The Single Lady Spy Series Boxset

by Tara Brown

  My commitment to the cause and the desire to end this was refueled as I lay there, wrapped in my mom, listening to the morons fighting in the living room, smashing things we’d have to replace and injuring each other even though we all needed to be in tip-top shape.

  It was the end of the line and the stakes were as high as the tension.

  Luce shouted at them, screaming things like we are in this together. Jack joined her, likely breaking it up as the noise ended.

  Servario said something I didn't hear, though I caught the menacing tone, typical him, and Coop laughed bitterly, also typical.

  The sound of meat being hit, a punch to the face maybe, was the last thing I heard before I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of Mom humming and the way she smelled exactly the same as when I was a kid.

  But even the smell of her and the comfort of lying together couldn’t stop my brain from taking the memory train back to the moment Servario would have had sex with Elise. I was in the room with Mom. Traumatized and exhausted. He had climbed into bed with her and had sex with her after not being able to have it with me after he’d beaten me.

  It was official.

  I had the worst taste in men in the whole world.

  There was no saving me from the pain and agony I’d caused myself. I’d fallen in love with the devil himself.

  “Evie.” Servario came into the room, one of his eyes watering and red and his lip cut. His hair and clothes were disheveled. “Evie.” He pressed his lips against my forehead but I didn’t move.

  I lifted my gaze to his, hating how seeing him made me want to forgive him and make this all better. “You once told me you didn’t want to have to kill me to make the feelings you had for me stop. Gustavo, it’s not me you need to worry about. I’m not the problem for you. I was not the first person in your heart and I am not the last there. The feelings you have for someone else are a problem for you. They’re making you weak. You were tested and I was attacked because her loyalty has been questioned, which means so has yours. If you can’t see that, I don’t know how to help you.” I closed my eyes again and pretended he wasn’t there.

  The sound of his footsteps leaving the room faded as I tried to get comfortable.

  My thoughts were becoming confused and my ribs tormented me multiple times, not letting me get completely comfy, but I managed to fall asleep. Something resembling it anyway.

  23

  The end of games

  The next morning, I ate painkillers with my croissants and coffee while Facetiming with the kids and Fitz before Luce did my makeup and hair. The kids gushed because they were about to go for a helicopter ride with Judy, and Fitz had gotten them a puppy named Hedgie. He was a mixed breed Pomeranian and shih tzu with fluffy gray fur. They were picking him up after the helicopter ride but had multiple photos to show Mom and me.

  “How could he?” I asked Mom after we had hung up and Luce started on the plastic surgery I required.

  “Darling, he’s terrible,” she said halfheartedly as she read the morning paper. “I’ve tried to stop him. That horse. Now the dog. Pretty soon he’ll get them their own goats. He’s been like this his whole life. He was awful with your sister and you. I think not having kids was rough on him.”

  “This is just great. Something else for me to take care of. Like I don't already have enough shit on my plate.”

  “Pretty sure you just got rid of a few items on that plate.” Mom rolled her eyes. "Are we honestly not going to speak about last night?"

  "I knew something was up with Elise. I'm not surprised, just hurt and exhausted and I don't know what to say."

  “Stay still,” Luce growled as she did my lips with that magic stuff that didn't come off.

  I relaxed my face, trying to keep it that way when Coop sauntered in with nothing but jeans on. His abs had a small bruise, one of his cheeks was red, and his lower lip was fatter than normal, but all in all, he didn't look too bad. In the jeans with no shirt he was hot enough that all three of us ladies paused to appreciate the view, ignoring the bruising.

  “You all ready to get this ball rolling?” he asked us as he drank a cup of coffee and ate a chocolate croissant.

  “I guess so,” I was annoyed with him for not telling me what he'd seen. I was annoyed with myself for being so reckless with my heart.

  "You're mad at me?" he asked as he pulled a polo shirt on.

  "I don't understand why you didn't tell me what you saw." I should have waited until we were alone to get angry, but I didn't see that happening in the foreseeable future.

  "I was going to." He sounded sincere. "After the mission. I just want this over. I wanna go home and settle back into real life. And you make shit more dramatic than it needs to be. And you shouldn't have gotten involved with him in the first place. Anyway, we can discuss it another time. Today we focus. You and Helena will go over the final touches for the setup and decorations with Jack and the event planner. While Luce and I pretend to be your staff. When we check out the spot for the bombs, we'll plant the bots Jack wants in there. Simone is going to test them with the system back home. Servario left a message with Simone this morning that he has taken care of the Russians, so that should be interesting.”

  “We all knew he would clean this mess up. No one messes with Evie.” Luce lifted her brows at me.

  "No one but Servario." I rolled my eyes.

  “And then once we’re done today, we will stay in our respective rooms for the night, order in dinner, and prepare for tomorrow so we don’t blow this entire thing for some casual encounters with bad guys.” It was his turn to lift his eyebrows at me as he left the room.

  “That was harsh,” Luce muttered.

  “Whatever.” I shook it off. “I’m done. I’m over it. I’m completely detached and finished. All about the job now. No D goggles. I want to end this and go home."

  “Me thinks the lady doth protest too much,” Mom said cheekily.

  “Okay, I’m still in the ‘convincing me’ stages of it all, but whatever. I’m done. Servario and Elise can live happily ever after. Simone and Coop can too. Whatever,” I repeated myself, continuing to protest too much.

  “Okay.” Luce giggled. “You’re over it.”

  “You guys suck.” I got up and left, heading to my suite to get ready for the day. I was the duchess all day.

  And what a day it was.

  My heart was numb.

  My ribs were killing me.

  And my stomach raged with nerves and fears of “what if.”

  But we did it.

  I acted like a British duchess, slowly taking things in and smiling sweetly as Jack chatted the event planner’s ears off. Mom pretended to be his great-aunt and too old to care about anything as we got the tour and had the entire evening of the ball explained to us.

  The gala would be a smashing success.

  I checked my phone fifty times, ensuring Fitz and the kids were fine.

  Simone checked in with all of us multiple times, triple checking the details, locations, and expectations of everything. She was thorough.

  The tiny details weren’t overlooked and the major ones were exceedingly well prepared for.

  Finally, we entered the side room where the bots and explosives would be placed. A cool breeze entered the room with us, though the day was scorching hot. It was weird to know a lot of people were about to die here in this room where I was standing.

  I pulled off my sunglasses at the same moment Mom did. Jack’s face tightened ever so slightly as we peered around the stunning old area where the casino and opera house backed onto the gorgeous terrace with picturesque stairs leading to the sea.

  “And in here, we will have this space available in case anyone wants to have a private moment or needs to take a breather. We’ve already done clean sweeps as to the security measures you have spoken of. We’re keeping it incredibly tight. No one is allowed in or out until the gala begins.” The event planner, Maurice, beamed. She was also picture perfect. Her eyes sli
d to Jack too often but always made their way back to me. She would blush then. I didn't know what that meant. I assumed there was some rumor about Jack and I being a thing.

  “I’d like to go this way and check the restrooms to ensure they’ll have the security and comforts we want. Everything about this gala should convey top-notch service.” Jack pointed and led the young woman away, leaving Luce, Coop, Mom, and me in the room.

  “Get to it then,” Mom said, spinning in a slow circle.

  I followed her lead and took in the gorgeous room as our bodyguard and assistant took over, moving about the room, bugging it with bots.

  It was stunning.

  Fitz was right. It was a crime to destroy this beautiful piece of history.

  But also worth it.

  It meant the end of the Burrow. The end of hiding. The end of lying. The end of part- time parenting. I had plans for the moment this was all over. Kids. Yoga. Martinis. Friends. An office job. Easy stuff.

  “What a beautiful desk.” I walked to a large ornate desk to the side of the room. It didn't really fit the rest of the decor and was far too bulky but was gorgeous all the same.

  “That is lovely.” Mom admired it with me. “Are you ready for this?” she asked quietly.

  “Yeah.” I swallowed hard. “Did you warn Dad so he and Sissy can escape?”

  “Of course, darling,” she said but she lied. Her pitch changed. It was subtle and yet echoed in my mind.

  “Mom!” I turned, saying it too loudly and earning a scowl from Coop.

  “Not now.” She smiled and walked on, taking in the rest of the room.

  Jack came back moments later, still laughing and chatting with the lady. My focus was distracted by Mom’s weird lie. Why wouldn't she have warned my dad and Sissy? What was happening? Why was I always kept out of the loop? Were they already safe?

  We finished the tour and I went back to the room before Jack’s parents arrived. He was obligated to entertain, and my mom had turned in early so as not to be noticed by the family.

  On the bed in my room I found the red ring from Servario with a note. I groaned seeing it but grabbed the note and brought it into the bathroom with me as I poured the tub.

  “Don't be angry.” I read his single line aloud and lifted my gaze to find him in the doorway. My shoulders slumped almost instinctively. “Why are you here?”

  “I took care of the Russians. I used Brute’s phone and messaged them to meet him. They showed up, they died, it’s over. I sent some friends up into Russia to take care of any loose ends. It looks like I am making a move to seize control where Saransk left off, by taking over the industry and killing anyone loyal to him. Typical move for someone like me." He shrugged it off. "And by tomorrow night everyone else who knows anything about you or your family will be dead anyway. There won’t be anyone alive and in the game. Which will put me at the top of this hill. They won’t dare retaliate against me.” He stepped into the bathroom but he wasn't the confident man I knew. He was different, broken or a shell of his former self.

  “I don't care about the Russians,” I lied. “I knew you would deal with them. I care that you lied to me, after we agreed no more lying.”

  “I got drunk—after the—shower.” He struggled with that sentence more than any other I’d heard him say.

  “I don't want to hear this.” My insides were in knots.

  “I was dying. I’d betrayed you, and Saransk had lied to me and tortured you and there were people watching me. I'd brought the CIA agents into the house. I’d vouched for your mom as one of my double agents who worked with Elise. I was under scrutiny the whole time. I couldn't act.”

  “I don't care.” I backed up as he stepped closer.

  “I drank too much vodka, drank all day, trying to rid myself of that memory and ended up doing something else I will regret forever.” He scowled, swallowing hard. “It wasn't just cruel to you. It was also a horrible thing to do to her. I feel sick over it, and I know you won’t forgive me, she certainly hasn't, but I wanted to say, I am sorry.” His apology reminded me of the one I’d given him on the plane, about Coop. We really were a mess.

  “Okay. I forgive you.” There was no emotion in my voice or in my heart. The story made me sick and being near him made me want to punch him in the face. The D goggles weren’t working anymore.

  “But you hate me still. And I understand. I just wanted to tell you once more before anything happened that I love you and need you to keep that.” He handed me the ring I'd left on the bed. “Please. Keep it and remember me. In case this doesn't go well.” The way he said it made my stomach twist. “Promise me you will wear this ring. Promise.”

  “Yeah, fine. Why are you saying this?” It wasn't just his tone, but his facial expression also stressed me out.

  “There is one way out of the mess I’ve made by loving you. One way to prove I will always be a man of honor. Just know, all of this is for you. It always was.” He almost smiled and then turned and walked out of the bathroom.

  He was so cryptic and dramatic, I didn't know how to cope with that.

  Not that it mattered.

  Tomorrow it would all be over.

  24

  The gala

  I checked the pins in my hair again, to make sure there were enough of them, in case. My stomach was filled with butterflies and they were banging on my rib cage to get out. They banged harder when I put on the red ring Servario had given me. He’d made me promise to wear it.

  Luce and I changed for the event in silence. By the time I finished her makeup, I didn't recognize her either. She was stunning in the black Dior gown. I stood next to her in my red Valentino and tried to catch my breath. We would be the belles of the ball. Murderous belles.

  “Ready?” she asked, attempting a smile but the terror in her eyes was intense and all I really saw.

  “No. Absolutely not.”

  “Did you Facetime the kids?” she changed the subject.

  “I did. They had Hedgie, who happens to be the cutest fluff ball on earth.” My voice cracked. Seeing my kids playing with the dog while Ralph glared from the corner had made me laugh so hard I cried. I could have cried at this moment too, but the tears would’ve ruined the makeup Luce had worked so hard on.

  “Let’s do this.” She tucked one more hairpin into my hair, slid another into her own dark mass of curls, and passed me my eye cam and earpiece. We put them in simultaneously. I blinked my eye cam into place and whispered, “Check?”

  “All good. I got your eye and the sound is great,” Simone answered immediately.

  “Okay.”

  I turned to Luce, knowing from here on out we would have to be on our best behavior since Simone was watching everything.

  We walked from the room, our footsteps echoing along the hardwood floor to the tiles and elevator. We gripped the miniscule clutches we carried, matching our gowns, and stared at the brushed metal of the elevator doors. She handed me my mask for the event. I pulled the small sparkly façade over my eyes and took a deep breath.

  My heart was in my throat.

  In the lobby, Mom was already laughing and talking with Jack and wearing her mask. Jack’s laughter died the moment his eyes landed on Luce. He swallowed hard. She offered a slight wave as she strolled past them. Mom winked.

  Luce and I went to our posts, the bar inside the gala.

  It was my first moment of being able to really turn and see the room. There wasn't a corner that wasn't breathtaking. Everything about the space was stunning.

  “Holy shit.” Luce admired it with me. “This is nuts. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

  “Me either,” I agreed.

  "It's like something from a Disney movie, if Disney made princess stories about murder and espionage," Simone whispered, taking it all in with us.

  Luce and I both grinned bitterly at the comment.

  People began to file in through the main doors. Some of them I reorganized and most I didn't but all of them admired the ballr
oom full of tables and chandeliers and glittering stemware. Even the backs of the chairs were magnificent.

  The main dance floor had a stage with a full symphony orchestra playing softly.

  My fingers began to sweat as faces I recognized filtered in, some in masks and others not. They hadn’t disguised themselves the way we had. They wanted to be seen. The event was everything for people who wanted their social status known. Being invited made you someone. Little did they know, they had been invited because they were someone to us.

  “Evie, can you focus on the group of people to your right once more, please?” Simone asked with her musical little voice.

  I didn't answer but swung my head to the right, eyeing them up for her with the camera on my lens.

  “Holy shit, they’re almost all here. Between what you, Jack, Coop, and Helena can see, they’re almost all here.” She sounded excited.

  Luce sighed. “I’m going to powder my nose.” She stalked off to put the bots in the ladies’ rooms.

  “Coop’s done the men’s restrooms already.”

  “How are the kids?” I asked Simone without moving my lips.

  “Great and Hedgie is the cutest dog alive.” She smiled when she spoke.

  “Excellent.” I growled, “Damned Fitz.”

  “Can I buy you a drink?” a voice I knew all too well interrupted my complaining.

  I turned to see Servario, no mask of course. “I have a drink already.”

  He took my champagne from my hand and lifted it to his lips, letting the entire flute full slide down his throat. “Can I buy you a drink now?”

  “They’re free.” I couldn't help but smile.

  He lifted two fingers at the bartender who rushed, possibly scared of Servario. He placed a second glass of champagne and a glass of scotch in front of us. Servario lifted the scotch, his eyes lowering to my fingers where the ring was. His lips toyed with that grin, the one I wouldn't miss. The smug one that told me he predicted every move I’d make.