Chapter 23
Nina
Matt sat at a high top, sipping coffee while his fingers danced over the keys of his laptop. He looked like a typical guy working at a coffee shop, but I knew he was on high alert and monitoring the feeds from Grannie’s security cameras.
“If they come back, Matt’ll see them before they reach the door,” Mary said. She rarely worked the front counter, but today was different. Instead of doing paperwork in her office, Mary stayed out front with Beth and me, greeting guests and pouring coffee.
She worked the counter anytime Grannie’s got busy, or someone called off, or sometimes, just because she missed interacting with guests, so it wasn’t a total lie when she said “I can’t let my skills fade,” as she tied her apron on.
She didn’t fool anyone, but neither Beth nor I challenged her.
Any time they caught me staring at Matt’s back, Mary and Beth offered comfort, but there were no words sufficient to do the job when I needed someone to sit in the shop for my protection. A bodyguard. I needed to get used to it, no matter how absurd it sounded.
My neck and shoulders ached, my mind raced, and my heart begged for a rest as I forced myself to pretend that today was just another Thursday.
Matt stood and stretched his long arms above his head when Mary brought him a sandwich and a fresh cup of coffee.
I cried in the breakroom while I ate my lunch. Most of my chicken noodle soup ended up in the trash. Even the mild broth irritated my stomach, making me want to hurl.
While I was cleaning the tables during an afternoon lull, Matt asked, “Nina, are you available to stop by the SSI office after work?”
I stared at him like he were speaking gibberish while my mind processed the request.
Why? What did they learn? Did I want to know? Would my life go back to normal?
“Nina,” Matt said, his deep voice low and soothing. “I know this is a lot, but Austin and Ryan would like to talk to you.”
I found my voice. “You mean question me?”
Assuming it wasn’t a request didn’t mean I would agree readily.
“No. John said they want to talk to you.”
Trusting John not to lie didn’t mean I trusted his nephew. The man who had less emotion than the table Matt sat at.
Steel was hard on the inside and out, and his steel-blue eyes suited his personality perfectly.
Did it?
After we’d bumped into each other, his grip was powerful but not aggressive when he held my shoulders and asked if I was okay. For a brief moment, after recovering from the shock of running into a solid wall of a man, I’d thought he seemed nice. And hot. A real life silver fox.
Silly me. He was nothing like the heroes in my books.
Austin’s handsome face went from starring in my dreams to haunting my nightmares after one conversation with the man behind the mask.
He was so unlike the Sheppard men. They could be cold and calculating when needed—John was known for intimidating people—but only when someone they loved was in danger.
Austin was just cold and calculating. Mean.
“Do I have a choice?” I asked, trying to sound as devoid of emotion as Steel.
“You do. Say the word, and I’ll tell John you’re not up for it.”
Really? I figured he’d try harder to convince me.
“I have a little time after my shift,” I said. Nana didn’t have an appointment today, and dinner wasn’t until six. “I’ll just let my grandmother know I’ll be a little late.”
“It’ll drive you,” Matt said. “I can bring you back here when we’re done.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Matt glanced at his vibrating phone. “John wants me to remind you he won’t leave you alone with Austin.”
For the first time, my smile was at least half genuine.
“Tell him I said thank you.”
I’d never been to the SSI office, so I didn’t know what to expect.
I thought Sheppard they went MIA not long after this picture was taken.”
My parents were CIA? Missing in action? My heart raced in anticipation—had Austin found them?
“Where are they now?”
Why’d they get rid of me?
Why was there no record of my birth?
How’d Austin find me?
And why was he even looking?
“I’m sorry, Nina, but they’re dead.”
Dead?
I’d just learned they existed and now I’d never get to meet them.
Had he known all along?
Probably.
Austin placed a box of tissues and a bottle of water next to the photos.
“Are they… Did they…” I didn’t know how to ask if my parents were the bad guys.
“From what we’ve learned, they were good, honest officers. We still have more questions than answers, but we believe they were investigating corrupt CIA officers when they went missing,” Austin answered.
They’re not criminals. My sign of relief was embarrassingly loud.
If two CIA officers had a kid, you’d think there’d be a paper trail a mile long. “Why isn’t there a record of my birth?”
“You weren’t born in the States.” He pointed at the photo of me with my parents. “This picture was taken in Germany; you were born there.”
“I’m not a US citizen?” My voice screeched. That was the least of my worries, but the shock was too big to ignore.
“You are,” John answered.
“But why isn’t there a record?”
“There is.” Austin dug around in a folder and handed me a dirty, rumpled piece of paper. “It’s your birth certificate.”
I couldn’t read it, but I recognized the word Deutschland. Germany.
“If you’d like, I can translate it,” Austin offered.
I pointed at what looked like a date, 13 Mai. “Is this,” I swallowed and caught my breath, “is this my birthday?”
“Yes, May thirteenth.” Austin’s hard, steel-blue eyes softened. “I’m sorry you never knew.”
So he can be human.
Wait? How does he know I didn’t know my actual birthday?
Stupid question, he probably ran my background. He obviously knows more about me than I do.
I was born in Germany. On May thirteenth. According to the birth certificate, I was already twenty-seven.
I’ve celebrated my birthday on July fifth for twenty-six years.
“Why don’t we take a break?” John suggested.
“No,” I practically shouted.
When John’s eyebrow lifted, I apologized, “Sorry, it’s just… I have so many questions.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have many answers.”
I ignored Austin and asked, “How’d you find me?”
“You ran into me.” His lips lifted in a soft smile, reminding me of the silver fox I met at Madi’s party.
“You know what I mean,” my voice had too much snark for someone at everyone else’s mercy.
“I ran aging software, using your parents’ CIA IDs and that picture of you.” He pointed at the baby picture. “Imagine my surprise when I realized the woman I was looking for had spilled her coffee on me in my aunt’s coffee shop.”
He’s known for days. My hurt was obvious in my quiet, shaking voice when I said, “But you didn’t say anything?”
Instead, he’d lied and pretended he didn’t know anything about me.
“Nina, please understand, I couldn’t come to you with an assumption. I had to verify my suspicions, so I ran your background. The timelines and circumstances line up, so short of a DNA test telling me I’m wrong, I’m confident in our findings.”
A DNA test? Could he do that? Would it matter?
So many questions, but my brain was overloaded and I could barely focus.
One question looped in the front of my mind. The one I’d been asking my whole life.
“Why’d they give me up?” I whispered, my finger once again tracing the outline of their faces.
“I can’t say for certain, but we believe it was to protect you.”