by Jillian Dodd
"You hope he's still alive?"
I glance at the boy, who is running around in circles and giggling, trying to catch the bubbles. "For his sake, I do."
Lorenzo tilts his head and studies me. "And what about for your sake?"
I nervously twist my hands together. "I hope so even more."
"The boy adores you," he says, taking my hand in his.
"The boy adores you," I counter. "It warms my heart to see how he has taken to you, and how sweet you are to him. You have no idea how much it means to me that you allowed me to bring him here."
"I will do anything you ask of me, because I adore you." He smiles at the boy. "And I will admit, I like the kid. He's smart as a whip and cute as a button. And he already knows how to work it. You should have seen him his morning, sticking out his lower lip in a pout and giving the cook these big, sad eyes because she told him he couldn't have another brownie."
"I take it he got one?"
"Oh, yeah. Got me one an extra one, too," he laughs and rubs his taut belly.
"I promised his father I would keep him safe. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do that."
"Gallagher and I have already taken care of it. We've deposited half of the bearer bonds in London and the other half in Montrovia, and a trust has been set up. The boy will live here with a nanny who is an MI5 agent until his father's fate is determined. He met with the nanny this morning, and they are already best friends. I'm leaving four of my father's guards for extra protection, and the house is fully staffed. Gallagher messengered over British citizenship documents for the boy, and he will start school at the prestigious Wetherly Pre-Prep here in Notting Hill. I suggested taking the boy to Montrovia, but Gallagher didn't think it wise."
I cover my face, overcome with emotion.
"Lee," Lorenzo says, kissing me. "Both Gallagher and I can see how attached you are to the boy. And we fully understand why you feel that bond. We know what you, yourself, went through, and we know you want the boy to grow up differently, with or without his father."
"I can't thank you enough."
"Not to mention the fact that he saved your life. For that I will be eternally grateful." He grins at me and grabs my hand. "Come on, let's go play with the bubbles too."
I give Chauncey and Lorenzo hugs and kisses, tell them I will be back in a few days, and then get into a car with William Gallagher.
"I'm coming to Montrovia with you," he says. "Your brother contacted me and requested it."
"Really? Why?"
"I suspect he may have gotten some information from Clarice's home. Have you spoken to him?"
"No. I wasn't sure where he was, and I didn't want anyone to know I was here. The Royal Ascot is in a few days and Lorenzo wants me to accompany him. I told Black X that I would be taking some time off."
"And then you will receive another mission?"
"I assume so. Um, I also just thought of something. If The Priest is still alive, I think I know why he didn't join us. He might be headed back to America for retribution."
"Should we try to stop him?"
"No," I say, shaking my head. "Because the man he's going after is the guy who ordered the hit on my parents. The former President, John Hillford, Senior. That man double crossed him and tried to have him killed. He wants revenge."
"I don't blame him," he says. "When we get to Montrovia, it will be late. I want you to get a good night's sleep. We'll dig through the clues tomorrow."
"I want to go after the money man."
"The money man?"
"Yes, he's the guy who handled the financial side of things." I mention his name. "Ever heard of him?"
"Oh, yeah. He lives on my turf, and we've been trying to nail him for years."
"I want to find him and work my way up the chain. There's more going on here than a simple assassination. I need to find out what my mom was working on and why she was killed."
"I'll be happy to help you with that endeavor whenever you are ready."
After a quick stop in France and an airport change, Intrepid and I officially leave the country as William Gallagher and Huntley Von Allister.
It's nearly eleven by the time we get to the villa. Ari greets me with a hug and tells me I look tired.
Gallagher repeats what he said about me needing sleep.
I request a glass of wine be brought to my room, then go upstairs, change into a robe, and run a bath.
After the wine is delivered, I slide in the tub and let the warm water soak into my aching body. I call Lorenzo, letting him know that I arrived safely and am going to bed.
When I hang up, I notice today's date on the screen, and realize I can't go to sleep just yet.
At a few minutes before midnight, I sneak down to the kitchen in search of what I need. I find matches on the counter, candles in the pantry, and a cupcake in the refrigerator.
I set the cupcake on the counter, place a single candle in the middle, and light it. Then I place it in my palm, holding it out in front of me.
"Happy Birthday," I say out loud then I close my eyes and make a wish.
"What are you doing?" Ari asks, interrupting me.
"It's just after midnight. The twelfth of June. My birthday."
Ari gets a strange look on his face. "Are you telling me that today is your actual real life birthday?"
"Yes." I nod. "We didn't get to celebrate our birthdays at school, but I always snuck down at midnight and celebrated like this. I guess it's sort of become my tradition."
"Today is my real life birthday, too," he says.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
"Hmm," I say, holding the cupcake between us. "Make a wish, Ari. Then blow out the candle with me."
"One, two, three," he says, both our breaths extinguishing the flame.
"Happy birthday," we say to each other.
"Ari, how old are you?" I ask.
"Well, according to my legend, I'm twenty-one."
"But how old are you, really?"
"I'm now officially nineteen."
I stare at him.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because I'm turning nineteen today too. How weird is that?"
"It's quite weird, actually." He grabs his phone and types, then reads. "Although nearly nine hundred thousand Americans share the same birthday, only about ten thousand are born on any given date."
"And two of them just happen to be standing here pretending to be brother and sister?"
"We look an awful lot alike," he counters.
"I thought it was good casting."
"Don't you think it's a little odd how comfortable we are with each other? How well we mesh as a team already? How sometimes we don't even have to speak to know what the other is thinking?"
"Good training?" I suggest.
"I'm not attracted to you. You're beautiful, and I am pretty much attracted to anything with a pulse, but--"
"Not me? But you joked about watching my six."
"I was just giving you a hard time--teasing you."
"Are you suggesting that we are really brother and sister, like for real?" I ask.
"Brother and sister? Huntley, if we share the same birthdate and are related, that would make us twins." He stares at me for a beat then says, "What the hell?"
And I have to agree with him.
EPI:LOGUE
The leader of Black X sits in a smoke-filled room, enjoying a cigar. He knows he shouldn't smoke inside, but he's celebrating with good reason.
That illusive bastard The Priest is finally really dead.
Something he's been waiting six long years to happen.
"Sir, you're going to want to see this," the Ghost says, interrupting his celebration by throwing a laptop on the desk in front of him and pressing play.
He watches a live feed from the kitchen in the Montrovian villa.
Huntley is alone, standing by the large island with a cupcake in her hand, lighting a single candle at midnight just as she
did every year she was at Blackwood.
As she's getting ready to blow it out, Aristotle walks in on her.
They quickly discover the truth about their birthdays.
"This is bad, boss. They're going to start digging."
"And what if they do? Huntley's birth certificate shows her mother's real name, Kelley Bond. And Aristotle's adoption papers have been in place since he was born, showing that a Kelley Bonde gave him up. An unfortunate typo that wouldn't be that difficult for them to figure out. But that's the point, right? It's all part of their cover. Brother and sister, illegitimate children of Ares Von Allister. Now reunited."
"You and I both know that's not true. Kelley never would have given up her son willingly. When you told her he died shortly after birth, she was heartbroken."
"We had to give the boy to the General. It was the only way to get him to comply. Besides, she got Huntley. She couldn't have handled them both with her career."
"It was cruel."
"It was necessary."
"Do you think all this manipulation is worth it?"
"If we don't fight, who will?"
"You're obsessed with revenge."
He takes a puff of his cigar. "Yes, I am. And I vow to achieve it."
"Have you gotten any updates on her mental state? The old man said she went off grid. Do you know where she went?"
"She killed her mother's assassin. I would assume she felt the need to celebrate."
"And now what? She's accomplished her goal. What if she wants to quit?"
"We can't let that happen."
"Maybe it's time you tell her the truth."
"She and Ari will figure it out in due time. They are curious by nature."
"They are young adults living a dream life in the lap of luxury. There is no reason for them to continue our fight."
"If they want to continue living in the lap of luxury, they must. I suspect her focus will now shift to a higher goal. The Priest and X share many qualities, and we made sure she studied his work extensively as part of her curriculum. I'm told she had great admiration for the man. I was a bit worried that she wouldn't go through with it when the time came. I'm even more in awe of her abilities."
"The old man did a good job training her. You should give him some credit for that."
"She had innate gifts."
"Just like her mother," the Ghost agrees.
The leader picks up his glass and raises it into the air. "May she rest in peace."
The Ghost nods solemnly. "So what's next?"
"Some well-deserved time off, during which I suspect she will realize this is not over. Killing The Priest may have felt like retribution, but I expect the vengeance will feel empty once she realizes he was only the paid trigger man."
"You think she'll do the rest on her own?"
"If not, we'll make it her mission."
THE:END
GET: BOOK 3
THE SOCIETY
BOOKS BY:JILLIAN DODD
The USA TODAY bestselling series,
The Keatyn Chronicles(r)
Stalk Me
Kiss Me
Date Me
Love Me
Adore Me
Hate Me
Get Me
Hollywood Love Series
(A Keatyn Chronicles Spin off)
Fame
Power
Money
Sex
Love
That Boy Series
That Boy
That Wedding
That Baby
The Love Series
Vegas Love
Broken Love
Spy Girl Series
The Prince
The Eagle
The Society
ABOUT:THE AUTHOR
Jillian is a USA TODAY bestselling author. She writes fun romances with characters her readers fall in love with, from the boy next door in the That Boy trilogy to the daughter of a famous actress in The Keatyn Chronicles series.
She's married to her college sweetheart, has two adult children, two Labs named Cali and Camber, and lives in a small Florida beach town. When she's not working, she likes to decorate, paint, doodle, shop for shoes, watch football, and go to the beach.
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