by Abby Gordon
If he could see that there was more to her, then maybe she could do the same with him. It was something to hope for. To work for. That made him pause a moment. Just what did he want? First things first, he decided.
“I’ll have to ask her to show it to me,” he said quietly. So many things he didn’t know about Ginny’s life. About what she’d done to live, to create this home for their son. There were so many things he didn’t know about his son. “Charlie? When is your birthday? What is your favorite subject? Your favorite book? Video game?”
“You really want to know?”
Max heard the skepticism and understood. Charlie was being confronted with a lot for anyone to deal with, especially a nine year old who’d just been told the truth about his father. Max wondered what the boy would do when he found out the truth about his mother. It was obvious Ginny hadn’t told him anything about the Agency.
“Yes. I really want to know.”
There was a long, drawn-out sigh.
“Hoo-kay, here’s the low-down on Charles Arthur Erickson. I was born on March 15th, two weeks early, but Mom says considering how big I was that early was a good thing. Since she’s not an Amazon, I figured my father was tall and big.” He eyed the man now sitting in the chair again and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I was right. School? I know the cool thing is to say lunch or recess, but I love computer class.” He gestured at the scattered wires and motherboards on two upper shelves of a bookcase. “Hardware or software, I love to figure it all out.”
Max got up and picked up one of the complicated pieces, reading the small neat print that labeled each wire. He was impressed.
“Wow,” he murmured. “Pretty good stuff. You do programming?”
“I’m working on my own video game,” came the shy response. “My best friend is great at coming up with these characters and we’re working on it together. Devon’s uncle works for a gaming company and is giving us some pointers. We want to get a demo for him by Christmas.”
“Your own video game?” Max glanced over his shoulder. “That’s very ambitious. You don’t spend all your time on it, do you? What are your grades like?”
Charlie blinked then scowled.
“Sheesh,” he muttered. “All grown-ups are alike. You don’t know my mother very well if you ask that. Nothing, I mean, nothing else gets done until she’s gone over my homework. If my grades drop, I can’t do anything. No baseball, no TV, no nothing,” he said emphatically. “Devon and I didn’t really get time to work on it until summer vacation started.” He shot Max a hard look. “What about you? Did you get married the last ten years? Have other kids or something?”
“No,” Max shook his head. He didn’t like the personal questions but his son was more than entitled to ask them. He realized Ginny hadn’t. “God, no,” he breathed. “I’ve never thought about getting married or anything.” Except once, he added silently.
There was a long silence. Each was absorbed in his own thoughts, trying to fully appreciate what they’d just learned.
“You really didn’t know about me, did you?”
Max lifted and shook his head. There was anger and confusion in the boy’s expression. And a struggle to understand how his world had turned upside-down.
“No, I didn’t.”
The anger burst through.
“Why?” Charlie demanded, pounding the bed with his fists. “Why did she lie to me? She always tells me to tell the truth but she lied to me about this!”
“To protect you.”
“Protect me!” sputtered the boy. “Protect me from what? You?”
Max shook his head and pulled the desk chair closer to the bed. He turned it around before sitting down. The time had come for honesty. As much as he could, he would tell Charlie the truth.
“From my enemies,” he said bluntly, resting his forearms on the back of the chair.
Suddenly, he understood Ginny’s reasoning. Polaris would stop at nothing to get Charlie. Simply because he was Ginny’s. And if it was known that Max was Charlie’s father? Max shoved the irrational fear aside and focused on the boy. On his son.
“Your enemies?” Charlie looked at him skeptically. “Yeah, right,” he scoffed.
“To quote your mom, do you want me to talk or do you want to keep interrupting me?”
Exhaling with a huff, Charlie leaned back against the wall.
“Okay, so talk,” he shrugged, waving a hand.
“Do you know what your mom does now?”
Charlie shrugged again and gave him a scornful look.
“She’s a secretary for some government office.”
Max shook his head and kept his eyes on his son’s face. This was going to be another shock. Not having a clue as to how Charlie would react, Max took a deep breath and plunged into the deep end. He had to trust that Ginny had prepared him even a little.
“No, she’s not a secretary. She’s probably going to be pissed at me for telling you, but I think you need to know the truth. As much as possible.”
“If she’s not a secretary, then what is she?” Charlie frowned. “I thought I knew everything about my mom, but now I’m wondering if I know anything about her at all.”
“Join the club. Women are enigmas in puzzles in mazes,” muttered Max, relieved by Charlie’s snort of laughter. “Yeah, that’s not the exact quote but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” Charlie nodded, grinning as they bonded over the strange ways of women. “So what is she?”
“She’s an analyst. She takes information from all sorts of sources and uses the data to figure out threats. We both work for a government agency. There were two that were organized after World War II. One is the National Security Agency.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard of that one,” Charlie nodded.
“Ours is the second and is even more clandestine. Our agency’s focus is internal. Everything the usual agencies you’ve heard of can’t handle because of laws and publicity, we get called in on.”
Charlie’s jaw went visibly slack as his mouth formed a silent “oh.”
“No way!” he whispered. “My mom was a secret agent? Like in the movies?”
Max nodded. Despite Ginny’s anger, he had a gut instinct that Charlie needed to know so he could react to anything that was said to him or might happen. Considering the way the boy had moved when he’d come home, Max figured Ginny had been training him to be prepared for anything. She had to have known that something would happen and had done everything possible to prepare her son without telling him why. Now he, basically a total stranger despite their blood bond, had to explain what Ginny’s maternal instincts wouldn’t let her do.
“She was an operative. There were six of us on the team. She was the only woman.” His gaze lowered a moment as he remembered. “The five of us men weren’t thrilled when we were told she was joining us. But after she dropped George, Sam, and Mark on their collective asses and shot as well as any of us, we figured she wouldn’t be the liability we thought she would be.” He could see the shock on Charlie’s face. “She’s hardly changed in ten years.”
“Why did she go to Vegas and do what she did? Why didn’t she call you and tell you she was pregnant with me?”
“The last morning, we were ambushed. All hell broke loose around us,” Max whispered. Damn, he should have tracked down Ginny immediately. Ten years wasted! “Your mother was in the hospital nearly three weeks and in rehab for another month. When she got out and went for her debriefing, she was told…” He closed his eyes. Instinct told him how Charlie would react. Opening his eyes, he met the boy’s gaze. “People told her that I’d blamed her for the mission failing.”
“You did what?” Charlie shouted, leaning forward on the bed with his fists. “How could you do that to Mom?”
“I was in a coma at the time, Charlie,” Max said quietly. “It was a lie.” The boy settled back down, still obviously upset for his mother. “I didn’t leave the hospital for two months and was in rehab nearly four more months. I still hav
e gaps in my memory, particularly about what happened. Ginny was told I was back on assignment undercover. So she did what she thought she had to in order to protect you.” He held his son’s gaze. “Charlie, even if I’d been aware of what was going on, I wouldn’t have blamed her for the mission failing. I was the team leader. It was my responsibility. My failure. Not Ginny’s. She did everything asked of her, and more. Maybe if we’d paid more attention to her then just maybe we would have succeeded. We were a bunch of chauvinists. Your mom paid the price.”
Charlie was quiet for a few moments. Max saw Ginny in him as his brow furrowed in thought. Idly, he wondered if his son had Ginny’s memory. And was startled to realize how quickly and easily the phrase had come to his thoughts. His son.
“Do you have that many enemies?” Charlie finally asked.
“Enough,” he drawled, sighing as he glanced down. “I’ve been on my share of missions over twenty years. The more I’m out, the less paperwork I really had to deal with. And I hate paperwork,” he shuddered with exaggeration. Charlie grinned appreciatively. “So, yeah, I’ve my fair share of enemies. But none who would come after me like one in particular.”
Max clenched his jaw. He shoved down the fear that rose in his throat. Fear would get him nowhere. Especially if Polaris found out about Charlie. And Ginny. He raised his eyes and held the steady intelligent gaze of his son. He prayed Charlie could handle one more shock.
“One of them just resurfaced. Polaris. He’s about as bad as they come. He’s the one we were after ten years ago. Two of the men who were with us were just killed. The rest of the team has been recalled and…”
“Two of the people you were with are dead? They were killed?” The boy immediately grasped that detail. Max could see the wheels spinning nearly as fast as Charlie’s mother. Logically, Charlie went the next step. “Mom. Someone could hurt Mom?”
“Not just hurt her, Charlie. Someone wants her dead.”
Charlie’s freckles stood out as he went stark white. His eyes popped in terror. Not the best choice of words, Shannon, Max swore at himself. Christ! The kid is nine!
“You’re going to protect her, aren’t you?” His hands fisted around the comforter as he leaned forward, eyes pleading. “You can’t let anyone hurt her!”
“I’ll do everything I can,” Max promised, touched by both Charlie’s concern for his mother, and his confidence in a father he didn’t know to protect his mother. “We have to get out of here. All three of us. Pack what—”
“What?” Charlie gasped. He shook his head vehemently. “No! I can’t go anywhere. We’ve got a tournament starting Monday. I’m the starting shortstop. I’m not…”
Max stood and stared at his furious expression. It was like looking in a mirror. Good thing, he decided, that he had a few years on the boy. Ginny said he kept her on her toes. She hadn’t been kidding.
“Charlie, you’re intelligent and I’m not going to insult you by talking down to you,” he spoke quietly. “What’s the best way for someone to get your mother to do what they want?” He answered before the boy could do more than stare at him with an open mouth. “They take you. Because anyone who knows anything about Ginny Erickson knows that she will do anything to keep you safe.” He leaned toward Charlie. “Remember? That’s why I didn’t know about you. With us as your parents, Charlie, you just became the number one target for our country’s worst enemies.”
He smiled slightly. How in the hell had his priorities changed so fast? He looked down at boy and understood what Ginny had done. This was his son. He would do anything to keep him and Ginny safe. And didn’t that just open up a can of worms he never thought he’d be dealing with?
“Luckily though, you have a hard-ass bastard for a father. No one’s touching what’s mine. First and foremost, that is you and your mother.” He tapped Charlie’s nose and straightened up. “Now, pack what you’ll need for a week, plus any books or games to keep busy.” Max started for the door. “We’ll leave in five minutes. Even if I have to drag both of you kicking and screaming to the car.”
“Hey!” Charlie called out.
“Yes?” Max paused at the door and looked over his shoulder.
There was an assessing expression on Charlie’s face. Max felt a growing respect for Ginny. Charlie wasn’t about to let him go that easily. Definitely his mother’s training. He wondered what Charlie would say. Charlie seemed to have inherited a smart-aleck, “keep ’em off balance” gene from both parents. In a gesture so like Ginny’s that Max could’ve sworn her face was superimposed over their son’s, Charlie lifted his chin with a challenging glint in his eyes.
“Mom said anyone telling me to do something would know her real name.”
Max stared even as the headache raged again to full force. God, the kid was so like him! Never trust anything just because he was told to. So young, dealing with so much thrown at him, and he had the presence of mind to remember what he’d been taught.
It was dark and he could feel the battle adrenaline rush through him. The weapon in his hand was hot from recent use.
She whispered something.
“What?” he frowned, looking at her. She was bleeding! God, so much blood was gushing from her shoulder.
“My first name. It’s not Virginia, like Al’s been calling me...” she swallowed. “If my family asks…so you’ll know.”
What had she said? The pain returned in a flash but gave him the answer. With a slight smile, he looked his son in the eye.
“Her real name is Guinevere,” he replied, turning and leaving before Charlie could respond.
Going down the stairs, he found a suitcase already by the door and Ginny cleaning the kitchen. She had changed into khakis, pulled a loose-fitting top over her tank, and wore sneakers.
“I thought you’d put up a fuss,” he commented.
“Yeah, cause that would be a good example for Charlie,” she fired back.
He frowned and went to her. Hands on her shoulders, he turned her to face him.
“Do you suppose you could give me the benefit of the doubt here?” he asked. “I wasn’t the bad guy ten years ago. I had nothing to do with what people said after that mission. I certainly wouldn’t have blamed you! I was the leader and it was my responsibility. I failed. Hush,” he glared at her when she opened her mouth. “Let’s deal with this situation and sort out the past when our son is safe.” That shut her up, he noticed. Like he’d told Charlie, she would do anything to protect her son. He also noticed that his body was responding to her proximity. He might as well give her something to think about. “And we’ll do more than talk.”
Ginny inhaled sharply, but his arms were wrapping around her waist and pulling her fully against him. Immediately she felt the hard length of him press against her belly.
“Max, we shouldn’t…”
“Oh, yes, we should,” he argued.
His lips nuzzled her neck and found the rapid pulse. Wondering if she was still as sensitive there, he lingered. He felt the shudder sweep through her and growled.
“Mine,” he breathed, nipping her soft skin.
“Max,” she sighed as her body melted into him.
“When I know for certain you and Charlie are safe,” he moved his mouth to her ear and found more nerves. “We will do more than talk, Ginny. Much more.”
His lips fastened over hers and Ginny could do little more than give him what he demanded. All he wanted was to lower her to the floor and slide inside her.
“Max,” she groaned. “I’m on fire.”
“I’m not putting it out,” he murmured, his hands smoothing over her ass. He held her so her hips cradled his erection. With satisfaction, he felt the quick inhale of breath as her breasts swelled against his chest. “Not until we’re both exhausted.”
Their eyes met and locked, finding an answering passion and hunger in the other’s gaze. A decade of separation disappeared as his fingers combed through her hair and his mouth covered hers again. This time she wasn’t passive. H
er hands moved over deep chest and broad shoulders to wrap around his neck. Eagerly, her tongue tangled with his and sought his warmth.
He groaned and the urge to take her right then nearly overwhelmed him. And felt the old fear well up right along with it. This time, he kept his mouth shut. Or rather, tightly locked on hers. This time, he understood. The only time he’d felt that fear was with her. No other woman had come close to meaning so much to him. Then she had done it in six weeks, without even realizing it. Now, after years of being angry with her, all he could think about was making her his all over again. Marking her so she knew exactly who she belonged to.
“Oh, man!” came Charlie’s disgusted comment. “Gross!”
Max’s head came up sharply. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut tight. Charlie stood just beyond the foot of the stairs.
“Yes?” Max asked, raising one eyebrow.
Charlie rolled his eyes in a typical pre-teen reaction. He went to the backpack he’d left on the bench and quickly added the clothes he was carrying. He put in a leather toiletry bag and a hand video game pack.
Ginny caught her breath at her son’s expression. It wasn’t anger, more like embarrassment. At catching his parents kissing in the kitchen. It was almost…natural. She blinked and looked at her son. She hoped that she might be able to keep her son’s love. That somehow the three of them might be able to deal with this situation and have a future. She hadn’t dared hope like this in a decade.
As if bored with the adults, Charlie went to the front window. By the curtains, Charlie stiffened and looked over his shoulder.
“Hey, Mom, there are two black vans turning into our drive.”
“What?” Max was next to him in seconds. He swore furiously. “We took too long. Lock the doors.” He started yanking the heavy curtains closed. “Charlie, get upstairs and lock your bedroom door. Barricade it with everything you can.”
Max looked down into the terror in his son’s eyes. He sensed Ginny rushing to the front door and heard the bolts being thrown.
“Go, son,” Max murmured, a hand on his shoulder.