Chapter Twelve
Aidan carried two cups of coffee into the small airport lounge, trying to tamp down the unease growing in his gut.
This was happening. They were getting on the plane to fly into Montreal, and by this time tomorrow, he would be meeting the possibly evil Dr. Huisman. They would fly in and then split up, with he and Carys going to the summit with Kala and Tristan, and the rest setting up in a place close to Huisman’s.
He’d spent days learning how to use the communications systems and listening to lectures on how to protect himself and Carys. It involved proving he could defend them both, and he would be smart enough to know flight was preferable to fight in this case.
The number of lectures he’d gotten from the uncles on how he could be killed shocked him. So, so many ways he could die. And he was a doctor. He’d thought he’d known a lot. The uncles had proved him wrong.
But the nights had been another story…
The nights had given him hope they could get back on track, back to the lives they’d promised themselves when they were kids.
They’d spent hours in bed, hours where they’d found their rhythm again.
“Do you have everything? You have the Glock? You remember how to use the Glock?”
Aidan fought back a groan. His da loved him. He was worried about him. It wasn’t annoying. It was good his father cared.
And cared. And worried. And peppered him with questions like he was taking the SATs again.
“Da, I have the Glock. It’s the one you taught me on. I know how to use it but if it gets bad, I assure you I will cover Carys with my own body and when we get a chance, we’ll run and hide somewhere. Shouldn’t you be at work?” He’d said good-bye to them already this morning. He’d hugged his mom and sister and shaken hands with Nate, who’d promised to take care of Daisy. He’d given his father a long hug and said he’d see him soon.
He hadn’t meant this soon.
It was like he was fourteen and going away on a school trip and his father was telling him to make good choices.
“I suppose. I wanted to go over it one last time,” his father admitted. “Big Tag assures me there should be no reason for you to sacrifice your life. It’s a simple op, and all you have to do is be yourself. You’re the cover. You’re the reason Tristan will have access. You and Carys just smile and have fun at the conference. Though I don’t see how it’s fun.”
“Because you have no real interest in talking with the finest minds in the medical field,” Aidan shot back, looking around the now pretty crowded lounge. They were set to leave in twenty minutes, and Cooper was already in the hanger doing his preflight check.
The rest of the team was hanging out in the lounge. Kala was half asleep on one of the chairs, while her twin was on the phone with someone talking animatedly about the events of the last few days. The romantic ones, of course. Kenzie Taggart would have felt right at home in a Regency ballroom, gossiping behind her fan. Lou was reading on her tablet, with TJ lying on the bench with his head in her lap. Tristan was talking to his father and Big Tag, while Carys was sipping on coffee and talking to her father.
“Is Sean coming with us?” If Sean came, would his father insist on coming, too?
His da frowned. “No. He made a case, of course. Big Tag said they already had too many cooks in the kitchen. Also, he doesn’t have Adam’s connections, so he can’t get clearance. The bastards. The man’s daughter is going into danger.”
Which likely meant Da had tried and gotten the same treatment. “I thought she was going to a conference.”
“You know what I mean.” His da sighed. “At least you and Tris seemed to have figured things out. Are you solid with him again? I’ve talked to Big Tag about what Tristan’s been working on, and while I don’t think he was right to do what he did, I can understand the impulse. He got in over his head, and he was afraid.”
“I know.”
His da studied him for a moment. “But what you did was worse. You understand that now, right?”
“I shouldn’t have kept it from Carys. I should have insisted he bring her in so she wasn’t alone.” He’d definitely thought about this for the last couple of days. When he wasn’t in bed with them. Playing with them. Being with them.
“Has anyone talked about what Carys did wrong?” His father glanced over to where Carys stood, looking so pretty it hurt. The private airport lounge had skylights, and the morning light bathed her, making the gold and brown highlights in her auburn hair striking.
“She didn’t do anything wrong. She was innocent in all of it.” If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that Carys didn’t deserve anything from the torture of the last few years.
His father frowned. “Now see, I’m worried again. Until you all understand what went wrong, what each of you contributed to the problem, I don’t know you can solve it. Something will come up and the wedge will be there again because the problem can’t be solved by simply getting back into bed together. Tristan knows damn well what he did, and I hope he doesn’t falter under the weight of it. Like I said, he got in over his head, and there’s nothing shameful about it. His mistake wasn’t trying, it was refusing to ask for help. It was cutting you two out. You should never have followed his orders, son. I understand he’s…”
Aidan felt a flush go through him because he knew what his father had been about to say. Had everyone known but him? Was he going to avoid saying it? This was another thing he’d thought about endlessly over the last few days. Was he ashamed of who he was? He’d been more present because Tris was back and insisting they spend real time together. Not the turn on the TV, eat some take out and read a medical journal and call it quality time. And what did they call it in their world? “Just because he’s my Dom doesn’t mean he’s always correct, and when he’s not I have to push back and do what’s right for all of us.”
“Exactly,” his da said.
“Does it bother you?”
“Like I said, I wish you’d been honest with Carys,” his da began.
“I didn’t mean what happened with Carys. I was talking about my relationship with Tris,” Aidan said, opening a door he’d thought he would keep locked forever. “Does it bother you and Mom?”
“Why would it bother me? Son, if I could get over the whole weird threesome thing, I can handle anything.” He sighed. “Sorry. Somewhere your mother is slapping me on the back and telling me to use my grown-up words. So I’m going to. Aidan, there’s nothing you can do in this world that would make me turn from you. Not a damn thing. I could be disappointed in you for harming others, but it’s not in you, so it’s easy to say. You needing Tris in the way you do, there’s nothing to be bothered about. I’m actually quite proud because you never really questioned it. I think your mother and I did well. You didn’t sit around worried something was wrong with you.”
“I’ll be honest, I don’t think I even recognized it until he was gone and I tried to be the top,” Aidan admitted. “I tried to give Carys what she needed, but what we both needed was him.”
“I have no doubt in my mind if Tris was gone forever, you would find your way.” His father put a hand on Aidan’s shoulder and stared him in the eyes. “You would adapt, but you don’t have to because I believe him when he says he’s coming home. But it is up to you to figure out everything that went wrong so you can look for the signs and not let it happen again.”
Aidan sighed. “Or you could tell me, Da.”
His da patted his cheek. “Oh, with things like this, revelation is half the prize. Now you be safe, my boy. Are you sure you have everything?”
“Li, leave the kid alone,” Big Tag said. “Aren’t you supposed to be running the company while I’m gone?”
“Alex is doing fine,” his da groused back. He turned to Tag. “Don’t you dare get me boy killed. I spent too much on his education. He’s my retirement plan.”
His father had done well for them all. He’d invested wisely and wouldn’t need to sponge off his kids. His father was actually everything he wanted to be. “Da, thanks for coming down to see me off.”
His father smiled and pulled him in for a manly hug. “Of course. I love you, son.”
“I love you, too.”
“I promise I’ll take care of him.” Carys had joined them, grinning at his father. “He thinks he’ll be the one saving me, but I’ve been told on this team the men are usually the ones who need saving.”
Aidan stepped back. “You need to stop listening to your cousins. I assure you if things go wrong, I’ll expect you to hide behind me.”
“I expect you to hide, too.” Sean Taggart put an arm around his daughter and leaned over to brush a kiss over her forehead. “You find a place to hide and wait for your cousins.”
“Or she’ll go to a conference and get childbirth mansplained by a hundred obnoxious men who think they know more about it than the obstetrical resident.” Big Tag shook his head his brother’s way. “And don’t think you’re sneaking on this plane. I’ve already got to deal with Adam. I checked his bags to make sure he didn’t stuff Jake into one of them. You know this is an Agency team not a family reunion.”
Carys frowned. “Actually, that sounds worse than potentially getting shot at.”
“No one’s getting shot at.” Tristan moved to the other side of Carys. “This is a simple op. You’re going to be surrounded by people and you’ll have eyes on you. My father and I are going to use the access I’ll have because I’m your bodyguard to try to get into Huisman’s personal systems. He has to have them, and I would bet anything it’s at his house. We get in, get what we need, and you enjoy the conference. Well, Aidan will. Carys will be treated like his arm candy.”
Carys wrinkled her nose and playfully elbowed Tris. “Again with the more fun getting shot at.”
The door to the lounge opened, and Zach strode in. He wasn’t alone. He had an arm around Devi Taggart’s shoulders, and those two were in step. Like there was nothing awkward about it. Like they’d been together for years.
He hadn’t known they were together at all.
Big Tag’s brows rose. “Dude, did you not get the not-a-family-reunion memo? You brought my niece to an Agency meeting? You know she’s not supposed to know who you work for.”
Zach’s arm didn’t move from its deeply possessive position. “Everyone knows, and every day with this team is a freaking family reunion. Devi gave me a ride.”
Carys cleared her throat. Likely because they were thinking the same thing. She sure had given him a ride. Probably more than one.
Kala had woken when her twin poked her as Zach walked in the room. She and Kenz were both staring at the new couple like they couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing. Tasha had walked in from the hanger and her jaw had dropped, but Charlotte was grinning like she’d known it all along.
Only Tris didn’t look shocked. He looked grim. Like he was worried.
“I just wanted to say hi, and y’all go and get whatever bad guys need to be gotten.” Devi looked a lot like her mom but without Erin Taggart’s solemnity. When Devi smiled there was no darkness behind it.
Big Tag sighed and shook his head. “We’re leaving now. Zach, we’re going to have a talk.”
“I expected we would, sir.” Zach said the words with respect and a hint of trepidation, but then he kissed Devi like a starving man.
Kenzie was on her phone, texting like mad. Lou had put down her tablet and watched with wide eyes.
TJ was asleep. It fit perfectly with his personal brand. His sister was getting happily mauled by an Army captain, and he was curled up on his girlfriend’s lap catching some zzzs.
Devi pulled back. “Hey, don’t forget you were going to warn them about the Tara person.”
Zach winced. “Yeah, uhm, we’re going to have to be careful with the twins because Tara’s already in Montreal. I’m sorry, Tris. I just found out about it. Did she call you?”
Carys’s head swiveled, looking to Tris. “Tara?”
“She works as my technical assistant when I’m dealing with The Jester missions.” Tris moved into her space. If it bothered him her father was standing there, he didn’t show it. This was a more confident Tristan. He cupped Carys’s face. “There’s no reason for any jealousy. She’s nothing but a woman I work with.”
“Oh, I wasn’t warning anyone because I was worried she would upset Carys.” Zach had Devi in a half hug like she was his teddy bear or something and he didn’t want to give her up. “I’ve worked with them both for years. Nothing there but work. However, she doesn’t have clearance to know about the twins, so we need to be careful and make sure she’s not waiting at the airport to give us a briefing. She said she’s already met with CSIS, and they’re going to have an operative liaising while we’re in Canada.”
“It better not be Ben.” Kenzie stood and sighed. “Someone tell me when I have to hide. I hope she’s not there because I’ll have to hide in the stupid plane and get an Uber. A Canadian Uber.”
Kala stood. “Hey, if you get an Uber, you can stop at Tim Horton’s. Dad won’t let us. There’s an upside.”
“It’s only because they didn’t have lemon donuts the last time, and now Dad won’t forgive an entire country,” Kenzie groused. “But you’re right. I’ll totally grab some donuts. And maybe stop and get some crêpes. You know, now I see the advantages.”
Tasha stared after her sisters. “Now she’s going to try to sight-see, and I’ll be the one who has to point out all the CCTV cameras and that other intelligence agencies also know how to use logic and technology. Mom, maybe I should stay and make sure Uncle Alex and Uncle Li don’t burn down the company.”
“I won’t burn anything down. You know I’ve been running this company for a long time while your parents gallivant around the world,” his da pointed out.
“She’s trying to stay with Dare,” Charlotte explained, following her daughters. “He can’t go with us this time because he’s actually working and not using his job as a cover. It’s refreshing. Come along. TJ, wake up. Your sister’s being manhandled.”
“Am not,” Devi protested. “I mean not in a way I’m not happy about.”
TJ yawned and sat up. “Is it time to go? Hey, sis. What are you doing here?”
Yeah, he was going to let TJ figure it out for himself. He already had to watch his own sister get lovingly mauled by a large piece of Australia on a regular basis. When he’d tried to “protect” her… Well, he’d been the one who’d needed protection.
“Come on,” Tris said, reaching for Carys’s hand. “I’ll tell you everything about Tara and we’ll go over the op one more time. By this time next week, we’ll be home and I’ll be out of this.”
Aidan said good-bye to his father and followed them out of the lounge. One more week and they’d be free.
“Dude, you know she’s my sister, right? What is happening?” TJ asked. “I’m very confused. Dude takes one little nap…”
“Take care of her,” Sean shouted out, standing next to Liam.
“Always.” He and Tris managed to say the word at the exact same time.
It was good to be back in synch.
* * * *
One more week and she would have a decision to make.
Carys looked around what her uncle had called their safe house. It was a big house outside of Montreal proper. She, Aidan, Tristan, and Kala would go and stay at a hotel downtown tonight, but the rest of the team would be staying and monitoring the situation from here.
“Mr. Miles, I can’t tell you how excited I am to get to meet you.” Tara Hahn was roughly thirty, with dark hair cut in a chic bob. She was pretty in an intellectual fashion. A little like people had described Carys herself over the years. The Agency employee had been waiting when they’d entered the safe house, and she’d immediately pulled Tristan and Zach away for a brief meeting before introducing herself to Uncle Ian and Aunt Charlotte.
The whole flight she’d had one of them at her side and one across from her. They’d traded seats about halfway through, Tristan complaining because he hadn’t gotten to molest her the way Aidan had. It had been sweet, and he’d proceeded to make his uncle grumble about chastity and why none of the youth have it. She’d gotten off the plane and held both their hands as they’d sat in the back of one of the big SUVs that had picked them up.
And the minute Tristan disappeared with Tara and Zach, all of her suspicions came back, shaking the peace of the last few days.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Adam had on his smoothest smile, the one he used for what Carys liked to call his groupies. He was famous in the tech world for his innovative software designs. Adam had spent the whole flight either talking in low tones with Ian and Charlotte or staring at his laptop. He was serious about fixing this situation. “I understand you work tech for my son. I kind of thought my son worked tech himself. When he explained what his place on the team would be, he told his family it would be behind a computer.”
Tristan sent his father a look that was half pleading and half annoyed. “Papa, you promised.”
A hand came up, waving him off. “I’m adjusting.”
“Tris is too good to be a simple tech,” Tara announced. “He’s the best agent I work with. I’ve been trying to convince him to leave military intelligence and concentrate all of his talents on his Agency work. He’s brilliant in the field.”
So while Tristan might see her as nothing more than a coworker, it was obvious Tara had a crush.
“I certainly wouldn’t say brilliant,” Tris countered. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in today. Do you have anything new on the men who tried to kill my girlfriend and partner? By the way, this is Carys Taggart and Aidan O’Donnell. It was their wedding.”
Tara frowned. “They were getting married, but she’s your girlfriend?”
So he hadn’t talked about her? It was a huge surprise. Tristan was the one who never worried about what “society” thought of him or his relationships.
Zach threw his big body on the couch with a grin. “I want to see how he explains this.”
TJ had apparently had his talk with Zach and they were cool because TJ sank down beside Zach and offered him half a PB and J. “Me, too. Continue.”
“You know they’ve been explaining since they were freaking kids.” Cooper joined them. “They should be good at it by now.”
Tristan ignored their audience. “I’ve been in a relationship with Carys and Aidan for a long time. It’s a lot like my parents’ marriage. I’ve told you I have two fathers and a mom.”
Tara seemed flustered at the idea. “Well, you mentioned your parents had a third. I understand the implications of the term. I thought it was like a fun thing your mom did to spice up her marriage. I certainly didn’t think you would call your mom’s lover dad. I mean it’s obvious who your dad is.”
“His dad is Jacob Dean,” Adam said, going cold. Carys barely stifled a whistle because she’d never seen Tristan’s papa be anything but smooth and polite. Tristan’s dad was intimidating for sure, but his papa was the sweet one. Now Adam reminded her he’d once been a commando, too. “He refers to me as Papa. It was too confusing when he and his sister were kids. Jake and I rock-paper-scissored for Dad. I think he cheated. I knew the minute it happened Big Tag would give me shit about it.”
“Because it makes you sound like the dad in a Disney film set in medieval France.” Big Tag proved his hearing hadn’t gone since he was yelling it from the kitchen. “Are you going to break into song, Papa?”
Adam’s eyes rolled. “See. I knew that would happen.”
“I’m only saying, it’s clear you’re Tristan’s biological father. He looks exactly like you,” Tara attempted.
“I have two fathers.” Tristan proved he could go as cold as his papa. “Biology means nothing in my family. Now, I don’t require your approval, but I do need you to understand I’ll ask for you to be removed from this op if you can’t respect my partners. I haven’t mentioned them to you because I was trying to protect them.”
There was no way to miss the hurt in Tara’s eyes. “From me? It has to be me since you obviously told Zach.”
“I’m trying to protect them from anyone who might figure out I’ve been acting as The Jester for the last few years,” Tristan corrected. “Zach works on this team with me, and they absolutely understand my relationship situation, so it’s not the same. If I didn’t work with him on both teams, I never would have told him. I’ve been careful with who I talked to about Carys and Aidan because I was trying to keep a target off them.”
“I know you were worried about your sister and mom.” Tara looked Carys’s way and gave her a once-over. “I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend. Or a…uhm, boyfriend?”
Cooper snorted. “See, this is why I avoid the threesome. There are so many questions.”
“I’m his partner. No further explanation needed.” Aidan moved closer, sliding his arm around her waist. “Now I would love an answer to Tris’s question. Do we know anything else?”
“Spoilsport,” Zach said.
Tristan frowned his way. “You know you’re trying to get into this family. There will be payback.”
Zach’s grin kicked up. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Lou and Kala walked in, carrying a tray of sandwiches and some water bottles. They placed them on the dining table.
“Did we get all the weird explanations of why Tristan’s going to be sleeping with the bait tonight out of the way?” Kala asked. “Someone better have gotten a suite because I am not sleeping in the same room where double penetration is happening.”
“She’s serious,” Lou said, lowering herself onto TJ’s lap. “It’s why we left without the chips. Uncle Ian and Aunt Charlotte are going at it in the kitchen. Do not go in there. He was inspired by the sight of a wooden spoon. We’re going to have to replace it.”
Kala gagged as she sat on the side of the couch nearest to Cooper. “They are so gross.”
“Hush. You know it’s lovely our parents still love each other.” Tash entered the great room from outside where she’d been pacing and talking on her cell. “I think I finally got the package where it needs to be.”
From what Carys had heard, the package was Kenz, and they would be smuggling her into the safe house where she would be confined to the attic room when Tara and the CSIS agent would be around. There had been a ton of moaning about it. Tara knew the team was run by Ian Taggart and his wife and that the members all had close ties. But the CSIS dude didn’t know their familial connections, and neither of them knew Kenzie and Kala were the mysterious Ms. Magenta. Well, they knew one of them was. Not two of them were… It was confusing, but Carys knew her main job around the intelligence people was to keep her mouth shut.
It gave her too much time to think.
Although if Kenzie were the one portraying “Kara,” she wouldn’t complain about the possibility of double penetration. She would say it was romantic, and it was.
There was nothing better than being between the two men she loved most in the world.
If she could trust it.
“Excellent,” Tristan said and took a seat close to her. He reached out a hand and tugged on hers until she was brought down on his lap.
“Uh, shouldn’t we…” Carys wasn’t sure they should fly their freak flag around his tech.
“Hush.” His arm wound around her waist, pulling her in close. His voice went low and deep. “We’re in the field. You promised to obey me in the field.”
“You did,” Aidan pointed out with a smirk. He took the chair next to them.
“You both did,” Tristan said firmly. “And you know damn well I wasn’t merely talking about when the bullets went flying. We’re in my world, and I’m going to be in control when it comes to the two of you.”
She wished the words didn’t do something for her. She took a long breath and relaxed against him, letting her head fall to his shoulder.
Tara cleared her throat and then took a seat across from them. Carys glanced over and Cooper had a hand over Kala’s thigh as she perched next to him. Tasha settled in beside Adam, and Tara was the only one uncomfortable with the situation.
She sat primly, crossing her ankles like she’d been to an excellent prep school for ladies. “Well, we did manage to find the broker who got the mercenary group their helicopter. He’s angry about losing the chopper, by the way. He’s threatening a lawsuit. I don’t think he understands how the legal system works since he’s probably never going to see the light of day again.”
“It’s good to know the illegal arms sector has its share of Karens. Or is it Kevins, since he’s a dude?” Aidan asked. “What do we call a male Karen? Because it’s pretty sexist to insinuate only women are obnoxious, angry pricks. Which they don’t have. Is that sexist? Like reverse sexist?”
“Aidan, you’re in a logic loop,” Tristan said with a hint of a smile. “Let’s not worry about the feelings of the dude who helped the dudes who tried to kill us all.”
How long had it been since she’d heard Aidan go into one of his logic loops? He could get lost in one for hours. But he hadn’t for years because Tris was always the one to bring him out. It could be anything from misogynistic language and its many forms to politics to whether Superman could beat Thor. Sometimes Tristan would join in on the latter, and she would usually find a quiet place to read while they argued it out.
Damn, but she’d missed how perfectly they’d worked together. Where one of them wasn’t interested, the other two had someone to talk to.
She had to find a way to shove these suspicions aside. It might be time she really needed.
“So we know it was a mercenary group?” Zach asked.
Tara’s eyes went wide as though what Zach had said kind of floored her. “I sent you a report.”
Zach flushed slightly. “I…uhm…I’ve been preoccupied.”
“With my sister,” TJ said with a shrug. “But hey, he knows if he fucks up, I’ll kill him.”
“I’m not going to fuck up,” Zach insisted. “Look, dude, I’m screwing up my career. I think that should show you how serious I am. And don’t give me all the it’s-too-soon shit. Relationships in this group go one of two ways. Either something happens and the couple gets fucked up for years before they finally get their shit together.”
“See my parents,” Tasha said with a grin. “And Cooper’s. Oh, and TJ’s. But they’re all great now.”
“Or they take one look at each other and they’re like ‘let’s skip all the heartache and drama and just do it.’” Zach sat back, looking pleased with himself. “I’m in the second half.”
Tasha nodded. “Me too. Though there was some heartache and drama. See, Daisy is kind of a novella. Nate didn’t even give her a hard time.”
Carys brought her head up. “Don’t you ever tell her that.”
Tristan groaned and drew her back down. “How about we leave the relationship stuff out of this? Tara isn’t used to us. Give the girl a chance to catch up. What did we get off the mercenaries?”
Tara huffed. “Did anyone read my report?”
“I certainly did,” Adam replied, and then his eyes rolled as he heard a smack from the kitchen. “Ignore them. It’s all right. Lou and TJ will get them back at some point. Now, I read the report, and from what I understand, our broker gave up the mercenaries, but he wasn’t sure who they were working for.”
“He says he didn’t have a name, and I’m pretty sure he was telling the truth,” Tara replied, looking down at the tablet in her lap. “The mercenaries were a fairly new group. As far as we can tell they’d only run a couple of jobs together, though the leader is pretty well known for working in Southeast Asia. He’s worked for arms dealers in the Philippines, and I believe his group also facilitates the importing of ghost guns into the States.”
“Well, then they’re assholes of the highest kind,” Aidan said. “I spend most of my weekends stitching up bullet wounds.”
She knew the toll it took on him. He’d lost his first patient to a GSW. Working the ER in the heart of the city could be soul crushing. She sat up slightly because she was getting drowsy and there was still a lot to do. “Is there any connection to Huisman?”
“Not that I’ve been able to find,” Tara replied. “He was paid in crypto, and the mercenaries were as well. It’s damn-near impossible to trace.”
“Yes, but communications aren’t as hard,” Adam said, sitting back. “I managed to find the leader of the merc group’s Dark Web page.”
“You did? I’ve been trying to find it for days,” Tara admitted.
“Papa is excellent at his job,” Tris said. “Though I probably would have found it if I hadn’t been distracted.”
“Sure you would, son.” Adam sighed but moved on. “Oddly enough, the leader of the merc group’s cell phone was one of the few things we found in the wreckage. It must have fallen out before the explosion, or I’m going to buy stock in the company who makes the case it was in. Nevertheless, I managed to crack it, and while he was careful, my team pulled enough data that I was able to figure out real names and therefore able to track down his laptop. It was sitting in a hotel room in Fort Worth. We’re going through all of it right now, but the important thing we’ve found is evidence our mercenary was recently paid from an account associated with Disrupt Asia.”
“The group Huisman’s foundation works with.” Carys frowned. “Damn it. I hope we get the grant before you shut the whole foundation down. We need those carts.”
Tristan kissed her nose. “I’ll make sure you get them, baby.” He sat back and looked at his father. “So we can connect it to Disrupt Asia, but I’m sure we’ll find while Huisman works with Disrupt North America, he doesn’t have ties to Asia.”
“He’s careful,” Zach replied. “My question is why. Why come after the wedding? If he was looking for The Jester, what would the point be? It’s too chaotic. Why not hire an assassin? Or someone to kidnap The Jester? I can’t see how what happened at the wedding helped him. If he’s looking for information about the bombmaker, killing a bunch of Taggarts is going to do nothing but piss them all off.”
“Or it could be about me.” TJ rubbed his cheek against Lou’s. “We know the intel put out about me being close to The Jester was false, but we also know not everyone is going to believe it wasn’t me.”
Lou sat up straighter. “But in a way it’s true. We just didn’t know until later. You are close to The Jester. He’s sitting right there.”
There was a chiming through the house, and Tara stood. “Maybe we should continue this in a moment. I think our CSIS contact is here. Should we stop all the… What do you call it? D/s stuff around the Canadian operative and try to look like we’re professionals? Is this what you and Zach do at that place... What’s it called?”
“The Court.” Zach sighed and sat up. “And, yes, we should go into professional mode.”
Tara nodded. “Thank you. I’ll go let him in. Or her. They didn’t give me a name. They were kind of rude. I was surprised because they’ve always been so nice.”
Tara went to answer the door.
Zach went into military mode, his shoulders flattening out and back ramrod straight. “Carys and Aidan, feel free to be the couple you are, but the rest of us are operatives working together on a team, and we’re giving this guy nothing. Though whoever it is has almost certainly gotten a report on us. Ben Parker would make sure of it.”
He was talking about the one who Kenzie was mad at.
The Court.
What the hell was The Court?
Is this what you and Zach do at that place… What’s it called?
A cold wash of revelation swept through her. The Court. It could only be one thing.
A club. Tristan had been going to a club for the last two years?
She sat up and stiffly allowed Aidan to help her to her feet. Everyone around her was standing and decoupling. Kala went to the door separating the great room from the kitchen. She knocked loudly. “Hey, perverts. We have incoming from Canada’s finest, and it’s probably that asshole.”
Tristan stood behind her. “Hey, are you okay?”
He’d played at a club. He’d topped subs.
Aunt Charlotte came out first, smoothing her hair back and giving her daughter a smile. “CSIS is here? Sorry, we were working out dinner plans.”
“Sure you were,” Tasha replied and gestured to the stairs. “You need to go make sure everything’s okay up there.”
Charlotte nodded and jogged up the stairs toward the attic where Kenzie was staying.
Uncle Ian came out, the French doors opening to accommodate his big form. “And it can’t be him because I told CSIS I wouldn’t work with him.”
“And they always do what Mr. Lemon tells them to, don’t they?” Tara was followed by a tall man with movie-star good looks, who quickly assessed the room. His gaze settled on Kala. “Maggie.”
“Fucking Ben Parker.” Kala’s eyes narrowed.
The team started to argue, but all Carys could think about was the fact that he’d lied to her. Again.
A familiar numbness settled over her.
“Carys, I asked you a question,” Tristan said, though his tone was gentle. “Are you all right?”
She forced her lips to curve up. She wouldn’t say anything here, so she had to convince him everything was fine. It was easy since she was an excellent actress. “Great. I’ll go see if the conference room needs anything. I take it we’re starting the meeting over again?”
Tristan stared at her for a moment. Aidan did, too. “Yes. We should be able to go to the hotel in a couple of hours. We’ll talk there.”
“Of course.” She took a deep breath and walked away.
At least she had some time to figure out if she even wanted this battle. Or if it was time to walk away.