Chapter Twelve
Devi stepped out into the hallway freshly dressed and cleaned up because apparently despite the man’s lifestyle, Henry Flanders was deeply disturbed by young women running around without undies. Even though he’d turned to Zach and congratulated him for following his advice.
She intended to figure out what that advice had been. She meant to ask Zach about it when they were alone, but he’d been busy helping Henry secure the Canadians, who were not dead like she worried in the beginning. She hadn’t gotten a good look at them, but she’d recognized Ben Parker’s golden hair. Kenz would be so pissed off if her honey was murdered.
She glanced down the hall and noted that TJ was standing guard on the bedroom Lacey used. Her brother was leaning against the wall and gnawing on what looked like a protein bar. Poor baby. This job had obviously been hard on her brother.
“You okay?”
He looked up and gave her a grin.
“Better now that you’re dressed.”
He sobered.
“You okay? Zach’s treating you well? Mom told me not to worry, but I worry.”
Like she had to every single time he walked into the field. She moved into her brother’s space and gave him a long hug.
“I’m fine. Well, as fine as I can be. I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad I’m here, except for the food parts,”
he admitted.
She chuckled and moved away. They should talk.
“Is Dad okay?”
“He’s freaked out, but Mom’s working on him. She likes Zach. A lot,”
her brother replied.
“You know Mom. She thinks this is one more adventure and we’ll handle it. She’s certain we can work something out. I’m not so sure. I’m worried you’re going to get your heart broken.”
She worried about that, too, but here she was.
“I’ve decided to treat the whole thing like a summer fling. I know it’s going to end, but I want to enjoy it while I can. I know who he is and what he’s involved in. I’m not falling in love with him.”
TJ’s eyes rolled.
“Sure. Tell yourself that. Be careful. I like Zach, but you’re my sister. You’ll always have me on your side.”
She loved her brother so much.
“Tell me what the spy kids are doing. I take it the Canadians are still napping.”
TJ peeked into the room.
“Yep. I don’t know what Henry gave them but it’s working. And that dude is way stronger than he looks. Parker’s a beast, and Henry dragged his ass along. I think it’s safe to say Henry’s going to call Big Tag and we’re all in trouble. Also, he’s not your uncle. Call him Big Tag. You can be my sister, but we’re not related to Uncle Ian in front of the Canadians. And…”
She knew this part.
“Kala is Kara, and she’s going to have to be the Kara that Kenzie plays. It’s all confusing. I take it she’s going to pretend to not be married to Coop. Are you and Lou together in this alternate reality we find ourselves in?”
How difficult was it to always play a role? No wonder the spy kids went hard when they were home.
How hard had it been for Zach to keep all his secrets?
“Yeah.”
TJ’s voice went low.
“A few weeks ago, Parker came to Dallas to find Kara, who you should know he calls Maggie. For Miss Magenta. He found Kala instead of Kenz, and she played nice with him to the point that she let him kiss her.”
“Oh, poor Kala.”
Any physical intimacy would be a lot for her cousin to handle. Oh, not from her little circle, but definitely with a guy like Parker.
“She did it for her sister.”
TJ nodded.
“She did. Kenz has it bad for this guy. Anyway, Cooper walked in and was forced to throw his fit and make some speech about how she was Parker’s now, and Kala was able to switch herself out with Kenzie for a date that night. Parker knows something went down in Virginia, but he doesn’t know Huisman took Kala. Only you.”
She nodded.
“Okay. I’ll keep my mouth shut as much as possible and pretend my cousin isn’t married to Coop. Now, tell me what the real plan is. Are you taking me home?”
“She was worried,”
TJ said.
“Like sick worried about you. Zach wouldn’t tell her where you were.”
“He let me talk to her,”
Devi pointed out.
“Mom is chill, and she didn’t know where I was.”
“Yeah, well it’s been a while since Mom was in the field, and our cousin has been through a lot in the last couple of months,”
TJ offered.
“I also think she got some feeling off her dad. Something that told her there’s more going on, and she doesn’t like to be left out.”
“You think Un…Big Tag knew about Henry and Lucy and didn’t tell anyone?”
“I think if Big Tag suspected something was up with Zach, he would play it close to the vest unless he honestly thought Zach would hurt one of us. I don’t think he knew everything but he had suspicions, and he and Henry work well together. They back each other up. Henry’s the only guy who knows what he’s going through. So I would bet we’ll have more guests soon.”
And she would have to be ready for them. To play her role. Well, around the Canadians at least. She was sure her uncle would have a lot to say behind closed doors.
She was about to turn for the stairs when she decided to ask her brother the real question she wanted the answer to.
“What do you think of Zach?”
TJ sighed.
“I think he’s in a lot of trouble. I wish he wasn’t dragging my sister into it, but he’s also been a good friend to this team. He lied but he never sold us out, and he had chances to. He’s saved everyone at least once. Took a bullet to the chest for…”
There was only one reason her brother would hesitate. “Tasha.”
The round raised scar on his chest. He hadn’t mentioned he’d saved Tasha. Taken a bullet for her.
She was not going to be jealous. Nope. She was having a wild fling and so there was nothing to be jealous about.
“Yes,”
her brother agreed.
“It was Tash, but he was the only one there and I think he would have tried to save any of us.”
But Tash was special. Tash had been his dream.
And that didn’t matter because she was only with him for a few weeks. A month or two. She was enjoying Zach. She wasn’t in love with him.
Even if it felt like she was.
“TJ, don’t make it weird. I’m beyond happy Zach saved my cousin. I adore Tash, and the thought of a world without her makes me want to cry. It’s a good thing.”
TJ smiled like he finally understood.
“Cool. I was worried because he had a thing for her, but we all get crushes. No one finds the right person the first time out.”
Well, except for TJ and Lou and Coop and Kala. Oh, they’d screwed things up royally and cost themselves years, but it had always been Lou for TJ and Coop for Kala. Come to think of it, her cousin Carys had known she loved Aidan and Tristan when she was young.
Devi had some crushes but certainly no one she’d longed for years to be with. No one she would have taken a bullet for. She had never been in love with anyone the way she was…the way Zach seemed to have loved her cousin.
Nope. She wasn’t going down that very awful road.
Besides, she had a mission. Or at least she was part of it until her uncle showed up and hauled her home.
“I’m not saying he’s the right person. He’s the right now person,”
she said, forcing a grin on her face. Like this was all about sex and it was good. Which it was.
“We’re ready to start the debrief.”
Zach stood at the end of the hall, a grim expression on his face.
Because he’d heard her say it was only sex. Well, she’d told him. He hadn’t walked into this afternoon with sweet promises from her.
TJ winced.
“Well, let them know I’m making sure the Canadians don’t lose their shit when they wake up. Which should be soon.”
Zach moved in, looking into the room.
“Parker’s awake.”
She heard a muffled curse, and she was shamelessly curious. Kara wasn’t her cousin. She was TJ’s sister, but Kara was just a chick on TJ’s team. She could be Zach’s whatever they were, but she wasn’t related to any of her other relatives. There. She had this spy stuff down now.
She moved in behind Zach. There were two people laid out on Lacey’s bed. Which was bigger than theirs, so she’d been holding out on them. There was plenty of room for kittens in here.
Also, Ben Parker was hot. So freaking hot.
Zach frowned her way like he could read her mind.
He was hotter. Way hotter.
Zach growled under his breath but turned toward the big Canadian.
“Parker, I am not the one who drugged you, and don’t blame Kara either.”
Parker shoved himself to a sitting position and held his zip tied wrists up.
“Of course she didn’t. Who do you think I’ve been working with? We’ve been looking for you, but she has to do it undercover or the Agency will expect her to bring you in. What the fuck are you doing, man? Is that TJ’s sister? I think I met her at that club last year.”
The Hideout. They met briefly, though she wasn’t supposed to ask a lot of questions. She gave him a wave.
“It’s Devi. Hi.”
“She’s here because Huisman wants her,”
Zach said gruffly.
“She’s in protective custody.”
“Why would Huisman want her? I know why he wants Lou.”
Parker let Zach cut through the zip ties.
“Because her last name is Taggart,”
Zach replied in a no-nonsense tone.
But nonsense was fun. Also, she wasn’t sure what Zach was trying to hide. There was zero way this man didn’t know they were doing it. She could see Kala maybe telling him Devi Taggart was only valuable for her last name, but she’d been told Kenzie usually worked with Parker, and she would have talked.
“And the whole sleeping-with-the-bombmaker’s-son thing.”
Zach frowned her way. “Really?”
She shrugged.
“He’s going to find out when we sleep together later tonight. Or did I hurt your feelings so much with the truth that you’re going to withhold that glorious cock of yours?”
“I did not need to hear that,”
TJ said with a groan.
Parker stretched his big body and rolled his friend over.
“She’s right. I knew. Maggie and I have been open and honest these last few weeks, and that’s why Tim and I are here and probably going to get fired for working outside of parameters. Come on, man. It wasn’t that big a dose. Sorry. He’s one of the best techs in the world, but he doesn’t normally get hit with tranqs. Unfortunately, I do. Where is Maggie? I assume if you’re here and TJ’s here, she’s here, too. She came.”
Whoof. He said that last bit with a weird longing, and the person who was here was so not what he was longing for. She hoped. What if they had it all wrong and he was a total masochist and liked Kala instead of Kenzie? She wished Dais and Bri were here because they could discuss this whole situation over margaritas and have Nate or Zach pick them up so they didn’t have to drink responsibly. But then she looked at Parker’s friend. Who was super familiar. Irritatingly familiar. Well, at least she knew how they’d identified her.
“That’s Tim.”
Zach nodded.
“I think that’s what he called him. Kara is downstairs, but I should warn you, they apparently needed a pilot and…”
“McKay.”
Ben sighed.
“Then I’m going to find out if she’s playing me, aren’t I? I don’t know if I buy his whole I can have her since she’s not worth the trouble act. He was in love with her.”
He was a good judge of character because Coop was desperately in love with one of the Karas. She waved it off. They could deal with that themselves. She had questions.
“I mean that’s Tim. The guy who saved me from the creepy dude who drugged my drink when I went to the bathroom.”
“What?”
Zach asked,
“What?”
Her brother left his post and had that deeply worried expression he got whenever she did something super dumb. Or traveled with Daisy.
Parker sent a slightly sympathetic look Zach’s way.
“Sorry, man. Thought she would tell you. It happened earlier today. We were following another player in this game of ours. We found him today in a pub in town, and he was chatting up Devi.”
“Eww, you make it sound like I was flirting,”
she argued.
“Which I was not. He was my dad’s age at least. Nope. I have all the troubled man romantic tropes I can handle right now. I do not need to add an age gap in there.”
“Someone drugged your drink and you didn’t mention it to me?”
The words were carefully said. Like he had to think about them.
Oh, that was him being totally pissed at her because she hadn’t given him the chance to protect her. It was a Dom thing. And she had her reasons.
“It would have freaked you out. Although now I can see it also might have made you wonder about who was in town and you might have gotten us out of here before my brother found me.”
“Yes, exactly. I would have found his ass on CCTV and ID’d him,”
Zach said.
“But that is not the point. The point is someone threatened you and you didn’t bother to mention it to me. Or Lacey.”
Lacey was Lacey again. So many names. How did they keep them all straight? They must do some serious memory work in spy school.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal, and he didn’t technically threaten me.”
“If he drugged your drink, consider yourself threatened,”
her brother said with a little self-righteousness.
Like he never got accidently dosed and stuff. Rude.
“Well, I didn’t drink it because Tim told me not to. I bet he’s not even English.”
“No.”
Parker seemed way calmer than before. He seemed to be enjoying the show now that he knew Miss Magenta was somewhere in the house.
“He’s Canadian, and honestly, I’m surprised that accent worked on you. He wasn’t supposed to make contact. His accent is way worse than he thinks. It’s awful, but he went off script when he realized our target was trying to drug you.”
He gave Zach a man-to-man look.
“I believe it was some kind of roofie meant to make her compliant so he could get her out of the pub. I took a look at the CCTVs around town after I alerted TJ’s team that I found his sister. Somehow they narrowed it down to Wales, and they were in Cardiff waiting for word. He caught sight of her after the woman she was with left. I suspect she’s some sort of operative, but I haven’t identified her yet. We were doing that when the old dude showed up. What the hell? One minute he knocked on our door and was polite and seemed like a sweet older man. And then he was a fucking serial killer.”
“You’re not dead,”
Zach said with a long-suffering sigh.
“I would bet trying to look into Lacey is exactly what brought Arthur to your doorstep.”
“Handler, then,”
Parker said as though he’d suspected all along.
“I could have used a heads-up, Taggart.”
TJ gave him a shrug.
“Dude, we had no idea. When you gave us Devi’s location we came right out, and let me tell you I wish I’d had some intel on what was happening here. I can’t unhear some of that. Luckily, I didn’t see anything. Well, until my sister sat down on Zach’s lap and she wasn’t wearing underwear. It almost set me off lunch.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Nothing sets you off lunch.”
“Tofu does.”
TJ looked to Parker.
“Dude, did you bring some beef? Maybe a burger or two? There is no meat here.”
“We’re going to talk about what happened in town today.”
Zach leaned over, whispering in her ear while Parker and TJ talked about the lack of animal flesh.
“You’re mine. My sub. You don’t get to withhold that kind of information from me.”
“Hypocrite,”
she whispered back.
“And that’s ten more,”
he said, standing behind her.
“I don’t care, Dev. I don’t care that you want to pretend we’re not really together. That’s okay. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give me because I am pathetically in love with you, but you cannot keep that kind of information from me.”
“How do they make like cakes and stuff? Is there no bread here?”
Parker sounded a bit panicked.
Boys. She leaned back against him, not wanting to think about the fact that he said he loved her. Was in love with her.
“I’m sorry, Zachary. I thought it was some random guy hitting on me, and that happens when I go into bars alone. I thought it might be different in a small town, but he was a tourist. I handled it and didn’t get hurt.”
“Sweetness, something’s wrong because I believe that was the man the Canadians were following. Did you hear him say the target drugged your drink? If they were following him, then he has something to do with Huisman.”
She hated that man. She turned and put her hands on Zach’s waist.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was serious. And Tim’s accent isn’t as bad as that man says it is. I found him believable.”
That was the moment Tim woke, his eyes going wide, and he saw Zach and screamed.
“Hey, you’re fine.”
Parker shook his head.
“We’re with friendlies. Chill, buddy. At least I think he’s friendly, but he’s also got an actual Red Notice out on him, not to mention all the people looking for him in North America.”
Tim took a long breath and sat up. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Devi, and he went back into his perfectly serviceable British accent.
“Oh, hey, mate, uhm, good to see you here.”
Okay, it was pretty terrible now that she listened to him.
“You can drop it Canada Tim. Also, you’re a rat-fink weasel.”
Tim let Parker use Zach’s knife to free his hands.
“Hey, I’m not a weasel. That asshole did drug your drink. I was hoping maybe you would be in a grateful mood and we could, you know, have a drink or something. I mean a drink drink, not a drugged drink. I would not do that to a lady.”
Zach growled.
“Dude, he will kill you,”
Parker warned.
“Or I will,”
TJ promised.
“Though I have to say I’ll leave this to Zach. Cool thing is now he’s the one who has to beat up the assholes who hurt you.”
“Beat up?”
She was surprised. Her brother was practically perfect. He never did the don’t-touch-my-sister thing the way her friends’ brothers sometimes did.
TJ seemed more relaxed now that he knew the Canadians weren’t going to try to shoot their way out.
“It wasn’t many but I handled it when I had to, and now Zach can do it.”
Until he wasn’t around anymore. No one said it aloud, but she could feel Zach’s turn.
“We should get downstairs. They want a full debrief. I think you’ll find Arthur is concerned,”
Zach offered.
“You gonna tell me who he really is because he’s not a fucking rural vet,”
Parker said, helping Tim up. He straightened his shirt, and she didn’t miss the way he looked at himself in the mirror, trying to make sure his hair wasn’t messy.
She could have told him a little mess didn’t make him less hot.
But her Dom had enough stimulation for one day.
Zach held his hands up.
“That’s his story to tell. I thought he was exactly who he said he was until about an hour ago when my old team showed up on my doorstep. Now before we go down there, could you tell me who your target was? If he was after Devi, I have to think Huisman sent him. How the fuck does he know where I am? I’ve been careful. Not even her family knew where she was until today.”
“Well, Bri and Daisy knew she was in Wales because she told them,”
TJ helpfully pointed out.
Tim looked chipper again.
“Hah, told you they didn’t figure it out on their own. We got lucky. We’ve been following this target weirdly for other reasons. Ray White is known to work for some of the worst cartels in the world and has several warrants in Canada.”
She felt Zach go still, the air around him suddenly charged with emotion, but his expression went cold.
“My father.”
Parker nodded.
“Yes, though I didn’t realize the connection until Manny separated you from your team and we all took a second look at you. The bombmaker is your mother, Shannon Reed, and Manny recently hired your father to find her. He decided that the best way to bring her in was to have you. I suspect he decided the best way to bring you in was Devi. She’s on Manny’s radar now. You have to be careful. He’ll kill her if he can. Like he tried to get Tasha. Now he’ll come after her. He didn’t realize what he had all those weeks ago. He thought his plant just brought her along to control Maggie. At least that’s what I got from the reports, but I suspect what I read is heavily redacted. The key is that he knows she’s your weakness, and he will use it against you.”
Zach’s arms came up to clench her shoulders, but he didn’t say a word.
Yes, her Dom had way too much stimulation, and it looked like the day wasn’t over.