Chapter 15 I Know Him! #3
Maybe he’s not as retired as he wants us to believe.
On auto-pilot, Sydney started to pull her phone from her pocket. She needed to call Caroline and have a fun little chat about Mom and Dad.
Later.
After leaving her phone in her pocket, she fixed her sights on her mom. Longtime NSA employee Kathrine Austin was not in that clerical position she’d alluded to, nor was she the tiny cog in a giant wheel of big shots.
Kathrine Austin was a big shot. A big, big, big shot.
Sydney set down her fork and knife. “The food is delicious.” She pushed off the stool. “Mom, your office.”
“I’m being summoned.” With a pleasant smile, Kathrine excused herself.
Seconds later, mother and daughter were sitting behind a closed door in her mom’s home office, down the hall from the kitchen.
“I need to know about the summer lake house, the Waters’ family cabin.”
“What’s going on?”
“The cabin, Mom.”
“After your uncle died, his brother took it over.”
“Why did we stop going?”
“Aunt Valerie said he wanted to sell it. Going back there was too painful for their family. I think they wanted to preserve the memories, not make new ones.”
Sydney had been a kid. She didn’t know any of this, or if she’d heard her parents talking, she had no memory of it.
“Lake Willow, right?”
“Yes. What’s going on, Sydney?”
“Funny, coming from you. What’s going on with you? Who are you thinking should be eliminated and why is Gabriel here? I didn’t even know you knew him.”
She loved how her mom’s smile made her eyes crinkle at the corners. “I’m just a tiny cog—”
Sydney held up her hand. “Yeah, Mom, you can stop saying that.” After a beat, she said, “Not gonna tell me, are you?”
“How’re things with Tank?” her mom asked.
“You’re doing that thing you do—”
“Which is?”
“Answering my questions with a question.”
“I do that?”
Sydney chuckled. It was futile to continue pressing her mom for answers. “Do you have the address of the cabin?”
“Of course.” Her mom rattled it off and Sydney texted it to Tank.
135 Summer Lake Road
“Whaddya think of Robby?” Sydney asked.
“It was good to see him. You talked to him more than I did. Aunt Valerie is so proud of his poker achievements.”
“How long is he in town?”
“I don’t know. Were you thinking of getting together with him?”
“Maybe,” Sydney replied.
Knock-knock.
“Come in,” Kathrine said.
The door opened, Tank stood there, his massive body filling the space. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to take off.”
“Now?” Sydney asked.
The door opened wider, and Gabriel stood beside his brother. It was a glorious sight. Two extremely handsome men dedicated to family and friends, committed to their careers while also hunting down the world’s worst predators.
She loved them both. Gabriel, the brother she’d always wanted. And Tank, the man of her dreams.
“I just got word they’re flying back to Italy,” Gabriel said. “Our plan got moved to tonight.”
To Sydney’s surprise, Gabriel was talking to her mom.
“Why won’t someone tell me what’s going on?” Sydney demanded.
“Teddy—I mean, Tank—is coming with,” Gabriel explained. “We’re gonna grab Greystone.”
“Sydney, can you hang here?” Tank asked.
“I think I’d have more fun with you guys—”
“No,” Gabriel pushed back. “Not this time.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Tank said.
Pushing onto her feet, Sydney crossed her arms and glared at both men. “This is some bullshit.”
They laughed.
“Questo è un affare di famiglia,” Gabriel said. “Family business.”
Her mom stood. “Tank, good to see you again. Thank you for keeping Sydney safe.” She shifted to Gabriel. “Watch your sixes, both of you.”
Ohmygod, what is happening?
“Appreciate the dinner,” Tank said before he walked over to Sydney.
To her surprise, he pulled her into his arms and held her for a few precious seconds before he kissed the top of her head. “I’d feel better if you were back at—”
“There’s no way I’m staying there alone,” Sydney said.
Tank held out the key fob to his ALPHA SUV. Rather than get into it with him—especially since she had no idea how long he’d be gone—she took the fob.
In the foyer, they said their goodbyes. When the brothers left, Z exited as well. Sydney eyed her parents like she was seeing them for the first time.
“Well, looks like there’s a lot more going on with Mr. and Mrs. Smith than I thought,” she said.
Her parent’s laughter filled the air. Despite their light-hearted reaction, she was dialed-in to what was really going on.
Sydney re-heated her food, sat at the center island. “Where are Tank and Gabriel going?”
“The Bratva, who were at war with Gabriel in Italy, have followed him here,” her dad replied.
“Yeah, he told me.” Sydney couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with her parents.
“They’re being executed,” her mom said.
“Who?”
“The men who followed Gabriel here,” her dad replied.
“What?” Sydney blurted. “By whom?”
“The Santini brothers,” her mom said.
Oh. My. God.
The hounds of Hell had been unleashed, and they were fast on their way. To Sydney’s complete and total surprise, the dogs of the devil were the Santini brothers.