Read Dangerous Ground 2: Old Poison for Free Online

always knew what the other was thinking. Except Taylor hadn't known about David Bradley or the fact that he and Will weren't going to be working together, and the memory of that left him bewildered and off balance. How long had Will known? Why hadn't he told him? And how did he just happen to be working with David Bradley of all people?
    “Let's go,” Will said curtly, wiping again at the blood on his elbow.
    He led the way in a forbidding silence down the crowded street to where they had parked earlier that morning. Somberly aware that he could have got them both injured or even killed—
    and in such a stupid way—Taylor followed docilely, unspeaking.
    A few feet from the SUV, Will pressed the key fob to unlock the car. They both got in. The leather was warm from sitting in the sun. Emmylou Harris jerked into “Together Again” as though she had never been rudely interrupted.
    Will didn't start the engine.
    “You want me to drive?” Taylor asked. His hands were in worse shape than Will's, but Will seemed more shaken by their near miss.
    “No.” Still Will made no move.

    Dangerous Ground: Old Poison
    27

    Taylor was painfully conscious of Will's nearness, his still-not-quite-even breathing—
    although that was emotion, not physical stress. He said, “Why didn't you tell me about Bradley?”
    “I did. What do you think that was?”
    In Taylor's opinion, Will's terse tone was defensive. He tried to keep the accusation out of his own. “How long have you known?”
    “End of day yesterday.” Will gave him a hard look, which Taylor turned to meet. “I didn't tell you last night because I was afraid you'd react exactly like you did, and I didn't want to ruin your birthday.”
    Taylor nodded curtly. He deserved that for flipping out, but it had shaken him badly, the entire conversation. Including the part where Will admitted he'd have been happier if they'd never become lovers. That still hurt too much to examine, so he put it aside to enjoy later.
    “How long are we working apart?”
    Will shook his head.
    Taylor stared out the window at the shady street, the shop windows full of overpriced junk.
    Will said, “It won't be for that long. They've got you and Varga doing protection detail on the wife of some East African minister.” He added, “Cooper plans on filling you in himself, so don't let on I told you.”
    Taylor nodded absently. “Maybe it's the first step to splitting us up permanently. Maybe he knows about us.”
    Will shook his head.
    “You don't know that for a fact.”
    “He doesn't know.” Will's eyes met his. “I haven't told him. You haven't told him. No one else knows.”
    “Come off it,” Taylor scoffed. “We work for one of the largest and most efficient security agencies in the world. You think they don't occasionally run a check on their own employees when something flags? And we've sent plenty of flags up in the last few months.”
    Will was silent. At last he said, “I don't think so. I can read him pretty well. I didn't get any impression this was anything but expediency. Bradley and I have worked together—and well—
    in the past.”

    28
    Josh Lanyon

    Taylor didn't want to hear the answer, but he asked anyway. “Did you ask for this assignment?”
    “Absolutely not.” Will turned to face him. “Tay. No. I did not ask to work with Bradley. I don't want to work with anyone but you. I don't want to be with anyone but you. Why don't you believe me?”
    Tay . The only time William called him that was in bed. Hearing it in this context was disconcerting but reassuring.
    “If you tell me, I believe you.”
    But Will was still not over being angry. “Why would I have to tell you this? It ought to be obvious by now. We're practically living together.”
    “Yeah, but we're not living together,” Taylor said. “And you don't want to live together.
    And you said yourself you'd be happier if we had left things alone.”
    Will groaned and dropped his head back, staring at the