Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
“See, just when I’m ready to hate you,” a soft voice said. Devi walked in. She shot Lacey a look. “You shouldn’t do that to him.”
“Do what?” Zach was confused. She looked awfully pretty in her new jeans and button-down. Her sneakers were the only thing left from her previous outfit. She’d taken something plain and made it interesting by rolling up the bottom of the legs, showing the difference in color and tying off the bottom of the shirt so it clung to her curves and exposed a bit of her midriff.
Devi walked a few steps into the kitchen. A bit wary, looking around like she needed to know where the exits were. “She knew I was standing here, and she baited you into saying a bunch of nice things about me. She knows damn well I’m fine with the cat. She helped me set up the bedding for her in the closet. Her name is Sunny, by the way.”
“Not how I would have gone,” Lacey said, taking two plates to the small table and setting them down. “Did you want to know what he honestly thought or not? I was trying to do a sister a solid.”
Yep, still confused. “I thought you didn’t like her.”
Lacey shrugged. “You’re right. Our first meeting was awkward. Also, sorry about the drugs. They can affect you long after, but when I got back from town with her clothes and all of the supplies, we had a fine time. Well, we had a painful time because Sunny has sharp claws.”
“So he never tried to bring my cousin to meet his underground warrior woman?” Devi asked.
Lacey grinned. “See, that’s why I’m fond of her. I really am an underground warrior woman. I should get a tattoo. Mum would be so proud.”
“How did you two meet?” Devi sat down like they were having an everyday regular meal.
“Devi, we should talk.”
She nodded. “And we will, but I have questions. I have been utterly out of control for weeks now. Give me this. How did you meet? I’d like an answer, and I’d like it to be detailed and thorough.”
A snort came from Lacey. “She wants to know if we’ve shagged.”
Zach grimaced at the thought. He had never viewed Lacey that way. There was zero between them except work and a friendship he’d come to rely on. “No.”
Lacey grabbed a third plate and sat across from Devi, leaning over conspiratorially. “Not that he’s been a saint. Quite the opposite. He’s a horny bastard.”
“I am not. I am a regular sex drive bastard.” She didn’t have to put it like that. “I’ve been single and quite frankly, despite her uncle’s rules for his daughters, he’s willing to throw me out as man meat a lot.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Devi’s brow had arched, and she looked a lot like her mom in that moment. Her mom when she was trying to figure out if it was time to kick a little ass. “Because I happen to know that my uncle has a honey pot rule, and yes, I know what honey pot means in the spy world. It’s flirting for information and potentially having an entire sexual relationship to work a target. I happen to know my cousins are forbidden from doing that, and I’m fairly certain my uncle would never ask Cooper or Tris. You’re telling me he’ll toss you in?”
And she sounded as fierce as her mother.
Lacey grinned. “Oh, from what I can tell Big Tag often throws Zach to the wolves, and by wolves I mean any target who finds him attractive. Once he flirted with a man in an airport for over two hours so a member of his team could steal his laptop, download the information, and get it back in his bag. The bugger had shown zero interest in Miss Magenta, but he perked right up when Big Tag sent in Zach.”
Devi frowned and looked at Zach. “She knows about the twins?”
Fuck. Big Tag was going to kill him. “No.”
Lacey’s eyes narrowed. “Twins. Bugger all. That’s what I’ve been missing. You keep talking about your cousins. I thought you were using the plural because you grew up with them. I knew Tasha Taggart was on the team. Is Kara a Taggart, too? Did the Agency scrub her? Or them? Twins explains a lot.”
Devi had gone pale. “Oh, I did that.”
He reached out and took her hand in his, guilt threatening to swamp him. “Sweetness, you are not an operative. I don’t blame you. Your uncle won’t blame you. The twins won’t blame you.” He squeezed her hand and looked her right in the eyes. “You have done nothing wrong. You’re in a world you’re not used to. Look at me. Your cousins are fine. Lacey is an ally, and one I assure you Big Tag will vet thoroughly if I bring her in. Which I’ll probably have to at this point.”