side."

I'm not usually one for kissing ass, but it seemed to do the trick this time around.

"When did you learn to kiss ass like that?" Sawyer's stern face broke into a grin, the amusement clear despite his attempt to hold it back.

I gave him a dry grin in return, continuing, "Look, Sawyer, your worries are mine too. You play an indispensable role in my life. I hope you see, your work doesn't go unnoticed."

It wasn't easy to get Sawyer to soften up or be swayed by sweet talk, but he seemed a tad less tense now. The usual furrow of worry that marred his forehead eased up, and he slumped into the chair across from me, his hands finding a resting place on my desk. "I'll give it to you, that was pretty slick."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said with a half-hearted smile.

His gruff and slightly abrasive mannerisms always seemed to jar me out of my contemplative states. Not a bad thing, mind you. It grounded me and prevented me from disappearing too deep into my own head.

"Alright, what do we have on our hands?"

"We've got extra men on board now," Sawyer reported, brow furrowed. "No dropping the ball now, especially you. We need to be prepared for whatever he throws at us."

"I promise," I nodded, "No more sneaking around without giving you a heads up."

"Make sure you keep to that," he said gruffly, his gaze drifting to the photograph in my hand.

Lifting it, I offered him a clear view, "Found this among my dad's stuff. It's been driving me up the wall trying to figure out the connection between dad and Big Solly."

The moment I brought up the old photo I'd discovered in my dad's garage trunk, the stoic expression that Sawyer had mastered over the years crumbled unexpectedly. Having known him for three years, getting a read on his thoughts was like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded.

But that didn't mean we couldn't connect. Far from it. Our bond was solid. It was this strange, unique thing where we could say a whole conversation's worth of words without even opening our mouths. A secret language that was just ours.

But this photo... the reaction it caused in Sawyer, that was new. His eyes betrayed him, revealing that he knew something and was holding back. I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me, like a brutal slap in the face.

Sawyer, keeping something from me? This was completely uncharted territory. And no matter how tiny this secret might be, it hurt to even imagine he could have something concealed away. This new doubt was unsettling, creating a little kink in our otherwise flawless bond.