Marie Harte - [PowerUp! 08] by Killer Thoughts Page A

years. He’d never had a complaint about her, though if what he suspected continued to build between her and Reuben, he might have to intervene. Reuben watched her like a hawk—when she wasn’t looking. They both acted like the other didn’t exist. Polite nods and small conversation if forced, but Owen felt the sexual tension. He didn’t oppose them dating, but things could get awkward if they didn’t get on well. And he didn’t want to lose the Knoxes or Dolly. It was hard enough to find people he could trust to live underfoot.
    A glance at Reuben showed him frowning at her friendliness with Caleb.
    Oh hell. Might as well accept the fact they’re going to mix it up sooner than later . Owen stifled a sigh. “And this,” he said as he waved a hand at Ian, “is Ian Ryder. Ian has been helping me track down Kerr.” He paused, not wanting to go into too much detail with the ladies present.
    Dolly seemed to read his mind. “I’m back to work, then.”
    Apparently, Bev too, because she smiled and said, “With more mouths to feed, I need to replan my meals.”
    The ladies left, and the group waited for Ian to speak. As usual, Ian managed to shock Owen and everyone around them.
    “Caleb Dalton?” he sneered. “Aren’t you that prick that benched Gavin because of a little mishap?”
    Caleb’s smile vanished as if it had never been. “Ryder…Ryder. Oh right. The fuckup who nearly broke the PWP before we officially disbanded. Caught stealing from the cookie jar one time too many, eh? So who did you blow to get out of jail the first time?”
    Owen watched the byplay, stunned yet titillated to see his old friend and his new lover duking it out. A glance at the others showed them equally engrossed.
    “Please.” Ian snorted, seeming not at all intimidated by Caleb’s clearly larger frame and angry frown. “The government begs me to use my skills to take down the enemy; then they want to jail me for it? I blew your brother, your father, and your boyfriend to get out. That’s who.”
    Caleb stared at him, the veins in his forehead prominent. “You little shit. First of all, no one asked you to steal four million from the Ops Fund. You did that all on your own.”
    “Hearsay.” Ian waved him on.
    “And second, ‘benching’ Gavin Caldwell was the right thing to do. The kid froze on an op and nearly killed two agents while doing so. He wasn’t ready for the big time, not then. From what I hear now, he’s doing great working for your boss. A formidable CPA, right?” Caleb asked Owen, overly polite.
    Fascinating. So Caleb had trained Gavin Caldwell at some point. Jack’s accountant, Gavin, was a whiz with numbers. He’d worked for Owen with another of Jack’s people to retrieve Chronicles , the book Kerr had stolen. But Owen still couldn’t imagine the quiet, pleasant man in the field. He just didn’t seem to have the temperament for the rougher stuff. Numbers and percentages? Sure. Murder and mystery? Not so much.
    Seeing that everyone was looking to him for an answer, Owen shrugged. “Right, Gavin’s a great accountant. He’s not exactly my employee, though. He works for Jack at the PowerUp! Gym.” Of which Owen remained a silent partner.
    “Keiser. Another asshole.” Caleb shook his head, this time with what seemed like reluctant amusement. “You really know how to pick ’em, Owen.”
    “You oversized, thickheaded dickhead.” Ian fumed and, to Owen’s surprise, moved right into Caleb’s personal space. “Jack Keiser is a better man than you could ever hope to be.”
    A rush of what seemed like jealousy flooded him. Ian’s defense of his boss should have made Owen feel better that Ian had a sense of loyalty to his team. Yet Owen didn’t like the thought of Ian praising anyone but him.
    You’re mine, you little thief.
    Instead of having to separate the two, however, Owen watched as Caleb chuckled.
    “You got that right. Jack’s a huge pain in the ass, but a great guy to have backing you