by Jacob Chance
“All right, all right.” Georgia steps up and changes my mind by placing her gun on the ground. “Bel, we have to.”
I reluctantly do the same with mine after Nash and Sam follow Georgia’s lead.
“Get over there.” Marx pulls Zoe up off the ground and pushes her toward Nash.
“What now?” I ask Marx, who hasn’t taken his eyes off me since I climbed out of the backseat.
“All clear.” He ignores me and keys an earpiece mic. Within seconds, we hear the sound of a heavy motor accelerating in our direction.
A black SUV comes to an abrupt stop in the center of the clearing. The dust it creates takes nearly a full minute to climb the cavernous quarry walls. Once it dissipates, the back door opens and a familiar face steps out.
“Director Aronson?” Nash, Sam, and Zoe look stunned.
“That’s Peter Aronson, the National Director of all agency Counterintelligence Programs.” Georgia moves in closer to me.
“I know who he is.” I don’t take my eyes from him.
“You do? How?” Georgia stays tight by my side.
“I once knew him by the same name but under very different circumstances.”
“Hello, Brennan,” He speaks directly to me, ignoring all of the others. “The years seem to have been kind to you.”
“What’s this all about Peter?” He seems to be in a talkative mood. And I’m more than happy to keep him that way.
“This is all about fate, Brennan. We were two bad men, doing terrible things during lawless times back when we met. Poor Mateo never stood a chance, did he?” Aronson laughs at the memory. “And now, all these years later, here I am, a powerful man shaping the events and future of this country from behind the scenes. And then suddenly, here you were, falling into my lap again like a gift from God himself.” He points at me. “You were the answer to my only problem. You can imagine my delight when I discovered your connection to Agent Smith. It was too perfect. I mean all I had to do was blow a puff of suspicion in her direction with your name attached to it and you were all she could see. She was so focused on you that she never saw me coming.”
“This was about Karyn all along?” Nash shouts the question at Aronson.
“Don’t be ignorant, Garrison. You can’t possibly believe any of this was about him.” He points at me in disgust. “Agent Smith was poking around one of my off-book operations. She even reported it up the chain.” He laughs. “Doing her job ended up being her undoing. She just didn’t realize what she was up against. The machine is too big and we’re all just tiny little pieces that can easily be replaced. Collins was just a means to an end, who has now become an incredible pain in my ass.”
“So what now then, Peter?” I step forward.
“Now, Brennan, we all have a decision to make. I’d like to go back to the way things were.”
“The way things were?” Nash asks.
“Yes. I’d prefer you all go back to work and we move forward.”
“And how would we do that?” Sam joins the conversation.
“It really wouldn’t be that hard at all. As you learned today with my dear friend, Dr. Morrisey, I have people throughout the agency willing to help me. And those who aren’t willing can be easily coerced.” He continues to talk to everyone else, but his eyes stay locked on me.
“But that really is up to each of you to decide. And I will need your decisions before we leave here today.”
“What about me? Do I get to walk away?” I ask.
Aronson laughs. “You know the answer to that question already. Sorry, but you don’t get to kill so many of my men and just walk away.” He stops laughing. “I’m afraid this is the end of the road for you, old friend.” He looks around at the rest and can see they’re not on board.
“I guess it’s plan B then.” He turns to Marx. “Call them in. Everyone goes.”
Marx immediately keys his mic to order in their backup. But it’s too late.
The entire time I’ve been talking, Georgia has been easing her way behind me. Marx and Aronson were so busy watching me, they failed to notice. Georgia falls onto her back, rolling up on her feet again with the gun I dropped on the ground now in her hand. Two quick pulls of the trigger and Marx is dead on the ground.
Nash springs into action, grabs his gun, and takes out the driver before he can get out of the SUV.
I stop Aronson as he tries to reach for a gun he left on the backseat. “I’ll hold that for you.” Snatching the gun from him, I use it to pistol whip him several times. I only stop after he spits a mouthful of teeth out at me.
“You’re all dead anyway.” He laughs in my face through what’s left of his blood-soaked teeth.
“He’s right. They’ll have heard the gunfire and be on their way,” Zoe shouts as Aronson laughs maniacally, taunting me.
“Go ahead,” he challenges. “You’ll be right behind me, asshole.”
I grab him by the throat and place the barrel of my gun directly against his right eye. “Before you go, I want you to hear something.”
I pull a burner phone from my pocket and press send. Mikey answers on the second ring.
“We’re all set. Proceed.” I hang up and wait. Within seconds, the quarry walls echo with the sound of automatic gunfire.
“I’m afraid your men won’t be able to join us.” The gunfire slows and then stops.
“All these assholes are dead. We’re outta here.” Mikey calls in the word that the tac team has been eliminated.
The smile leaves his face as I force him down onto his knees. “I was thinking about what you said. If the machine really is too big and we’re all replaceable…”
His eyes widen as I force the barrel of my gun into his broken and bloodied mouth.
“What are you doing?” Nash tries to intervene.
Aronson’s eyes begin to water, and his muffled screams don’t last.
I let his body fall to the ground at my feet and look to see that everyone else is unharmed.
“What have you done?” Nash is stunned as he stands next to me, looking down at the lifeless body.
“What needed to be done.”
Chapter Eighteen
Georgia
It’s been four weeks since Belfast and I finally got the answers we were looking for and were successful in getting retribution for Karyn.
After everything that happened, I decided that I didn’t want to return to the FBI. Even though Belfast and Mikey removed the threats, we can never be one hundred percent sure that no one else was in on their plan. Like Aronson said, the machine is too big and we can all be replaced. I’m sure someone else has already taken his place but I’ll leave that to the others now. I’m sure Nash, Zoe, and Sam will all be fine in their positions. They’ll always be looking over their shoulders though, that’s for sure.
Not working has been a big adjustment for me. I spent the first week getting used to not having to continuously look over my shoulder for an unexpected threat, and I carried my gun and phone with me at all times.
Not being at the office sixty hours a week seemed strange at first, but I miss it less than I could have predicted.
It’s been nice to have time to revisit some hobbies that I enjoy but haven’t had time for. Like reading a good book and cooking new foods. I even cleaned out all my closets and donated multiple bags of clothes to the Goodwill.
With Brennan’s help, I’m starting to remember how to relax and not be on the run every minute of every day. And it feels nice.
It’s funny how quickly a person can get sucked into that all-work-no-play mindset. And we convince ourselves that we’re lazy if we don’t continue to keep up that pace.
When week two of my unemployment rolled around, Brennan presented me with airline tickets to Ireland for both of us.
We left two days later and we’ve been traveling around the Emerald Isle ever since. I’ve never had so much fun in my thirty-six years. It’s been wonderful seeing such a carefree side of Brennan.
Th
e moment my feet touched down on Irish soil I felt as though I was finally home. All the worries back in Boston fell away, and now there’s only Brennan and me to think about.
We found an old farmhouse with acres of land all around us not too far from where he grew up, but not too close either. There’s a lot of work to be done here. The inside hasn’t been updated in fifty years, but everything still functions. The white house with the wide front porch is loaded with charm. With a fireplace in every bedroom and a stone wall that resembles a work of art along the front of our property, it feels like we’ve stepped back in time to simpler days.
There’s even a guest cottage for Mikey. He plans to join us as soon as possible. There’s no splitting him and Brennan up. And why would I want to? The two of them have each other’s backs like I’ve only seen at work in the field.
And having another expert shot around isn’t a bad thing. Just because we left our old life behind, doesn’t mean it won’t come looking for us someday.
“How are you feeling, luv? Any better?” Brennan comes up behind me and wraps his thick forearms around my waist.
Leaning back against the solid comfort of his chest, I realize that it’s time for the two of us to have a talk.
“Hey.” I spin around to face him, still held in his embrace. “We need to talk.”
His brow darkens with a deep furrow along the middle. “Are you sick?” His immediate concern for me is so endearing. How this badass guy who’s killed God knows how many men, has the most wonderful heart, I’ll never know. He’s honorable and trustworthy and my future is sure to be bright with him by my side.
But first we need to make it through this conversation, and I’m so nervous, that I’m not sure I’ll be able to get the words out.
“Hey, are you sick?” he repeats his question, looking worried.
“I’m fine. I’m not sick, I promise.” Glancing at his chest, I pull in as much air into my lungs as I can. I have to get a grip and get this over with. Just blurt the words out between us.
He raises my chin with his knuckle until our eyes meet. “Georgia, you have me worried. Do you hate living here? Did I rush you into something you didn’t want or weren’t ready for?”
I shake my head. “No, it’s neither of those things. But it’s kind of ironic that you mentioned not being ready for something because… I’m pregnant.”
He stares blankly at me, then blinks a few times. “What did you say?” he questions.
“No, don’t worry, you’re not hearing things. I told you I’m pregnant.”
“How did this happen?” he asks.
“We’ve had lots of sex, loads of sex, copious amounts of sex. And do you know what the one thing all that sex has in common besides you and me being the participants?”
He shakes his head.
“We never used a condom. Not one time. And normally that wouldn’t have been a problem because I’m on birth control. But I didn’t have time to pack my pills or even my clothes when we went on the run to North Carolina. And having never been a fugitive from justice before, I didn’t have my pills on me.” I ramble faster with each sentence I say, panicking. What if Brennan reacts poorly? I mean, he’s not exactly jumping for joy.
“Georgia.” He calls my name, and his deep voice calms me.
“Yes?”
“Are you going to give me a chance to respond or are you gonna keep talking?”
“No. You can talk.”
“Oh, can I?” He laughs. “I certainly didn’t expect you to tell me you’re pregnant. That wasn’t on my radar at all. In fact, it was like a universe away in my mind.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologize. Crap.
“Don’t you fecking dare apologize to me for being pregnant with my child. I’m sorry if you got the impression I wasn’t happy about this, but I was stunned, Georgie. Do you know what it’s like when you dream about something for so long but you don’t think it will ever happen for you?”
“I do. I always wanted to fall in love. I just never thought it would be possible with my career.”
“Exactly. It was the same for me. From the moment we met, I knew you were the woman for me, the only one I wanted to be with. But I never believed you’d be mine until you actually were. And even still, sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure this amazing life that I’m living with you, the woman of my dreams, is real.” He cups my cheeks with his hands. “But becoming a father,” he shakes his head, “I’ve never even allowed myself to go there. Never allowed myself to dream it could happen, because guys like me don’t deserve this much happiness. Guys like me don’t get to have a family.” He rakes his teeth over his bottom lip, fighting with his emotions.
“Well, guess what, Brennan? You’re going to be a daddy, and I know you’re going to be phenomenal at it.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve never met a man who was as protective of me as you are—not even my own father. I know you’ll be the same with our child. In fact, I bet you’ll be one hundred times more so.”
He chuckles. “Feck yes.”
My fingers massage his shoulders as I try to soothe his fears. “Then what are you so worried about, Brennan?”
“I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, Georgia. What if I’m not cut out to be a role model? What if she finds out what kind of man her father really is?”
“She?” I smile. “You think we’re having a daughter?”
“Aye.” He grins. “I’m not sure why. Call it a hunch.”
“Well, in my experience, your instincts are usually spot on. What makes you think they won’t be when you’re a parent?”
“Years of bad decisions and criminal deeds.”
“Brennan, I’ve never met a more honorable man than you. Don’t label yourself as a bad person because your past shaped you into who you are. That same past only makes me love you more. I know how much you’ve overcome. And I also promise you that your experiences will make you a phenomenal dad. The fact that you’re worried about this means it won’t be a problem.”
“Thank you, Georgie.”
“Please.” I wave a hand. “I’m only stating the truth.”
“No, you’re misunderstanding what I’m thanking you for. I’m not going to stop worrying about being the best dad I can be. It’s too important a job to take lightly. We’ve created another human being and we’re going to mold her into a compassionate, productive adult. It sounds fecking intimidating to me.”
I giggle. “Me too.”
“The best part is that we don’t have to do it alone. We have each other to walk side by side with through every step of the journey. What I was thanking you for is making my dreams come true.”
“I love you, Brennan Collins.”
“Love seems like an insufficient word for what I feel for you, but until I can find another, know that every time I say I love you, I mean... more.” He leans forward whispering a kiss over my lips making me feel cherished and more… just like he said.
Chapter Nineteen
Belfast
Ireland, Two years later
“Are you nervous, cousin?” Keegan asks, his mirthful brown eyes carefully observing my reaction.
“You know, I’m not at all.”
“Your balls aren’t shriveling up at the thought of screwing only one woman for the rest of your life?” His devilish smirk is present, as usual, on his face.
“Feck no.” I laugh. “You’ve seen my woman. She’s gorgeous.” In all the time we’ve been together, my attraction to her has never wavered. In fact, it’s only increased.
And if it grows anymore, I won’t be able to leave the house. But I don’t really consider chronic hard-ons to be a problem. Unless it’s possible to be too attracted to the woman you love.
Mikey wanders over, joining us, but stays silent.
I tip my chin at him. “Before I forget, I’m going to give you the rings.” Reaching in my front pocket, I pull out the diamond band I picked out and the platinum Cladda
gh ring Georgia chose for me. “Don’t lose them.”
Mikey scowls, annoyed at my remark. “When haven’t I come through for you?”
I clasp his thick shoulder. “You’re right. You’re my rock, brother.”
“And don’t you forget it.” He narrows his gaze at Keegan.
I battle back a smile. Mikey is worried about my cousin usurping his role as my right-hand man. “That’ll never happen,” I answer his silent question.
He tics his head in a slight nod.
“I’ll be back in a few. I need to see the soon-to-be Mrs. Collins.”
“Are you worried that she might pull a runaway bride moment?” Keegan questions.
“Remind me why you’re here.” I grin, ignoring his taunt as I walk away. Moving down the hallway, I find the doorway that’s separating me from Georgia. Raising my fist, I pound on the door. The buzz of female conversation cuts off before Shannon peeks her head outside the room.
“Where’s Georgia?” My voice is a boom and reverberates along the silent church hallway.
“She’s getting ready,” Shannon explains.
“I have something for her.”
“I’m happy to give her whatever you want,” she states.
“I’ll be giving it to her myself. If you wouldn’t mind fecking off so I can see my woman.”
Shannon snorts, peering over her shoulder at me with an amused look on her face. She’s used to my blunt ways and even appreciates them. As a well known prosecutor in Boston, she has to remain calm and controlled on a daily basis. And dealing with me is simple compared to that.
“Brennan,” Georgia calls out, scolding me as Shannon opens the door wide.
Zoe silently heads for the door, knowing it’s not worth arguing with me.
Her two friends step outside into the hall, and I enter, closing the door behind myself.
“Brennan, it’s bad luck for you to see me before the wedding.” Georgia smiles while chastising me.