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)
“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.
* * * *
Zach stood in the dining room, the small table serving as their conference room. Too small table. Everything felt too small right now. Including his skin.
I’m not saying he’s the right person. He’s the right now person.
It hurt. Ached. The words reminded him that none of this was going to be easy, and he had zero idea what the hell he was doing. Of course he was the right-now guy. He didn’t have a fucking future.
“So you’re the Lou of the team?” Devi was chatting with Parker and Tim like this was all a normal, everyday business conference and not a meeting of three different intelligence teams and the rogue agent they were all hunting or working. Like she hadn’t let that rogue agent fuck her like the world was going to end.
She had poured everyone tea like this was a happy afternoon gathering and not a recitation of all of his sins. And his shitastic past. If she thought he wasn’t Mr. Right before, wait until she heard about his biological dad’s rap sheet.
Lou sat across from Tim, TJ at her side. “It’s so good to meet other techs. We don’t ever get to talk.”
Tim was a puppy of a man. The kid was maybe twenty-two and looked like he smelled like maple syrup. With shaggy golden brown hair, oversized glasses, and… Was that an actual pocket protector? Anyway, he was kind of the quintessential nerd. Except he didn’t mind hitting on every woman in sight.
Of course Tim probably had a squeaky-clean record and parents who didn’t treat his life like a revolving door in a house of horrors.
“There’s a reason.” Parker was all charm now that Lou was in the room. He was polite and solicitous to both women and seemed friendly with TJ. Though naturally he looked at Zach with an air of suspicion.
Where the hell was Kala? Where was Coop? If they were off doing it somewhere before they had to pretend they weren’t married, he was going to punch his brother. Not Kala. She punched back.
“We get all the techs together and you start talking about how dumbass we operatives are,” Parker said with the smooth smile of a player. But Zach noticed his eyes kept looking toward the door where Miss Magenta would enter.
Instead, Arthur moved in. Henry. Whatever they were calling him.
He stood in the doorway, cold blue eyes taking in the Canadians. “Gentlemen, you can call me Mr. Bishop.”
Parker sat back, and it was easy to see he was trying to figure out how to handle the older man. “Well, you’re certainly not Dr. Arthur Beddoe. I can see why you picked the cover. Rural vet with a simple website. No real web presence. I suspect your target didn’t pay much attention to your work and didn’t go into town often, so he wouldn’t run into the real Dr. Beddoe.”
“And yet he seemed to deal with a bunch of health problems with the animals.” Zach’s head was still reeling when it came to Henry and his daughter. “I helped him vaccinate goats earlier today. Or I guess he faked that.”
“The goats are perfectly safe from clostridium perfringens types C and D, as well as tetanus,” Henry announced. “And I did handle the horse’s leg earlier this week. I have a vet I know who walked me through the whole procedure. I assure you no animals were harmed in the working of this op. My wife would have my head.”