Impact Zone

by Cara Carnes

  22

  “If you need anything at all, I’m just a call away, okay?” Doctor Sinclair offered a smile as she waited for Rhea’s response.

  Rhea nodded. It’d been two days since the panic attack in the hospital room and things were much, much better. Fallon had taken up residence at the cottage with her and Bree. The two were constant presences whenever Rhea’s family was around—which was often.

  But enough time had passed, and Rhea’s parents had made it quite clear it was time that they discuss a few things as a family. In private.

  “Thanks. For everything,” she replied as she let the doctor out.

  Rhea kept the door partially opened and looked at Fallon. Arms crossed, glower in place, the man had zero intention of leaving her with her parents and Rhianna. “Fallon.”

  He took the few steps to close the distance and kissed her softly. “I’ll be nearby if you need me.”

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “Love you more.” He kissed her once more, then left.

  “He’s so hot,” Rhianna said with a sigh when the door closed.

  Rhea laughed. Heat rose in her cheeks when she turned. She’d been younger than Rhianna the last time she’d kissed someone in front of her parents.

  “Come sit, sweetie,” her mom said, patting the loveseat beside her.

  Rhea glanced at her father, who stood facing the small mantle where Bree had set out framed photos of them and their friends. He picked up a framed picture of Mary, Dylan, and Jessie.

  “She’s a beautiful child,” he commented.

  “She is.” Rhea tightened, waiting to gauge her father’s temperament, which would set the tone of whatever this familial discussion was.

  “I never much cared for Bree. This place had trouble written all over it when we were here last,” he said.

  “Dad, they’re good people,” Rhianna defended.

  They were. The very best.

  “I admit I was wrong about both.” Her father set the photo down and turned. He moved to the chair nearest her and sat. “I’m sorry, Rhea.”

  Rhea blinked. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

  “I do, and we all know it.” He reached over and took her hand. “I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. Not the first time we were here, not when you phoned and warned us about Stan.”

  “She phoned?” Rhianna asked. “Why didn’t you tell me? Dad, you can’t keep important things like this from me. It’s not fair. I should’ve known she was in danger. What if the commandos hadn’t kept her safe?”

  “We should’ve been more understanding of the work you do here and its importance, to you and everyone else,” her mother said. “We see now how vital what you do is. That young man Jacob took us around, showed us the compound and your laboratories. The way he spoke about Vi and Mary, you’d think they walk on water.”

  “He’s pretty sure they fly around in capes like superheroes,” Rhea said with a smile. “They saved his father’s life. Twice. He’s biased.”

  “He mentioned something about that,” her father said. “He had quite a bit to say about you, what you do here to keep the operatives safe. I had no idea.”

  “I love what I do, Dad. I know it isn’t what you had in mind for me. It’s not what we both thought I’d become, but I’m so happy.”

  “I can tell,” her mom said with a gleam in her eyes. “He’s a lovely man, though a bit gruff.”

  “He warms up to people on his own time.” Rhea took a deep breath. “I love him.”

  “We figured that much out,” her father said, resignation in his voice. “I’ll admit he’s protective. I like knowing he won’t let anyone mess with our baby girl.”

  Rhea smiled. It was the closest thing to approval she’d ever gotten from her father.

  Her father looked at Rhianna, who sat on the coffee table facing Rhea. “You should know your mother and I had a chat with Rhianna before we came down here. We didn’t want her surprised by anything that might come up.”

  Rhea dared a peek at Rhianna, whose eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Damn. Guilt rolled through her. She’d waited too long to broach the topic. She was mad.

  Wait.

  She was smiling.

  “Seems intelligence runs in our family. She’d already put a few things together, figured something wasn’t quite right,” her father said.

  “Well, duh. I have green eyes. Neither of you do. And my blood type is A positive. Neither of yours is,” Rhianna said with a laugh, then looked at Rhea. “But I look so much like you I figured you might be my birth mom.”

  “I’m so sorry. I love you so much, Rhianna. I just couldn’t…”

  “I know,” Rhianna cut her off. “Mom and Dad told me everything.” Tears shimmered down her cheeks. “You were so young. And what happened with the hysterectomy and everything. I’ll admit I was pissed when I first figured things out a few years ago. Like, really, really pissed. At Mom. Dad. You.”

  “You never said anything,” Rhea’s mom said. “You should’ve come to us, Rhianna.”

  “I was going to confront you all, but my friend kind of slapped some common sense into me. I mean, what did I have to bitch about? Nothing. I had a mom who loved me so much she gave me a great life she couldn’t provide when I was born. And she stayed in my life.”

  God. Rhea blinked back the tears. Rhianna was such an amazing girl.

  “I wanted to make it work. I swear I did. But I was so angry at myself back then, at the fact I’d lost the ability to have kids so young. I wasn’t in the right headspace to be a mom.” Rhea took a deep breath. “None of that is an excuse for what I did. I was an insolent little shit that made some extremely bad decisions because I wasn’t brave enough to stand up for what I wanted in life.”

  “I figured I was a mistake,” Rhianna whispered. “Brittany says no one as smart as you would intentionally get pregnant, not when you had your choice of full-ride scholarships to four Ivy League colleges lined up.”

  “You were never, ever a mistake,” Rhea said. She knelt in front of Rhianna, caught her gaze. “You are the most precious treasure ever given to me, sweetheart. That’s why I trusted Mom and Dad to care for you. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I have never regretted my choice. Ever.”

  “That doctor talked to me yesterday,” Rhianna said, pulling her lower lip into her mouth as she looked about the room. “She’s pretty cool.”

  “Yeah, she is. She’s super smart and a great listener. I’ll be meeting with her for a while,” Rhea admitted.

  “Yeah, that’s what she said.” Rhianna shrugged. “She thinks I should probably talk to someone. You know, about the adoption thing. I mean, I’m cool with it all and I get it, but she says it’s important to fully process things and not…”

  “Not suppress things,” Rhea whispered. She clasped Rhianna’s hands with hers. “She’s right. I’d imagine you’re still a little angry we didn’t trust you with this earlier.”

  “She thinks so.”

  “We’d always intended to tell you, dear,” Mom said.

  “I get it.” Rhianna looked down at her feet. “My father? What was he like?”

  Rhea’s father grumbled, but quieted when Rhea’s mom shot him a look.

  “Eddie was a charmer, always into a little bit of trouble that he always got by with because all he had to do was smile and everyone would melt.” Rhea laughed. “You have his smile.”

  “I do?”

  “Yeah. And his eyes.”

  “Did you love him?” Rhianna asked.

  “My world back then was…” Rhea halted. Her parents had given her a wonderful life. She’d had everything she could possibly want back then, had so many opportunities few her age had. But she’d been locked away in a prison of expectations—one she’d been too afraid to fight her way out of because she hadn’t wanted to disappoint the two people she loved most.

  “We made a lot of mistakes back then, Rhianna,” Rhea’s father said. “I
made more than anyone. I grew up in a household where the father dictated what everyone did. He chose the careers. Made life decisions. It was his right.”

  Rhea tightened.

  “Rhea didn’t get to voice what she wanted,” Rhea’s mom whispered. “She loved music, just like you. Her playing the cello sounded like angels in concert. So beautiful and such talent.”

  “Julliard,” Rhea’s father said. “Rhea wanted Julliard, not Harvard Medical.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Rhianna whispered. “I play guitar. Mom and Dad let me take lessons and I’m in a band.”

  “I know, and you’re so talented,” Rhea said. “Mom sends me recordings all the time. I have a whole playlist of just you.”

  “Wicked.”

  “If you want, and if everyone agrees it’s okay, we can track Eddie down.”

  “Did he know about me?” Rhianna asked.

  “He knew.” Rhea caressed Rhianna’s face. “We were so young, honey. Neither of us were ready.”

  “Did he visit? Ask how you were? Anything?” Rhianna’s voice rose. Red appeared in her cheeks.

  “We weren’t very approachable back then,” her father said.

  That was an understatement. They’d threatened statutory rape charges on him. Rhea kept silent a moment, then realized an awkward, tension-filled silence had descended. “People change over time, Rhianna. Dad’s right. After I got out of the hospital, I was so angry and bitter and filled with self-hate and all these emotions I couldn’t understand or control. I wasn’t approachable. Mom and Dad loved and protected me from everyone and everything because that’s what we thought was best back then.”

  “So he may have cared,” Rhianna said.

  “I’m sure he did.” Rhea blinked back the tears.

  “Maybe one day we can find him. I bet Jacob could track him down easily.”

  Oh boy. Rhea took a breath and laughed at the glint of suspicion in her father’s gaze. Rhianna was so much like Rhea had been back then. Awe and curiosity filled her voice when she mentioned Jacob’s name.

  “Jacob could definitely find him.”

  “He just got his doctorate, and he’s not even twenty-one yet. He promised to show me around Operations later, said he had to get Edge’s permission first. Who’s Edge?”

  “That’s Mary. Edge is a codename she uses for missions. Vi is Quillery.”

  “Cool.” Rhianna licked her lips and lowered her voice. “What’s Jacob’s? Or is it a secret?”

  “You’ll have to ask him,” Rhea whispered back. “Though, I’m thinking we tackle all things Jacob the next time you visit.”

  Rhea’s mom chuckled. “He’s a nice young man. Though, he’s a little old for you, dear. We’ll chat about it later. Rhea needs to get to the debrief Fallon mentioned. The sooner they get everything finished, the better for everyone.”

  As if on cue, Fallon entered the small living room. His gaze scanned everyone, then rested on Rhea. Though he remained quiet, the intensity he exuded warmed her insides.

  “If you need more time, I can have Mary hold the debrief,” Fallon said.

  Mary. When had he started calling her Mary instead of Edge? Rhea cocked her head to the side but didn’t ask. It’d wait until they were alone, which would hopefully be soon.

  She hugged both her parents, then Rhianna. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.”

  There’d likely be a lot more they’d have to work through and talk about, but Rhea was committed to doing whatever was necessary to get Rhianna in a good place about what she’d discovered.

  Fallon wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out of the cottage and down the sidewalk leading toward the whiteboard room. “You okay?”

  “Yes. She’s so amazing, Fallon.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me. She’s a lot like you.”

  “She figured it out years ago, because of her eye color and blood type. Can you believe that?”

  “Doesn’t surprise me. She’s a lot like you,” he repeated with a grin.

  Rhea punched his stomach. “I wish we could forget about the debrief and go to bed.”

  “You tired? We can postpone for it another day.” Fallon halted and turned her to face him. “Are you feeling bad? Maybe we should take you to see Logan.”

  “I’m fine.” Rhea wrapped her arms around him and inhaled his scent. “I want you inside me, Fallon Graves. I want to make love to you all night.”

  “That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Fallon whispered. “I wish to hell we could skip this, too, but they’ve held it off awhile already. There’s been developments with Addy’s part of the mission.”

  “Is she okay?” Rhea had been so wrapped up in her family and her own recovery she hadn’t even asked about Addy and her team and the missile auction.

  “Let’s go find out.” Fallon kissed her lips. “Then I’m gonna make love to you all night.”

  Fallon was relieved Rhea’s conversation with Rhianna and her parents went well, but he wished the debrief could wait. Blood surged southward and settled in his dick. He couldn’t wait to spend some time alone with Rhea tonight.

  Rhea was swallowed up by the women as soon as she entered. Fallon smirked and took his appointed spot on the wall beside Sanderson. Addy was usually on his other side. Not having the female team leader there felt…

  Off.

  Fallon didn’t like the fact she’d been drawn into handling the Russian terrorist portion of the op, but he hoped other teams could now be dispatched to help.

  “You good?” Nolan asked as he took Addy’s typical spot.

  “Yeah, ready for this to be over, though, so I can spend some alone time with Rhea,” Fallon admitted. “Any way I could borrow one of the unused cottages for the night? I’d rather not have Bree as an audience.”

  Nolan chuckled. “Yeah, the cottage nearest Mom’s house is open. Key’s under the mat. Security code is 0815.”

  “Isn’t that Riley’s birthday?” Sanderson asked. “I thought the women told you all to stop using her birthday as a security code.”

  The man shrugged. “We haven’t gotten around to changing the cottages over.”

  “Thanks,” Fallon said. “I didn’t thank you for saving our asses in the forest. My mind was on Rhea.”

  “No thanks necessary. That’s what teams are for. Glad everything worked out.”

  Surprise rippled through the room in excited squeals and yelps when Vi entered the room, Jud on her heels. The man glowered at everyone, then gingerly guided her toward her seat at the front of the large conference table.

  Vi, not Quillery. Fallon finally realized what he’d failed to fully understand until Rhea stole his heart. The two women who’d been such an important factor in his life were no longer Edge and Quillery first and foremost. They were Mary and Vi, wives and mothers.

  Everyone hugged and doted on the new mother a moment, then Mary drew back. “Not to be the negative one, but what are you doing here?”

  “Exactly what I asked,” Jud growled.

  Fallon chuckled.

  “We discussed this, Judson. Your parents were more than glad to babysit Destiny, and this meeting was too important to miss—especially since I was the one who spoke with Bob.”

  “There are these marvelous inventions called phones,” Jud commented dryly.

  “Destiny?” Bree breathed the word. “I love it!”

  “Destiny Daniella,” Jud said with a wide smile. “She’s gorgeous, just like her mom.”

  “He’s a bit biased, but totally right. She’s perfect!” Vi said with a sigh.

  “Okay, let’s get this done so we can get the new parents home,” Dylan said. “First off, all operatives are out of the San Antonio hospital. Donovan is on the mend. We’ll be bringing a PT crew on board soon to help him work through his injury. It was one of the missing components to the Warrior’s Path Project, so it’s time to get that done.”

  The line rang.

  “Addy?” Zoey’s voice rose o
ver the conversation in the room until it stilled.

  “Yeah, my team and I are here.”

  “Status?” Mary asked.

  “Auction was called off when word got out that the Cuba facility was destroyed,” Addy said. “Kristof has a bead on the organizer and assures me we can get in with the crew, either in the next auction or beforehand.”

  “You trust him?” Zoey asked.

  “He’s sufficiently motivated, thanks to you,” Addy said, her voice dry. “Apparently, Stacia is worth any risk.”

  Fallon noted the sarcasm in the woman’s voice and wondered what the history between her and Kristof Lavrov was. The tension whenever he was mentioned was palpable where Addy was concerned.

  “My team and I will be headed to your location tomorrow,” Nolan said. “Should we get a third team on standby?”

  “It couldn’t hurt,” Addy admitted. “We did recon where Kristof was told the missiles are. Initial count was thirty armed soldiers in a randomized sweeping pattern. With drones similar to those Carlisle used in Cuba.”

  “The bastard sold the tech,” Bree said. “That’s not surprising, but who the hell else has it?”

  “We’ll hopefully find out the answer to that soon. HERA is decrypting the data we’ve pulled from the Carlisle takedown. So far, most everything points to the Russian terrorist cell,” Cord said.

  “They’re the go between,” Fallon said.

  “Which means we’ll need to scour their intel for all potential buyers—of the weapons and the tech,” Addy said. “We’ll definitely need a third team on hand, preferably a techie.”

  “I can tag along with Nolan’s team,” Cord offered.

  “That works,” Jesse said. “With Carlisle out of the picture and the Tucson and Cuba facilities destroyed, we shouldn’t have any troubles from that front.”

  “The Russians took a substantial hit in Florida thanks to the raid,” Marshall said. “Close to four million in drugs was seized, an extremely large weapons cache, and two individuals Homeland had flagged as potential shot callers for the North American crew.”

  “Any computers or records?” Vi asked.

  “No.” Marshall’s jaw twitched. “Which is strange.”