by Brynne Asher
“Get to the point.”
He leans back. “These so-called terrorist attacks? Most are lame in comparison. Terrorists don’t blow up malls at midnight, they do that shit at lunchtime on a Saturday. They don’t plant IEDs on a commuter train before the first run in the morning, they do it right before dinner when everyone is going home. Until—”
“Until Spain,” I interrupt.
He points at me. “Bingo.”
My insides tighten. The realistic part of me knows this won’t be the last piece of our puzzle—that would be too easy. But the other part? The romantic chump I’ve become prays this is it and I can finally announce to the world Isabella Donnelly is an innocent woman right after she tells me my sperm are superheroes. Then I’ll throw my boss and his boss in jail and we’ll all live like the picture on a Christmas card from now until forever.
Admitting this right now would ruin my CIA cred, so I keep my mouth shut.
“The bomb in Spain was not what it looked like. They pinned it on an MI6 and didn’t look back.”
I think I have a man crush on Penn Simmons. “You and I are playing on the same team.”
“Spain was not terrorism. Spain was an accident.”
“How do you know?”
“Told you I still have contacts everywhere. I know for a fact all the bomb materials matched. But that’s not what came out in the news. All the fucking media did was report on wide-spread terrorism. No one wants that on U.S. soil, so what does our military do? We offer more troops, more guns, more armored vehicles. The Senate Armed Services Committee is more generous than they’ve been in the history of our constitution and we’re not in the middle of an official conflict. This has been a trend for too long.”
“You’re confirming what I suspected, Penn. But what you’re not telling me is why someone wants you dead.”
His fingers thrum his knee and Macbeth proves how much she likes her master by ditching me. She’s up and in his lap in no time but Penn doesn’t pet her, he’s too focused on me.
“I might live in Switzerland, but I’m a patriot—” he throws his hand out to me “—whatever your name is. I don’t like anyone fucking with my country and I really don’t like it when innocent people are killed. I might’ve been playing superspy because I’m nosy, but it all changed when an American reporter paid me a visit.”
“Let me guess—Marie Kasey?”
He hikes a brow. “We do run in the same circles.”
“She’s on life support,” I inform him. “Shot in the chest.”
“No shit?”
“She was trying to blackmail a Senator.”
“A Senator from Florida who happens to chair the Senate Committee on Armed Services?”
“That would be the one,” I confirm. “Are you happy you didn’t shoot me now?”
He doesn’t smile, but his eyes relax a bit. “Yeah.”
“Why was Marie Kasey interested in you?”
“She said she was looking into DefenseJet and found the public records showing my company lost contracts repeatedly to them. Every damn time, we’d lose the bid. I got so sick of it, I started to lowball them. I was practically bidding at cost—no one in their right mind would turn it down. We never even got a second look. She discovered that and came to me to see what I thought about it.”
“And?”
“And I let on I knew more than I did, made a couple guesses, and then had her talking. Either Marie Kasey is more passionate about her job than anyone I’ve ever seen, or she had an ax to grind. I have a feeling it was the ax. Once I told her what I thought I knew, she gave me enough dots and the rest were easy to connect. But she must’ve run her mouth because, since then, I’ve had more close calls than I did in my entire career with the Marines.”
I narrow my eyes. “Someone important knows you know. If I were you, I’d get a cat sitter and take a vacation. My people won’t touch you, but had I blindly taken the order my boss gave me, those would not have been close calls. My people are that good.”
He pulls in a big breath. “Now what?”
“I probably have enough to get some people arrested but I’m not close to the end goal yet. I need to know who planted the bomb in Spain and who paid them to do it. I need money to change hands. You tell me about these dots you connected, I’ll tell you what I know, and then we’ll communicate on a secure line only. From here on out, you’ve got yourself an ally.”
“I need to know my wife and kids are safe.”
“We know they’re in Phoenix and have eyes on them. We’ll do what we can, but they might want to stay put for a while.”
He scrubs his hands down his face. “This is fucked up.”
He doesn’t know the half of it but I don’t say a word about Bella. I trust this guy but I don’t trust anyone that much.
“What do I call you?” he asks.
I shrug. “Cole. You don’t need to know more than that.”
“Okay, Cole. Where do we start?”
Chapter 30
You Were an Arsehole
Bella
“You really don’t need to do this.”
I throw a smile over my shoulder where Addy is sitting with a cooing Aimée in her arms. “You’ve recently had a baby, and we’ve not only taken over your lives, but your home. Cooking and doing some laundry is the least I can do to help.”
Addy has a garden big enough to start her own farmers market and Abbott was excited to explore. When she took my hand this afternoon and pulled me through the rows of vegetables in their crowning late-summer glory, we harvested more than enough for an Italian spread.
“It smells amazing. Bev and Morris have manned the garden this year since I could barely bend when it was time to plant. Of course it’s flourishing under their care. I’ve never gotten it to grow the way they have. Pretty sure Bev talks pretty to the plants as she weeds.”
“Abbott asked me a million questions and I had no answers. We had to find Red. He loves that child so much. They garden together—it was the only thing not touched in the fire.”
“Maya told me Grady has been handling his insurance. For your sake, I hope the reconstruction gets started soon, but you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need. There’s nothing I love more than this house full and noisy.”
“But does Crew feel that way? I’ve only worked with him from afar. He seems to like his privacy.”
She shifts her bundle of joy to her shoulder and Aimée snuggles into her neck. “I was an only child—it was only my mom and me. I want my people around me. Before I met Crew, my staff knew they could walk into my house anytime. Sure, Crew likes his privacy but he understands what I need too.” Her smile turns content. “He’ll do anything for me.”
I move away from the chicken to stir the fresh marinara before turning to her. “It’s strange for me to see the people I work with on the other side like this. I like how they have it all. They deserve it.”
“You do, too, Bella.”
I shrug. “I never said I didn’t.”
“No, but you should know, with Crew, you have nothing more to prove than anyone else. Not because of what you’ve been accused of and certainly not because you’re a woman. I probably shouldn’t be telling you this because it’s not my lane and all, but when this is finished, he wants you to keep working for him.”
Hmm.
I turn back to my chicken and crack eggs into a bowl.
“Bella,” she calls for me.
“Hmm?” I answer aloud this time as I dredge the slices through flour, then egg, and followed by seasoned breadcrumbs.
“I suppose you’ll have options. From everything I’ve learned, your last name should carry you far, and your government would be crazy not to reinstate your job.”
“I’m not sure. And I’m not sure I can simply allow the water to flow under the proverbial bridge. I’d like to think I’m a bigger person.” I turn and hold my hands up since they’re covered in sticky muck. “But I’m also bitter and angry and there�
�s nothing more I’d like to do than stick it to the arseholes who tried to bury me.”
“I don’t blame you one bit.”
“But that’s if I can clear my name. There are times when it feels like we’re on the verge and others when I want to say screw them all and allow Cole to create an entirely new identity for me so I can run away to live in the mountains. But I know I’d be bored out of my mind. I don’t have it in me to quit.”
Addy pats the baby’s bum. “You’re like the rest of them. Crew is supposed to be retired. Same with Grady and Asa. My husband doesn’t have it in him to sit even though he could. Bella, for the last few weeks Crew has been planning. And girl, however this ends, you have options.”
I don’t get a chance to ask what those options might include. What these men do, they’re important and their actions are needed when it comes to the whole good versus evil. Their jobs serve a purpose and have a place in the process. But that does not mean I want to travel the world and do what governments can’t do legally.
But I don’t tell Addy this and it’s not only because Crew strides into the kitchen with his eyes on his wife and newest daughter. “Smells good.”
Addy looks up to her husband. “I told her she didn’t need to cook but she wouldn’t listen to me.”
He leans down to kiss her right before he snatches Aimée away from her mother and rests the baby in the crook of his arm. “If it tastes half as good as it smells, she can do whatever she wants.”
Addy smiles at her husband. “I was telling Bella how you’re planning.”
Crew returns her smile with a frown, but he’s not packing much power behind it. “Are you stealing my thunder?”
Addy’s smile spreads into a grin. “Yes.”
Crew gives her the side-eye before setting his gaze on me. I’ve learned something about Crew during my time in Virginia. He’s different around his family. The word normal comes to mind, even though I don’t care for that word. Normal only stuffs a person into some boring box, leaving the rest as outcasts. I know this all too well since I was not normal growing up.
But when it’s time for business, Crew’s entire aura transforms. He’s sharp and cunning and someone you don’t want fucking with you. I’m happy this man is on my side.
“I’m making plans. When the time is right, we’ll sit down and talk. Know I’m doing everything I can to make sure you have a place here to do what you do best.”
“That means the world to me.”
“Also, I just came from camp. Cole left Simmons’ house and it sounds like it went well. I’m sure he’ll be calling you soon.”
“Thank you. I wanted to get over there but it was lovely to spend the day with Abbott, especially after what happened last night. Dinner should be ready in about forty-five minutes and there’s enough for a small army.”
“Good, since it’s what Crew is trying to build,” Addy adds.
Crew smirks but doesn’t disagree. “Aimée and I are going to walk the vines since it seems we’re running each other’s businesses now. Let me know if you make an official offer to Bella.”
Addy laughs and I’m pretty sure she’s the only person on earth who can roll like that when it comes to Crew Vega. I love it for her but, more so, I love it for him. He needs balance. My mum gave it to my dad. In the past week, I’ve felt the craving for it deep in my soul.
“Bella,” Addy calls for me after Crew walks out the back door with the little one.
“Hmm?”
“Telling you to be patient seems cruel after what you’ve been through. But I promise, it’s worth it.”
“I’m seeing that.”
She stands and fixes the pile of long dark hair on top of her head. “The cook needs wine. I’ll be back.”
Yes, I do think the cook needs a glass. I could get used to living on a vineyard until Cole can rebuild.
Cole hasn’t called me but he did text. He said everything went well—better than we’d hoped. He was managing another case for something completely unrelated, and despite his current status with the Agency, he did not want that case to go cold.
I understand even though I’m anxious to know everything and to have control over my own destiny. If it were anyone other than Cole, I would be in a fit of fury.
But it’s Cole. I find myself more relaxed than I’ve been in years. It could be the wine or being able to cook a full meal for the first time in a long while or sharing that meal with a fine group of people with whom I enjoy spending time.
Or it could be the fact Abbott asked me to read her a book before bed. I expected to like Cole’s child. How could I not? But I did not expect for her to pull at my heartstrings the way she has.
“You’re getting used to the country.”
I find myself on Crew and Addy’s patio once again. I didn’t feel like making the trek to the old farmhouse yet so I settled here for a few quiet moments, waiting for Cole to call. The view of the vineyard under starlight is a sight.
I look over and smile because Red has settled himself next to me again. “I’ve never lived in the country. I’ve vacationed or visited many spots in Europe, but never slowed down long enough to allow it to pull me in the way it has here.”
“You and my boy.” He shakes his head and tsks me. “You both need to slow down. You’re in the best years of your life. If it weren’t for Abbott, he’d still be chasing that high and I have a feeling you’re in the same boat.”
I lean my head against the cushion. “I was definitely in that boat, Red. I think I jumped ship and sailed the angry dinghy all by myself. It’s nights like this I realize I’m tired, yet I still want to work.” I take a big breath and close my eyes. “Am I crazy?”
“I’m not like you, Queenie, and I’m not like Cole. I wanted a life with his mama and a family. I did what I could do to support them but that was it. Besides them, I didn’t have a passion. I fix shit out of necessity because I can’t afford to replace it. You and Cole have no balance. He’s got me to help with Abbs and he swears up and down a broomstick you’re not going nowhere. But if you two don’t learn how to stabilize your teeter-totter life, you’ll waste the good years.”
My answer comes swift and honest. “I’m done wasting years.”
“Then you and Cole need to do what you do best and figure this shit out. I won’t have my grandbaby living in a house being targeted by a bunch of murderers. Just when you think the world is going to shit in a dirty toilet, life pitches you a curveball and your boss at the CIA wants to off you.” He shakes his head. “I worry about Cole. He’s always pushed the envelope, ever since he was a baby. I’d draw a line in the dirt with a warning and he’d see how quick he could cross it behind my back. I’d die if anything happened to him.”
“Red.” I reach for his hand and give it a squeeze, waiting for him to give me his eyes. “Cole does push the envelope, but I’ve always trusted him. Not only as a partner but with my life. Why do you think I’m okay with him traveling the world trying to solve my problem without me?”
He nods and pats my hand. It’s a lovely moment with Cole’s father, one I’ll never forget. It’s why, when he opens his mouth again, I’m simply flabbergasted. “You and him had better give me more granddaughters. Cole did me in. I can’t handle more boys like him.”
My eyes grow big. “Well, when we get to that point, I’ll have a chat with Cole. I’ll do my best for you, Red.”
A smirk appears. “Sorry I was an asshole.”
As opposed to his smirk, my smile is wide. “I’ve already forgiven you.”
He frowns. “You’re supposed to tell me I wasn’t an asshole.”
I give him another squeeze before letting go and looking out to the vines. “But you were an arsehole, Red.”
“I can see why Cole likes you.”
“Why?”
“You keep him on his toes.”
“He certainly keeps me on mine.”
“If you two can get people to quit trying to kill you, you might live a happy lif
e.” He stands and tonight he doesn’t plant a paternal kiss on my head. Instead, he yanks my messy ponytail. “Night, Queenie.”
“Goodnight, Red. I’ll be back tomorrow bright and early. I have a French date with your granddaughter.”
And the door slams shut after him.
Chapter 31
Kills Me
Cole
“Are you fucking serious? And you didn’t know until now?”
“I just found out who he was and where they’re going. My contacts have been asking around for me. We put it together. They hopped on a container ship headed to Quebec. That’s when I snuck up to their camp again to see if I could hear anything.” Raji is on foot, breathing as hard as his feet hit the ground, trying to get the fuck out of BFE where he’s been digging for information.
“Do you know where they’re planning to cross?”
“Vermont. They said it was easy.”
Dammit. For a bunch of idiot terrorists, they’re well studied. That part of the border is loose.
“Send me a report. I don’t have time to fuck around with the order of things. I need to make phone calls and I won’t be on the ground for,” I look at my watch, “dammit. Another three hours.”
The glass rattles in his old car when the door slams. “The way they were talking, they’re going to cross tonight.”
“The report, Raji. Like my ass isn’t in enough trouble these days. I need to at least look like I’m sticking to protocol.”
“Done—as soon as I get back to my apartment.” By the tone of his voice, I bet he’ll do it before taking a nap this time.
I stand and stick my head in the cockpit. “I need to reroute.”
The pilot glances at the fuel gauge. “How far off?”
“Vermont. As close to the Canadian border as you can get me.”
He rubs his chin. “Let me radio in and see what I can do. We should have enough fuel. I need a new flight plan and a clear airstrip.”