by Lexi Blake
“Oh, I was so worried about you.” Emily was looking down at him.
His head was in her lap and she brushed a hand across his hair. He felt so sick he couldn’t move.
“Here, I’ve got a cool rag.” Ariel’s voice hit him like a slap in the face.
He had to get up.
Emily gently pushed him down. “You’ve had an episode. You need to move slowly or you’ll get sick again. Ariel heard me shouting and came in to help. She said this happens when you’re trying to remember. I’m so sorry. I did this to you.”
He wanted Ariel, but Emily was correct. If he moved right now he would get sick and make it all worse. He was forced to lay there, his hands shaking as Ariel handed Emily the towel.
“Do you want to talk about it? I can write down what you remembered.” Ariel’s gorgeous eyes were staring down at him.
He didn’t want to write anything down. He wanted to go to bed with her. He wanted to shake off this horrible feeling and lie in her arms until he felt human again. The last thing he wanted to tell her was that he might have abused his wife. She’d been scared of him in that memory.
And he’d been so angry.
“He doesn’t need to write anything down. He needs to forget,” Emily insisted. “If this is what happens when he tries to remember, then I want him to forget. Babe, you don’t have to do what she tells you.”
Ariel started to stand again, but he reached for her hand, stilling her.
“I was in Loa Mali with the magical attack crab,” he said.
Her eyes softened and she smiled at him. “You were my hero that day.”
“What are you talking about?” Emily asked.
“When he starts getting caught in a memory that’s hurting him, I’ve trained him to find a memory that’s one hundred percent his, that no one ever tried to take from him. It grounds him and allows him to find his way out again.” Ariel took a deep breath and stood. “Though we’re lucky he was sober enough to do it. I remember how full that bottle was, Rob.”
She sounded like a disappointed wife.
“Tucker helped with some of it.” He was feeling good enough to sit up. “Though I should go and take a cold shower. That will shake off the rest of it.”
“You should take some more time.” Emily moved in beside him. “I’m a nurse. I should stay with you tonight.”
“And Rebecca is a doctor. A neurologist. I assure you, she can handle Robert’s needs.” Ariel held a hand out and helped him stand. She sounded awfully territorial, and he liked that. Despite everything they’d been through today, he wanted her so badly.
“It’s not a problem. Rebecca is right down the hall,” he assured her. “But I’ll be fine. I won’t go down that road again. At least not tonight. I’ll be a good boy and get some sleep.”
“Excellent because you should know we’re going to have a guest tomorrow. Kim is coming in. She’s going to be with us for a while,” Ariel said. “She’s going to explain quite a bit tomorrow.”
That meant they were in for some drama. His men would be nervous about having the Agency involved. Two members, really. Sometimes he felt like the bone two dogs were fighting over. “All right. I’ll get some sleep then. Emily, thank you for the help. I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”
“I would do anything to help you.” Emily got to her feet.
“In the morning you can sit down with Ezra and tell him everything you know about McDonald. That’s how you can help.” He wanted so badly to not feel like she was smothering him every time they were in a room together. It was a sick feeling in his gut that had nothing to do with the memory he’d tried to catch.
Or did it?
“Can I see you again?” Emily started to move toward him.
He took a quick step back. “I’m sure we’ll see each other. We have a lot of things to decide on. But I need some sleep. Good night.”
He walked away and forced himself not to look back.
* * * *
Ariel watched Robert leave and her heart ached. Was she making the right choice? It was obvious he was in turmoil. Robert was the calmest of the men, the one least likely to make himself sick chasing a memory. He’d learned that a long time ago, but from the moment they’d set foot in Germany he’d been on the edge.
Should she go after him? Should she accept that they were different and had to deal with things differently? She hadn’t forgotten what Ezra had said. She was cutting the relationship with Robert off more out of fear for her own heart than for his good.
“I would like to read any and all medical records you have on my husband. I want to speak to Dr. Walsh as well.”
Ariel turned Emily’s way and the woman’s whole demeanor had changed. She was staring at Ariel with a haughty look on her face. She’d gone from soft and sweet and pleading to full-on cast-iron bitch. Wasn’t that interesting? “That’s up to Robert.”
“He’s my husband. I’m a nurse. I have the right to know what’s happened to him and whether or not he’s ever going to be able to remember his past. I’ll float that question by the neurologist.”
Ariel squared off with Robert’s wife. “You can certainly speak to Rebecca, but I think she’ll have the same rules as the rest of the medical world. His medical records are private unless he chooses to share them with you. I’ll ask him if he wants to assign those rights to you.”
“He assigned them to me when we got married,” Emily insisted.
“That was another man in another life. He’ll have to make that choice again, and trying to force yourself on him will only make things worse. Robert is a kind man and for the most part he’s perfectly reasonable, but he can be stubborn.”
Emily sneered her way. “You don’t have to tell me who my husband is.”
“That’s what I’m trying to explain. He’s not the same man. After what he’s gone through, how could he possibly be the man you married? I was told Ezra explained the program Robert was a part of?” She’d hoped she wouldn’t have to go over this with Emily.
“Yes, the disgraced CIA agent talked to me. Quite the team you have around you.”
That was interesting. “Somehow I don’t think Ezra discussed his status with you. So that makes me wonder how you know.”
“I talked to Dante this afternoon. He was very open about how bad things are here.” She stared at Ariel for a moment, her arms crossed over her chest. “I thought you were planning on doing the right thing.”
“The right thing?” Ariel’s mind was working overtime because there was much more at play here than she’d thought.
“Obviously you’re involved with my husband. Anyone with eyes and ears can see that. I thought you had decided to do the right thing and back off. You need to stick to that plan because I have no intention of giving my husband up.”
“He doesn’t remember you,” Ariel replied despite the fact that she was fairly certain the other woman wouldn’t listen to a word she said. “He might never, and it’s his choice as to what he does with the rest of his life. And who he spends it with.”
“I’m not leaving here until I convince him to come home with me. He needs to be with me.”
“He’ll make that choice. He’s not a child.”
“No, but according to Dante you treat him like one,” Emily accused. “He’s your lapdog. It makes me sick to think about it. You were supposed to be his therapist. He was vulnerable and you took advantage of him. You’re still doing it.”
It was time to extricate herself from this conversation because her anger was rising. “I’m not having this conversation with you, Ms. Seeger.”
Emily pointed a finger her way. “You’ll be having it with a lot of people because I intend to find out what really happened. You’re keeping him locked up. You won’t let those men out in the world. That sounds like imprisonment to me.”
“That’s not my call, but I can put you in touch with someone who can help you.” She knew exactly who to throw this problem to. “His name is Ian Taggart. You can
call him and tell him everything you hate about me. And you would have done better to have stuck with the wounded wife play.”
Emily’s gaze turned distinctly wary. “What is that supposed to mean?”
She shoved down her anger. She needed to be calm and truly assess the situation. “I was off my game. You walked in and I panicked. You are everything I was afraid could happen. I love Robert. I’ve loved him for a long time, but I didn’t take the chance because I was terrified that you would be out there somewhere. Naturally you show up just as we’ve gotten comfortable. I wasn’t thinking straight. I put myself in your shoes. How would I feel if my husband was back from the grave? You’ve taken it quite well.”
“How can you say that? You don’t know what I feel.” Emily finally looked less than confident.
It was absolutely true that she could never know what another person felt deep down, but beyond the first tears, Emily had been calm. According to Ezra she’d listened to everything he had to say and hadn’t asked many questions. “You’ve been very accepting of the situation.”
“I’m still in shock,” Emily replied.
“Have you called anyone? Your mother? A friend?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“So you haven’t told anyone at all what’s happening?” No one had taken her phone. She could have used it at any time.
“I don’t know how to tell them yet.” She seemed surprised by the question. “It will be shocking to them, too.”
She’d been so upset about Robert’s wife showing up that she hadn’t taken the time to ask pertinent questions. “Robert’s whole team died. Now we know his death was faked. Yet, you haven’t asked about them. Did it not occur to you the rest of the team might have survived, too?”
That seemed to shake Emily. Her jaw went slack before she answered. “I assume they used the bombing as a way to hide the fact that they took him.”
“Ah, logic is hard, isn’t it? You think Senator McDonald somehow managed to know that there would be a bombing, Robert’s whole team would perish and he would survive, and then somehow managed to have someone waiting there to scoop him up? No. The logical conclusion is that bombing was staged and McDonald took a whole team. She needed subjects, after all. Yet you didn’t ask about any of the other men.” She knew she wasn’t being kind, but her mind was rapidly filling with suspicion.
“I’m too concerned about my husband. And I didn’t consider the rest of it. You’re right. They could be alive, too. Another thing you and your group have to answer for.” She moved closer, her eyes lit up with something like righteousness. “You should have had his face out on the news. You should have been looking for his family. You didn’t want that because you wanted him. That’s why. You’ve kept him all to yourself.”
“I’m going to assume Ezra explained the situation to you. If you try calling the press, I’ll have to handle you myself. You will put them all at risk if you do that, and I won’t stand for it.”
Emily looked her up and down and obviously found her lacking. “What are you going to do? Talk me to death? I doubt it. I will be speaking to Mr. Taggart, and I assure you when we’re done here, Russell will come home with me. He loved me. Underneath it all he still loves me. You’re a bump in the road.”
In some ways, it was good her past was out in the open now. “You’re going to be a body in a bag if you don’t back off. And as to what I’ll do to you, I’ll use my skills as a former British Intelligence agent. My specialty was wet work. I was very good at it. Do you know what wet work is, Emily? It means I’m very good at solving problems. Permanently. Are you going to be a problem for me, Emily?”
Emily’s eyes narrowed, but she took a step back. “I don’t know that I believe you.”
“Good, then that makes two of us.” It was time to really figure out who Emily Seeger was and what Robert’s life with her had been like.
“Hey, uhm, I know that I should run and hide because I am seriously scared of the violent estrogen raging through this room right now, but I also promised Rob that I would make sure you’re both okay.” Tucker stood in the doorway. “Ari, are you going to kill her now?”
Emily rolled her eyes. “I’m going to bed. Tell my husband I’m fine despite the fact that his side piece insulted me.”
“I am not going to tell him that.” Tucker shook his head.
“Well, you’re useless as ever then.” Emily breezed by.
“It’s good to know my reputation precedes me. And, dude, that was some serious intimidation you had going there.” Tucker walked in and picked up the Scotch Rob had left behind. “She’s not as sweet as she seemed. She’s one of those chicks who’s super nice if she wants you and ugly to everyone else.”
“Or she’s hiding something. Pour me a glass. What did she mean you’re useless?”
Tucker picked up two glasses and poured them each a drink. “She does not like being in the same room as me. Seems to adore Dante and Sasha though. Didn’t have a problem with Owen. I guess it’s just me. I’m okay with it. She gives me the creeps for some reason.”
Ariel took the glass he offered. “I want to know more about her.”
“And I want to know about you,” Tucker said with one of his heartbreakingly handsome grins. “Assassin lady. I like it. Tell me all.”
She sighed. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Thirteen
“You did what?” Robert stared at Sasha, his gut twisting at the words he’d just heard come from the other man’s mouth.
Sasha sat across the kitchen table from him. They weren’t alone. Dante had a mug of coffee in front of him but had so far been silent.
“I read the files Green gave to us.” Morning light filtered in but it did nothing to soften Sasha’s harsh features. His eyes were always bloodshot, his face marked with the scars he’d taken during their time with McDonald. “I took the drive from you because I knew what would happen. I knew you would rethink things the moment you laid eyes on Ariel again and then you wouldn’t share it.”
Sasha wasn’t wrong. He’d opened the files and browsed through them, but he hadn’t called the guys in for a meeting. Ariel hadn’t tried to take it from him, hadn’t denied her former occupation. And he’d decided to think the whole thing over. Then the scene with Emily had happened and he’d known he would wake up in the morning and give the drive to Ariel. He’d allow her to share what she felt comfortable sharing. He’d intended to give her the power back because deep down he trusted her.
Her past was over. She was a therapist now and on their side. She’d quit MI6 a long time ago, and surely the meeting with Solo was about finding out how she could help them now. He’d justified all of it in his head this morning.
“You had no right to do that.” The words came out of Robert’s mouth in a harsh grind.
When had Sasha taken the thumb drive? He’d kept it on him the night before. Or he’d thought he had. By the time he’d gone to bed he hadn’t been thinking about the drive, and this morning when he’d woken, it had been gone. He’d come out to accuse Ezra of taking it, but the boss had already left. He and Ariel and Peter were on their way to pick up Solo and bring her back for a briefing. He’d come to the kitchen to prep his men and found out they were the very ones who’d taken the drive.
Sasha frowned his way. His laptop was open in front of him. “I had every right. That information was given to you but it affects all of us. Do you know they’re bringing in Solo?”
“Yes, I know. They’re picking her up because they don’t want her coming here on her own.” At least that was what Ezra had told him over the phone. “They should be back in half an hour or so.”
“And you’re all right with that?” Sasha asked. “You know what’s going to happen. She’s going to come into this club and start dictating how we live. I thought we were trying to avoid becoming CIA stooges.”
“Or they just wanted to string us all along until they could find a way to use us to get what they want,” Dante s
aid. “They seem to have found the right combination now. I never thought Ezra would be the one to bring in his ex-wife. Perhaps they have lied about their animosity.”
“Why would they do that?” He was sick of this. They needed to have it out and it wouldn’t wait until they were back in London.
“To keep us off balance.” Sasha shook his head and looked at him like he was a pathetic, naïve child. “We are inconvenient to them now. I’m sure they started this with the thought to help out, but as you Americans say, the shit is getting real now. We know too much and so does McKay-Taggart. If the Agency decides to come down on them, the best play they have is to give us up. Not Owen and probably not you. But the rest of us are fair game, and this is not a game I wish to lose.”
“No one is selling you out to the Agency. If they’d wanted to do it, why wait? And why sell us at all?” Robert asked. “We all know that Levi got an enormous amount of data from Colorado.”
“It wasn’t enough,” Sasha replied. “It couldn’t have been or they would leave us alone. And we’re dealing with several different factions within the CIA. If Solo can be trusted, she claims she’s working for someone who is diametrically opposed to Levi’s bosses.”
Dante shrugged. “I don’t know why they do anything. I only know that they are lying to us. They are covering up their dealings and I’m done. I say we go to Kronberg and get this intelligence ourselves. Then we will have power. Then we can force them all to do our bidding for once.”
“You’re talking about the file Ariel thinks Kronberg is holding on to?” Owen walked into the room, followed by Rebecca. “I read her memo this morning. Apparently we’re saving the briefing for later.”
“Ariel is bringing Solo in to talk to us.” He felt a weird numbness. “We’ll have a briefing then.”
“Well, we’ll hear what the Agency wants us to hear,” Dante grumbled, his accent thick. “Has anyone thought about the fact that yesterday we find out there is some kind of blackmail documents out there, a file that ties powerful people to Dr. Walsh, and today Solo shows up? Do you understand what we could do with that file?”