Epilogue
Cameron
Three years later…
I KNEW TESS had the ability to be deceptive. We’d been trained by the same people, and both had to lie to save our lives. It wasn’t her deception that stung, it was the level. I’d seen her at work as an officer, but never thought I’d live to see the day she’d turn double officer.
Traitor.
I’d given her the courtesy of asking her directly and she lied to my face.
That’s when I knew confrontation alone wasn’t enough. I’d need to bring receipts
“So, the mission’s a go then?” I asked.
“Ready from my end,” she retorted.
“No more intel to add?” I pressed.
She shook her head. “No. Number five, locked, loaded and ready to go.”
“Not six?”
“No,” she said. “As we discussed earlier, definitely five.”
“And if I had counter intel that proved otherwise?” I challenged.
I saw the corner of her mouth twitch ever so slightly. It was not the kind of tell any enemy would pick up on, but I knew her face more intimately than anyone else, and my partner was lying to me.
“Officer St. Marks, I will ask you one more time. And do I need to remind you that you swore an oath to the people of the United States of America? Indeed, you swore an oath before almighty god.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Now, I will ask you one more time, and I will remind you, your very soul is in peril. Did you do it?”
“Okay! Fine! I watched it without you, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I’m weak! I watched episode five without you while you were at the gym yesterday.”
“Charlatan!”
“How did you find out?”
“You didn’t know that MüvieNüdle keeps a log of watched episodes,” I said.
“What do you take me for? An amateur? I marked it as unwatched.”
“But you didn’t look in the server cache, did you?” I whispered menacingly.
“Gosh darn it,” she hissed.
“Always clear your cookies,” I admonished. “This high court now finds you guilty of the crime of unlawful watchery. For you doth willingly—”
She frowned. “Why are we in ye old timey court?”
“Hold ye lying tongue! The accused shall be silent!”
“Oh my god.”
“And for the crime of unlawful watchery of season three, episode five of Bounty Hunter Cook-Off, without thy betrothed, I hereby sentence you to the punishment of ticklery.”
“No, good sir, I beg of thee.”
“Begging will get you nowhere, for this court will show you no mercy.”
“Please sir, what if I offer my body in penance? My ample bosom to do with as you wish?”
“Silence, harlot! I am a chaste man of the utmost purity,” I snapped. “Now, I will tickle the devil out of you.” I wrapped my hands around her sides and commenced the tickling, yelling, “Leave this woman, foul spirits, exit from whence you came.”
Tess howled with laughter. “Oh my god, I can’t breathe.”
“That’s the Jesus working.”
“I’m going to pee.”
“That’s the devil’s elixir leaving your body.”
Tess grabbed for my arms, trying to pull them off her and I grinned, kissing her.
“Be rid of thy sin in yon chamber pot, then return to your good and true husband, who from what I hear sounds completely reasonable, and requests sex with completely normal frequency.”
I released her and she scrambled off the bed, waddling off to the bathroom, knees together like a penguin trying to win the one-hundred-yard dash.
Tess walked back in a few minutes later, rubbing lotion on her hands. “Wanna go out or order in?”
“Pizza?”
“Works for me.”
Once we’d ordered in, we started our show and hunkered down for an easy night in.
* * *
Tess
Two weeks later…
“Tess!” Cameron called from the front of the house, and I heard the front door close.
I squeezed my eyes shut and dropped my head.
“Tess? Where are you?”
“Back here,” I called.
I heard his keys hit the ceramic dish on the console in the foyer and then his footsteps in the hallway as he made his way closer to me.
“Why are you sitting on the toilet?” he asked, hunkering down in front of me. “Are you sick?”
“Probably.”
“Baby, you need to give me more words.”
I sighed, opening the drawer next to me and pulling out the two pregnancy tests I’d taken twenty minutes ago, and setting them on the counter.
“Holy shit, you’re pregnant?”
“I am.” I dragged my hands down my face. “Your bionic sperm broke through my SHOT.”
“What? Oh, my god!” He stood, pulling me up with him. “Baby, this is fantastic.”
“I’m going to have to quit my job!” I hissed. “I love my job!”
“Women in the CIA get pregnant all the time, Tess. You don’t have to quit your job.”
“But I can’t be in the field.”
“No, not until after you have the baby, but you can do a desk job.”
“But I don’t want to do a desk job.”
“Okay, honey, we’ll figure it out.”
“But it’s not fair,” I cried. “You get to go off and be all adventurous and stuff, and I’ll be stuck—”
“Baby, if you’re at a desk, I’m at a desk.”
I leaned back and met his eyes. “What?”
“There’s no way in hell I’m goin’ on missions if my partner’s not with me.”
I bit my lip. “Really?”
“Really.” He smiled gently. “And if the Company doesn’t like it, we’ll quit.”
“But what will we do for work? We’ll still need money to survive.”
He grinned. “I’ll go back to work with my brothers. They’ll love it.”
“Will you?”
“Hell, yeah,” he said. “They’re drowning without me.
Cricket keeps me updated on how overwhelmed they are with all the new business they have coming in, so I think it’ll be fun to string them along for a little while.
But yes, I love working with them, and I’ll be able to actually be there when I say I’ll be there, so there won’t be any issues. ”
I bit my lip. “What will I do?”
“If we quit?”
I nodded.
“Anything you want to do. Write a book. Be a mom, fuck, start a company, hell, start a revolution. Whatever the hell you want to do. Stay home and eat bon-bons. We have a shit ton of savings, so you have time to figure it out.”
“I think I want to pop out six babies.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No shit?”
I nodded. “I mean, let’s start with one, but yes, I’d like a lot of kids.”
“Then, let’s have lots of kids.” He cocked his head. “I’m gonna need to build us a bigger house.”
This was true. We were currently living in one side of the duplex Cade and Cullen owned while we figured out where we wanted to land. Cullen and Helena lived in the other side since Cade had moved in with Navy when they got married.
“Really? You’re that chill about it?” I asked.
“We’ve been together for just over three years, married for over two, and we work well together professionally and personally.
You love my family, I love yours. We’ve figured out how to balance work and life, and we’ve also figured out how to placate your parents, despite living here full-time.
You don’t think we’re going to master the art of parenthood, too? ”
He had a point.
We’d gotten married about seven months into our sped-up relationship, right after our successful mission in Turkey and just before our next assignment in Prague.
We’d had less than two months to plan the wedding, and my mother had nearly had a coronary, but she made it happen with the help of one very bossy and incredibly resourceful Cricket Wallace.
My new sister-in-law had quickly cemented herself as one of my very best friends, and I adored her. As did the rest of my family.
I’m pretty sure my brother, Teddy, might be in love with her, but she was holding a torch for this Jase fellow, and she was not budging on her unrequited love for him. A topic of conversation that was never open with Cameron, or any of the rest of the Wallace men, much to Cricket’s chagrin.
Outside of the Cricket/Jase situation, however, life with the Wallace clan was close to perfect.
When Cameron was home and had down time between assignments, if he wanted to work with his brothers, he was welcome to, and it brought in extra income.
If he didn’t, we’d take off for a few days to explore the west coast, which I hadn’t done much of, and it was beautiful.
I loved my new life and couldn’t wait to spend the rest of it with Cameron and our future children.
I ran a finger over his chest. “Okay, let’s have lots of kids.”
He cupped my face and grinned. “Yeah?”
“Yes.”
Leaning down, he kissed me gently. “Fuck, yeah.”
He knelt in front of me again and kissed my belly. “Hi, baby, it’s your dad. We’re gonna have so much fun, but don’t tell your mom. She’s very serious, so we’re gonna have to keep some secrets.”
“Bugs,” I hissed, weaving my hands through his hair and squeezing. “You’re already making me the bad cop?”
He chuckled, smiling up at me. “Sorry, you’re right.”
He focused back on my belly. “Your mom is the most amazing woman you’ll ever meet.
I can’t wait to tell you all about her. And, yes, she’s really serious, but she’s also super funny and the most loyal person on the planet.
Plus, she can shoot a carrot off a snowman’s head at sixty yards.
That’ll come in handy one day, you’ll see. ”
“How, Bugs?” I laughed. “How will our child find the fact I can shoot a carrot off a snowman come in handy?”
“You’re letting logic get in the way of a good story here,” he said.
I ran my hands down the side of his face and lifted his head. “My apologies. Carry on.”
“Now I’ve lost my train of thought,” he murmured.
“Where was I? Oh, yeah.” He kissed my belly.
“You are going to be the most and best loved child on the planet. Along with the rest of your siblings. You’ll also be the most protected.
Not only by me and your mama, but just wait until you get a load of your uncles and aunties.
Jesus H. Christ on a cracker, kid, no one’s gettin’ to you. ”
“Language, Bugs.”
“Right, no swearing for you. Not until you’re eighteen.” He grinned up at me. “Love you, honey.”
“Love you too, Bugs.”
Standing again, he kissed me. “You hungry?”
I nodded.
He kissed me again. “Let’s get you some sustenance.”
“Are you sure you’re happy?”
“Hell, yeah.” Cameron frowned. “Aren’t you?”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “No, I’m ecstatic. I just want to make sure you are too.”
“Fuck, baby, if I was any happier, you might have to arrest me.”
I grinned up at him. “Same.”
“Come on, let’s get you fed.”
We headed out to the kitchen, just as the doorbell rang. Cameron checked the camera. “It’s Cricket.”
She didn’t wait to be invited in, just opened the door. “It’s me! Are you naked?”
“Will you leave if we are?” Cameron asked.
“No!” she sassed, strolling into the kitchen. “Hi, family.”
“Hey,” he said, pulling her in for a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I was visiting Helena and Cullen. Thought I’d share the love. Also thought you could feed me.”
Cameron chuckled. “There it is.”
“We were just going to figure out what he was going to make,” I said, opening the fridge. “We have chicken, and, well, chicken.”
“Shall I order a pizza?” Cricket offered, just as Cullen and Helena walked in the front door.
“It’s us,” Cullen called out. “Are you decent?”
“No,” Cricket retorted. “But I’m here, so come on in.”
“I don’t really want pizza,” I admitted.
“Chinese?” Cricket suggested as Cullen and Helena joined us.
“Chinese sounds good to me,” Helena said, hugging me.
“Yes,” I agreed.
“Let’s call Hatch,” Cricket said. “He’ll pick it up for us.”
“Won’t he be riding?” I asked.
“Not if he’s with Maisie.” She grabbed her phone and shot off a text.
“Then, let’s invite Cade, Navy, and Devon, make it a full house,” I said with a smile.
Cade and I had become the best of friends, surprisingly. He’d just been having an off-day when I’d met him and had made up for it. In spades. Including being much, much nicer to my man, so all was forgiven and right in the Wallace world.
“Now that dinner’s been decided, beer or wine?” Cricket asked.
“Either or both,” I said. “I’m not drinking.”
“Why?” Cricket asked, then gasped.
“Ah—”
“You’re pregnant!” she blurted.
“I am,” I confirmed.
“Oh, my god!” Cricket squealed, rushing to hug me.
Helena and Cullen did the same and then I leaned against Cameron as the family gathered in the living room.
“It’s still very early,” I said. “I’ll tell my parents, but I think I’ll keep it under wraps until I’m a little further along.”
“That makes sense,” Cricket said. “Do you feel okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, honey.”
“Good.” Cricket smiled. “So, now that all of that’s covered, Hatch is bringing the food, let’s talk about Jase.”
“Let’s not,” Cameron said.
“Why not? You promised you’d look for him.”
“I didn’t do any such thing,” Cameron said, as Helena and I took that opportunity to excuse ourselves.
Cricket and her brothers continued to argue as Helena and I grabbed beers and wine from the fridge, a soda for me, and pulled down plates and silverware for dinner.
“When she has hold of a bone, she does not let go,” Helena said.
“I know,” I whispered. “She showed me a picture of him. He’s cute.”
“Right?” Helena leaned over the island. “But cute doesn’t mean right for her.”
“Sure, but shouldn’t she be the one to make that decision?”
Helena chuckled. “Oh, yeah, you have older, meddling brothers.”
“I sure do.”
“I didn’t have that luxury.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You think that’s a luxury?”
“Someone willing to annoy the hell out of you enough to protect you? Yes.”
I sighed. “I don’t know, annoying is just annoying.”
“Until you need someone to take your back. That’s really kind of nice.”
“This is true,” I admitted.
“I hate both of you!” Cricket screeched just as Hatch and Maisie walked in with our food, followed closely by Cade, Navy, and Devon.
“What the hell did we just miss?” Hatch asked.
“You don’t want to know,” Helena said.
“Jase,” I mouthed.
“Jesus,” Hatch hissed.
Cricket stormed into the room and immediately wrapped her arms around Hatch’s waist. “I need you to find Jase.”
Maisie took the bags from Hatch’s hands and set them on the counter so he could hug Cricket.
“Baby girl, I am not gonna do that.”
“Why not?” she cried.
“Because he’s a degenerate asshole.”
She gasped, pulling away from him. “Take that back.”
He gave her a sly grin. “I won’t.”
“Well, fuck you, then.” She pulled away from him with a huff. “I’ll find him myself.”
“Maybe after wine?” I suggested.
“Yes.” She raised a finger. “After wine.”
With Cricket momentarily distracted away from Jase, family time was back on track, so we dug into the food, and we decided on a game night.
Pictionary, or what had quickly been renamed to ‘Blood Sport.’ Girls against boys, which they won, but ever since I’d been invited into this amazing family, I was the true winner, so I didn’t care.