Love and Let Spy

Chapter Five

This is the first chapter of part two of Love and Let Spy.

Ben Parker sat at the conference table staring at his mentor. Joseph Caulder was in his late forties and had been working intelligence for twenty years. So long that there was almost no way he didn’t know who Mr. Lemon was. “How long have you known?”

Joseph looked up from his notes. “Parker? You’re still here? Do you have a problem with the new assignment?”

It had been three weeks since that day in Nepal, and he hadn’t spent a single second thinking about anything but Mag…Kenzie Taggart.

His whole body felt alive when he thought about those minutes they’d spent together. He’d made a mistake. He shouldn’t have allowed her to walk away. He should have thrown her over his shoulder and forced her to come with him. He’d seen it in his head. He could find a nice cell for her and she could serve him until she’d made up for lying and making him look like a fool.

Then he thought about the hollow look in her eyes, and he wanted to call her, to ease her and soothe her.

Which was exactly what she wanted.

“I think I should be the one to go to Dallas. Now answer my question.”

Joseph stared at him for a moment. “How long have I known what?”

“That our American contact was Ian Taggart.” He’d spent every spare moment he had learning everything he could about the Taggarts. On paper they were a family of five with an adopted eldest daughter, Tasha, and two sons, Seth and Travis, and one grandson, Colton Taggart.

On paper Kenzie Taggart and her twin didn’t exist.

Joseph sat up and took his glasses off. “I’ve known Ian for a long time. Most of my career, actually. I got involved in a case that revolved around his nephew many years ago. I was a field agent then.” He sighed. “I suppose this is about Ms. Magenta.”

“So you know she’s his daughter.” The betrayal cut through him.

“I suspected, and I suspect she’s not the only one. If I recall he had twins. Two girls who looked an awful lot like their mother,” Joseph said softly, as though remembering. “If you look today there is no mention of the twins. Given that I know for a fact the young woman who runs the team and coordinates with base for them is his oldest kid, I did think it was more than possible Ms. Magenta was Ian’s as well. The whole team is something of a family. TJ is his youngest brother’s son. Cooper McKay is his best friend’s kid, and Tristan Dean-Miles belongs to a family Ian’s worked with forever. So yes, I suspected.”

“And you didn’t think to mention it to me?”

“Well, I don’t gossip about other agents, Ben.” He took a long breath as though considering the situation. “I know you’ve had trouble with her and you suspected her of keeping intel, but Ian always made sure we got it. He’s a valuable asset to our agency. I know things are touchy with the Americans, but he’s solid. So no, I didn’t give up his secrets because you didn’t need to know them, and before you say something you shouldn’t, fucking another operative in the field is not enough to make me cause a rift between our team and Ian’s. Though I think you’ve managed to do exactly that.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means we have data the Americans don’t have and when I suggested you go down and debrief the team, they requested another operative,” Joseph replied.

A wave of anger surged through Ben. She thought she could fuck him over? “If they want the data, they can get it from me or they don’t get it at all.”

Joseph groaned. “And then we don’t get their data. For fuck’s sake, Ben, I thought you wanted me to take Huisman seriously. Well, here I am. Taking him seriously, and you’re the one screwing around. Literally. Can you think with your actual brain for ten minutes?”

Not when it came to her. He’d proven that time and time again.

What made him ache was how peaceful he’d felt with her in his arms. He’d lain there and known he was going to die and it was okay because she was with him. She’d been everything in that moment, and she never bothered to tell him she was two different people.

Gaslighting. He was pretty sure this was a textbook case of gaslighting since he’d mentioned several times it felt like she was two different people and she’d blown him off saying it was a work persona.

“You kept important intel from me, Joe.”

A brow arched over icy eyes. “So you needed to know which twin you were dealing with when all you were supposed to do was work with her? Did you need to know which twin you were passing intel to? Or did you want to know which one you were hitting on? Tell me—did you sleep with both of them or just one?”

“I’m pretty sure it was only the one.” Tim walked in, carrying a folder. “You see, boss, there was a good Maggie and a pretty evil but still hot Maggie. I think he liked the sweet one. I’ve thought about this a lot and I think the one Huisman tortured is the mean one.”

Yes, he’d come to the same conclusion. He’d spent days and days going over every op he’d been on with the Americans, and he’d split up the times he’d dealt with Kenzie’s twin. Kala. That was her name. Kala Taggart. Well, Kala McKay, if what she’d told him was true.

“Is there a point, Tim?” He didn’t need input.

“Many,” Tim said with a sigh and turned to Joe. “I’ve tried to talk to him. He’s got this thing going where he thinks the twins have been like laughing behind his back or something, but Lou says Kenzie’s been crying for weeks and that she’s listened to something called her sad-girl mix, which from what I can tell is a lot of sad songs about how guys are assholes.”

She’d been crying? “When did you talk to Lou?”

That felt like a betrayal too. Tim had been talking to the Americans behind his back? Was he working for another team? Damn it. Could he find a single person who was loyal to him?

Tim handed over the folder to Joe. “We’ve been working through the data. Not all of it. Rest easy, friend. We’re all still holding out on each other, but I think we have enough that we should work with them. I know you’re going to be mad, but I’m going to Dallas with the new girl.”

Hannah Hayes, a long-term operative who’d been working in Europe for the last several years. She sometimes worked with MI6. The same MI6 team Ben had worked with when TJ Taggart was kidnapped. She was good, but she didn’t know Huisman. “So I’m out. I do all the work and I’m out because your relationship with Taggart is more important than taking down Huisman. Am I being benched? Should I start looking for another job?”

“The only reason I’m benching you is your attitude. And honestly, your professionalism. I get it,” Joe explained. “She’s a beautiful woman. Are you done with her? I’ll rethink everything if you can promise me you’re not going to take some kind of revenge on her. She had a job to do, too. It’s actually brilliant, if you think about it. They managed to have an operative who could literally be in two places at once if they needed her to be.”

“He won’t be able to do that,” Tim said quietly. “He’s in love with her.”

He hated that word. “I am not. I don’t even know who she is.”

Tim sighed. “Then it’s best you leave her alone and let her heal, man. I worked with them, too. And now that I know what I know, I do feel like I can tell them apart, and Kenzie was always fair with me. She was always nice. I know Kala was rough, but I think that’s just who she is.”

“She left me to die,” Ben pointed out.

“And caught you and took you down with her when you jumped,” Tim replied. “She could have fought you off, could have let you fall, but she didn’t. And I know you’re pissed because she was in love with Cooper, but she isn’t Kenzie. So Kenzie didn’t lie to you.”

“Oh, she lied.” She lied about everything. Her name. Who she was half the time.

And yet he could see how brilliant a play it was. One of them could be out in public while the other worked in the shadows and no one would question her.

He fucking missed her. That was the worst part.

“So did you.” Tim frowned his way. It sucked because often Tim was the only one in his life who seemed to be in a good mood. “Do you think I forgot the Australian op just because you left me behind? You didn’t walk in and tell her who you were. She thought you were Brian Peters. You didn’t tell her who you truly are until you tried to kidnap her sister and they caught you.”

Not his finest moment. And he’d only had questions for Tasha. He wasn’t really trying to kidnap her. Still, Tim had a point. “All right, I’ll give that to you. I didn’t intend to ever tell her my real name. But after…”

“She works for another Agency. She had a secret. If you don’t want a woman with a couple of secrets, hop on a dating app and put no spies as one of your requirements,” Joe said with a long sigh. “Maybe it’s for the best. I think you’re too close to Huisman. He’s escalating. We have reports that he’s planning a strike somewhere in Asia. He managed to get out with one of the bombs and his formula for the anthrax. We have it, too, but he knows so he’ll likely change it now. I need someone to go down and explain the situation to Big Tag. Thank god I can call him that again. I swear that asshole picked Mr. Lemon because he knew it sounds stupid. You should get ready for your new assignment.”

“I’ll quit before I leave this case,” Ben announced. His brain was trying to wrap his mind around the problem. What if he could kill two birds with one stone? He could keep his place and get Kenzie Taggart out of his system. “Look, that team is angry with us. I should go and smooth things over.”

Joe snorted.

But this could be the best way to handle things. “I can play nice. Look, you’re all right. I overreacted. She’s reached out several times, so I know she wants to talk. Maybe if we talk, we can work things out. Between our teams. You know they sometimes hold out on us.”

“And we hold out on them when I think we should.” Joe seemed determined to make his case. “This case is not one where our country can get ahead if I hold back some intel. This case is one where the world bleeds if I do it.”

“But you know the Americans won’t see it that way,” Ben argued. “I can go down and talk to Kenzie and get on the inside. She’s always eager to work with me. If she’s upset with how we left things in Nepal, she’ll want to please me.”

Tim’s eyes rolled. “I hope that somewhere in that brain of yours this is all justification because you can’t handle the idea of not seeing her again. Because if it’s not and you’re seriously thinking about playing a woman who loves you, you’re not the man I think you are. I watched that tape. She wasn’t faking. She didn’t try to run. She didn’t fight for her life. She only wanted you. I can’t tell you what I would do if I could get a woman to look at me the way she looks at you. I would be willing to put up with a slightly deranged twin and all the professional lies she would tell me. But that’s me. I guess we don’t have the same values.”

The words hit him hard.

And then that voice started whispering.

What if she knew all along that Huisman was alive?

What if the whole thing was a setup to distract him while Huisman got away?

A flash of the look in her eyes when he reached for her hit him.

She’d softened, those eyes going wide like it was everything she’d hoped for and all that mattered was being with him. He’d felt more connected to her in that moment than he’d felt to anyone for years.

His parents had gone into witness protection when they realized Manny had hired someone to kill them. He hadn’t seen them in years. All he had was this team.

Tim walked out without a backward glance.

Was she that great an actress? Now that he looked back he could easily tell which twin he’d been with every time they’d met. Even when he’d saved her, when he’d walked into Manny’s old house in Toronto and found her lifeless on a medical table, it had felt off. Like he was touching something that wasn’t his. Perhaps it was mere fancy, but when he’d made love to Kenzie he’d known she was his.

Joe looked grim. “Ben, I need to ask you a question. Do you honestly think she was playing you?”

“I don’t know.”

“You do, but your past is a wall between you and the truth. Huisman fucked you over. He’s the boogeyman, and I am not making light of what he’s done to you. It might be time to try to find a way to move on.”

“I don’t fucking want to move on from her.” He realized what he’d said. “Damn it. You were talking about Manny.”

There was an amused expression on Joe’s face. “So Tim is right and you’re fighting something that could be good for you personally. Terrible for your career, though.”

“It is not. We just need to have a wall up when we’re not working together.” Why had he said that? He’d thought it through a thousand times, but he hadn’t meant for Joe to know.

“Allowances could be made, especially if we’re working on mutual goals,” Joe offered. “The truth of the matter is we’ve found some property lists and other information that could use your subject-matter expertise. You know the doctor in a way no one else does. What would you say if I offered to let you manage the data? I’ll assign you your own team and you can work this from a desk. I will make sure that when we get boots on the ground, you’ll be there.”

“I quit.” He hadn’t meant to do that either. “I’m going to Dallas one way or another.”

“To screw with Taggart’s team?” Joe asked tightly.

“To figure out why I can’t get her out of my head. To find some fucking peace when it comes to her. Maybe you’re right. Maybe Tim’s right. Maybe I’m letting what Manny has done to me affect my relationship with Kenzie. I won’t know until I see her again.” He thought about the invitation he’d received in the mail three days before. The crisp cream stationary had contained a request to attend the wedding of Natasha Taggart to Darren Nash in Dallas, Texas. This weekend. Five days from now the whole Taggart family was gathering, and if he walked into that wedding he would know everything. All their personal secrets. He would be on the inside.

He could be one of them. Like Dare. He could have a family.

He shoved that idea aside.

There had been a handwritten note slid in.

Hope you can be there. Kenzie misses you, and honestly, so do I. Dare

What had been his first thought? That Dare was in on it, too.

He was fucked up. He needed a damn therapist.

He needed her.

“I have to see her. Even if it means stepping away from the only thing I have.” His job. His mission. There was a sense of shame that ran through him. He was picking a woman who had lied to him over justice for Deanna. Over the peace and safety of the world.

And yet he wasn’t going to take the threat back because this was the first time in weeks that he felt better. The decision to go to Dallas and…confront her? Accuse her?

Try with her?

He would know when he saw her. He would know when he got close to her again. He wouldn’t let Manny’s cruelty force his hand. He would figure her out and only then would he let her truly in.

But they would have a chance.

Joe stared at him for a moment. “I think this is a mistake.”

There it was. He was in a corner, and he didn’t even hesitate. “You’ll have my resignation before I leave.”

He wasn’t going to sit behind a desk. He’d had his childish tantrum, and he was going to see her. He would find out the truth no matter what.

And he would have her again. But this time, there would be no time limit, and they would do things her way. Which meant taking control. It also meant he had to be prepared.

“Ben,” Joe called out.

He stopped, his hand on the door. He should walk on, but he owed Joe and he needed to stop letting his confusion and anger turn him into a massive asshole. “I’m sorry, Joe. I have to know.”

“I understand.” Joe stood. “If this is about her and not some kind of revenge, then I refuse your resignation and I’ll need to fully brief you on what we’ve found. We can call Tim back in.”

Well, at least he wasn’t fired. He wanted both. He wanted to know the truth about her and wanted to take down Manny for every evil deed he’d done. He also wanted his friend back. His friends. He wanted Tim back and he wanted Dare. He wanted to be in that damn circle.

He hated that he wanted it so badly.

“Can we call out for Thai?” It was time to get to work. “Tim can be bribed with food. If we get some root beer, he’ll forget we ever fought.”

“I can get you a new tech,” Joe offered.

Ben shook his head, walking back to the table. “No. He’s the best, and he’s been good to me over the years. I’ve been a dick since we got back from Nepal. They left us, and it would have been easy to give us a lift back down. She chose not to, and I’ve been trying to figure out why. My head goes to dark places.”

“I believe you’ll find that Shannon Reed is missing again,” Joe said quietly. “She was supposed to be handed over when they reached the States, but she got away.”

“The bombmaker is out there? They let the bombmaker go?”

Joe passed a file to him. “This is a picture from a CCTV cam of Shannon Reed coming into Canada. She came in under a false passport and was escorted by a woman she called her niece. They flew into Winnipeg, and I believe there was a vehicle waiting for them. Likely driven by this woman’s father or mother.”

He stared down at the grainy photo taken from CCTV. Lucy Brooke Flanders. Oh, most people wouldn’t recognize her because she knew how to hide, but he’d spent time with the woman. She was an Agency operative with ties to Kenzie and the Taggarts. Her father was quite scary. Not as scary as Ian Taggart, but right up there since that old man had taken both him and Tim down. “So they were involved in letting a dangerous criminal go?”

“I believe she’s in a town called Bliss. Have you read her file? What she went through?”

“She built bombs,” Ben replied.

“It’s not always so simple, and I believe Taggart settled her in a place where she can find something beyond mere survival in her last years.” Joe’s voice was calm, like he approved of what Taggart had done. “I suspect if she’d been placed in the hands of the Agency, she would be pressured to build bombs for the US, and I don’t think she wanted to do that. I suspect she wanted to spend time with her son and his new girlfriend. With the son she lost and his new wife.”

Cooper McKay. He was talking about Cooper and Kala. Had Kala asked her sister to leave so she could save the woman who gave birth to her husband? He knew Cooper considered Alex and Eve McKay his parents, but did the man feel something for the woman who gave him away to try to save him?

It was more complicated than he was making it.

The door came open again and Tim was there. He gave Ben a suspicious look before turning to Joseph. “You texted?”

“Ben is going to Dallas and would like you to accompany him. He’s going to spend the next couple of days going over the data so he’s ready to brief the American team next Monday,” Joe said. “I do believe he intends to have serious talks with Kenzie Taggart about how to make things work between them.”

Tim put a hand to his heart. “Thank god. Lou said she’s slipping into some serious depression. Like she’s mourning Ben. She’s wearing a lot of black and listening to way too much Lana Del Rey. She’s worried.”

“Don’t tell her I’m coming. I need to see how she reacts,” Ben warned. “Tim, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been hard to deal with, but I’m going to figure this out. Now let’s get you some pad thai and some mango sticky rice and talk. I also need to call Dare. I think I need to do some research before I get to Dallas.”

Some serious research, and a crash course in BDSM.

Because that was where he would get her. He would learn her language, figure out how to give her what she claimed she needed, and he would find the truth there.

He would risk everything to know if they could work.

“All right. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“And pack a tux.” Ben sat down, calmer than he’d been since the last time he’d held her.

Tim frowned. “Uh, I don’t actually have one of those.”

Ben ignored him. “We’re going to a wedding.”

And he would decide if he was going to join the Taggart family.

Or take them down.

 * * * *

The sweet sounds of Beyonce’s “Halo” played in the bridal suite.

Ben had practically had a halo the last time Kenzie had seen him. He’d been damn near angelic, with his hair curling around his ears and his eyes bright with passion. For her. It might be the closest to heaven she would ever get.

And now she was in purgatory.

Wearing a lovely rose gold matte corset bodice with a matching floor-length skirt. Devi had designed it. Devi, who was happily settling in with Zach Reed. Devi, who had designed the gowns as both bridesmaid and fet wear since if one lost the skirt, the bridesmaid would be down to a corset and thong and ridiculous heels.

She was pretty sure Kala had already had sex in it.

She was never going to have sex again.

The song ended. She looked up at Lou, who was probably looking forward to being violated by TJ at some point in the wedding. “Could you put on ‘Cornelia Street’?”

Lou’s whole body sagged. “No. No ‘Cornelia Street.’ And while we’re at it, no more Lana Del Rey. If you want more Bey, it’s going to be Lemonade. How about Florence and the Machine?”

“Early Flo,” Kala suggested, walking in and straightening her skirt. Her twin looked calm and cool, relaxed in a way she hadn’t been before getting properly dicked down by a pilot. “Lungs. You know I love ‘Girl with One Eye.’ We can rechristen it ‘Spy with One Eye’ and dedicate it to Ben.”

Just hearing his name made her heart ache.

She’d spent weeks sitting in her surprisingly lonely house since Kala had moved into Cooper’s place, and they now shared it with Devi and Zach. Lou and TJ had their own apartment, a place close to Lou’s cover job with 4L Software’s development lab. Tasha and Dare were in the same building.

Now it was just her and Brianna, who had been attending a week-long writer retreat before returning last night for the wedding. So Kenz had spent that time eating cookies she baked, listening to sad-girl music, and switching between cursing Ben’s name and wishing he was there.

She might be fading like the Fae did.

She laid back on the chaise lounge. They were at a luxurious downtown hotel that must have cost a shit ton of money. She should be happy.  

Everyone was happy. She was happy for them. She was. She was also sad for herself.

“You look like you’re trying to fade. Like some faery queen who lost her only love.” Kala stood over her, arms crossed under her chest. She was in a matching dress except hers was a dark green. Lou was in a sunny yellow version. “Are you going to perk up when Tash comes out or should I prepare her for your funeral?”

“Hey, you know she’s sad.” Lou moved in, bringing Kala a glass of champagne. “Watching Tash and Dare get married has to stir up old memories.”

“They’re not old memories. I know my sister can paint a patina of tortured romance over anything, but it was only a couple of weeks ago and she’ll probably see him again and probably make the poor choice of sleeping with him again.” Kala’s eyes narrowed. “Unless you’ve actually given up. Lou, do we have an ‘I just broke up and I’m going to run through some dick’ playlist? Because there are a bunch of Canadians out there. I can catch one for you. Dare’s relatives aren’t half bad, and you won’t have to run into them in a professional setting. Also, I think some of the Bliss guys are here. I can get you two of those.”

“Hey, I think this is the part where I point out that those are men and they have feelings,” Lou began.

“Yes, in their penises. Which is the only thing I’m worried about right now,” Kala shot back.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about it. She’d thought about going to Bliss and standing in the middle of town until she was claimed by two hot men and lived the rest of her life chasing aliens and finding new ways to make beets edible. It seemed nice. Simple. And there were lots of animals.

Ben probably liked animals. Like Canadian animals. Beavers and stuff.

A tear slipped from her eye. She missed Ben.

“You have to rally,” Kala announced. “This is Tasha’s day. I can’t have you fainting while you’re walking down the aisle. I’ve told Seth if you do, he’s supposed to drag you.”

Well, that felt rude. She forced herself to sit up and frown her twin’s way. “I’m not going to ruin Tasha’s wedding. I’ll be fine. I’m excellent at hiding how I feel. I keep calm and carry on.”

Now Lou was staring at her like she’d said something dumb.

She could. She hadn’t felt the need to around her friends and family. “You know I don’t think it’s good to bottle things up. When you do you end up with those frown lines Kala’s getting. Thank the universe we’re not pretending to be each other anymore and I can go back to a proper skincare regimen.”

Kala groaned but sat down beside her, putting a hand over hers. “I’m sorry he turned out to be an asshole.”

“I lied to him.” She could still see his beautiful face…and body. He had such a hot bod.

“We’re spies. He should expect some…subterfuge,” Kala allowed.

Before she could reply the door came open and her father walked through. And he wasn’t alone.

Kala stood and Kenzie was right behind her because their unrufflable dad looked extremely ruffled.

Shit.

“Another attempt?” Kala asked, looking him over.

It had been a week. Things seemed quiet for about two weeks after they returned from Nepal, and then someone had taken a shot at her dad. He’d been in Deep Ellum at the time, so he’d chalked it up to angry hipsters—which did not track in any way. It was after a second attempt outside his office that her dad started to take things seriously.

Aunt Chelsea had been surprisingly peppy about reporting the news that there was a bounty on Ian Taggart’s head.

The person he had with him looked young. Maybe twenty or so. Maybe younger. She wore all black, though not tactical wear. She was in a black velvet jogging suit with the hoodie pulled up over her light blonde hair. Her mascara was running like she’d cried briefly but sucked it up. It gave her some raccoon eyes. She was pretty but hard. So hard for someone young.

“She tried to blow up my car. I just paid that fucker off,” her dad announced. “Alex is coming to take her back to the club where I will have a great time interrogating a child.”

“I am not child, and I was doing you favor, old man. That car is junk,” she said in a familiar accent.

Her twin’s eyes rolled. “Naturally, she’s Russian.”

“Ona chto, iz mafii? Iz kakogo sindikata?” Kenzie found herself surprisingly excited about dealing with a young Russian mob assassin. It gave a girl something to look forward to.

The young woman rolled her eyes. “Speak English. Your Russian is worse than this man’s.”

“She’s a delight,” her father announced.

“Is not. My Russian is perfect.” Kenzie had been speaking Russian for…as long as she could remember. Her mother hadn’t wanted to lose the language she’d fought hard to learn, so Russian was spoken often in their home.

“Sure. Perfect,” the woman said with a sneer. “I don’t belong to a syndicate. I’m college student. Here to soak in all the freedoms. This man is pervert. He tries to make me his sex slave.”

“Sure. I always go trolling the parking lots of luxury hotels to find infants to enslave,” her father said with a sigh. “Kala, sweetie, do you have some sedatives on you? I don’t think she’s going to go quietly. I don’t want to interrupt the wedding. Dare’s relatives are already freaked out since someone took a shot at me at the rehearsal dinner.”

She’d been there. They were Canadian. It was fairly easy to convince them it was nothing more than a rando Friday night in the US.

“Uh, no, Dad,” Kala said. “I do not carry around sedatives.”

“I do,” Lou said, grabbing her bag.

The young woman backed away. “Ne nado.”

Don’t. It was the first time she looked even slightly frightened.

“I can shut her up without putting her under.” She walked right over to the lovely buffet the hotel had set up. It had coffee and champagne and many, many pastries. Kenzie selected one. A big-ass croissant. She walked over to the assassin and shoved it right in her mouth. “See, now she can’t talk. But she’ll know we didn’t do anything to her.”

Kala sent her a grateful look. “Yes, she’ll remember.”

Their father sighed and hauled his quarry over to the chaise lounge that had so recently been the site of Kenzie’s brood. “Sorry, daughter. I didn’t think about that.”

Kala had lost an enormous amount of time wondering what happened to her when she was fifteen and drugged by a group of mercenaries. Not knowing had nearly killed her. She wouldn’t put anyone else through that if she didn’t have to.

The young woman sat, her hands tied behind her back. She didn’t want to know why her dad had been walking around with rope in his pocket. Nope. That was better left to the wind. She noticed their captive had started chewing her way around the croissant, and her eyes closed briefly. Like she was struggling. Or enjoying it. Could be either.

“She had a bomb,” her father complained. “She was on the ground trying to put it behind my wheel. How long has your mother been in there with Tasha?”

“Over an hour,” Kala replied. “Devi’s in there, too. Problem with the hem. She’s working on it but she could be out any minute, and you know she told you no blood on the carpet. I’ll go get the tarp.”

“You are not going to kill me.” The young woman was good.

She’d gotten through that croissant in record time. Surely someone had a ball gag. Like half the wedding guests were lifestylers. If one needed to restrain a suspect, this was the place to do it.

“I can cut your tongue out,” Kala offered. “Look, I get the whole waking up and trying to figure out what happened to your body thing. Been there. Done that. No sedatives as long as you’re calm, but I can do other things.”

Gray eyes rolled. She was actually quite pretty even if she was a little on the thin side. The thin side could be lovely if it was natural, but Kenz got the feeling this girl didn’t get much of a chance to eat. “I think that the… What is word. Keks. The keks would work. The one with the berries.”

Muffin? “You want a muffin?”

“I don’t get carbs where I come from. They’re serious about fitness,” she explained. “That croissant… Death might be worth it. I don’t suppose you could gag me with champagne. I have never been allowed alcohol.”

“Sure you haven’t,” her dad said, pacing and looking down at his phone.

“It is terrible where I come from.” It was clear the girl had decided to change tactics. “I am taken from home at young age and forced to go to France.”

“Are you serious?” Her dad was suddenly interested. “That is terrible.”

“They make me change name. I was Olga and now I am Sosa, which is short for Solene. Which is stupid name but apparently Olga is not sexy. I was eight. I did not want to be sexy,” she said quietly.

Kala groaned. “That is not going to work. I liked you better when you were spitting bile.”

“I mean, I do feel bad she had to go to France,” her dad replied.

Olga/Sosa nodded as though accepting all of the sympathy she could get.

Her dad could be an asshole. France was amazing. She wanted to go to Paris with Ben. They always ended up in Nepal or some other place like it, and while beautiful there weren’t a whole bunch of five-star restaurants and world-class shopping. Every time they got to go somewhere romantic, work got in the way.

Was that where they’d gone wrong? They should have found ways to need to work in more romantic places. Maybe Ben needed a soothing space to find his emotional center.

“Is something wrong with her?” Sosa asked, and it took Kenzie a moment to realize she was talking about her. The would-be assassin looked to Kala. “Did you get all the brain parts? I hear this can happen with twins. Not enough to go around. She obviously got the boobs.”

Kenzie growled. Their boobs were the same. Mostly. Sometimes she thought Kala’s nipples were a bit out of alignment, but no one was perfect and Coop seemed fine with them.

“She’s going through… Are we calling it a breakup?” Kala seemed amused. “They weren’t technically together, but my sister is always looking for an epic love story. If I had to guess she was thinking about what she would have worn in Paris when she met Ben beneath the Eiffel Tower.”

Kenzie picked up the massive blueberry muffin and stuffed it into Sosa’s mouth before looking to her sister. “Do you want one, too?”

Kala squared off with her. “Am I wrong?”

Oh, she could do this. Maybe this was exactly what she needed. “Fight club.”

Sosa nodded, her eyes lighting with glee as she managed to somehow start eating that muffin.

Lou turned to the only man in the room. “I don’t know what to do. I left the spray bottle at home because Devi told me if I ruined Kala’s dress, she’d be upset. She’s making my wedding dress. I have to be cool with her, but I don’t think Tasha wants a fight club on her wedding day.”

“Fight club?” a feminine voice said, and Kenzie realized the doors to the portion of the suite they were using to get dressed had opened. Her big sister stood there looking like an angel in her white wedding dress with a veil and a sweetheart neckline, and Kenzie was never getting married because Ben was a total asshole. “We are not having fight club.”

“Shit,” her father cursed.

“Ian.” Yep, her mom was right behind Tash, and her eyes had gone straight to the chick with the muffin in her mouth. She simply stared.

There were women in the world who would wonder why their husband dragged a young woman to his daughter’s wedding. It could be the start of a tale as old as time—older man, young hot girl… Yeah, her mom did not go there.

“Tell me they’re not sending little girls to take you out.” Her mother looked fabulous in her emerald green floor-length gown that hugged her every curve.

“Not little girl. Haven’t been for long time.” Sosa had finished her muffin. She eyed Charlotte Taggart, and Kenzie saw the minute she decided she could cause some turmoil. Her expression changed, and she managed a couple of actual tears. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. He tells me he is divorced and when I tell him I’m having his baby, he freak out. I didn’t know.”

Kala snorted. Lou shook her head.

Her dad simply stepped back, obviously leaving her to fate. Fate was named Charlotte in this case. Her dad shook his head and leaned against the door. “Sorry, baby. You know how much I love super-young people with their weird words like skibidi, and I don’t even know what Ohio means in their language. I only know it does not mean Ohio. I couldn’t resist her charms. And if Alex had gotten here earlier, you would never have known.”

They had such a beautiful love. Her mom and dad. It brought tears to her eyes. Her father was perfectly comfortable joking because Mom trusted him so much. Because they were meant to be.

She could have had that love with Ben.

“Uhm, should I get the tarp now?” Lou asked. “I actually brought one because I know Lucy was invited and said she couldn’t come, but you never know.”

Lucy Brooke Flanders. Kenzie liked her. She was a lot like Kala. Which was probably why her twin viewed the slightly younger woman as her nemesis.

Charlotte went to stand in front of the girl, towering over her in her Louboutins. She stared at her and said nothing. Sosa kept crying.

“I was hungry. He was kind to me,” she insisted. “Please not to be hurting my baby.”

“Mom, don’t kill her,” Tasha said. “It’s got to be bad luck on my wedding day.”

“She’s not going to kill her.” Kala sank down to the chaise, obviously ready for the drama. “But we might need that tarp.”

There was a brief knock on the door, and her Uncle Alex appeared. He was in a tux, like most of the men, and had a harried look on his face. He glanced around the room and winced. “Sorry. I got caught helping Li after Dai… Well, it’s all good now. No damages. Why is there a strange girl covered in cake tied up in the bridal suite?”

“She’s having my baby,” her father replied simply.

“Shit. She’s the one who’s been trying to kill you?” Alex asked, reaching the obvious conclusion as to why her father would threaten to disrupt his eldest daughter’s wedding.

“I don’t know.” Kala always had to poke the bear. “Dad does like a Russian mob princess.”

Her mother snorted. “Ona ne printsessa. Ona obuchennaya ulichnaya krysa.”

That was harsh. “I don’t think she’s a street rat. Rude, much, Mom? And I don’t know how trained she is since she thought it would be smart to plant a bomb on Dad’s Nav in broad daylight.”

“Also, she impugned the reputation of said car,” Kala pointed out.

Her mom glanced over at Alex. “Could you please have a few of the bodyguards escort our friend here to the club? I’ll deal with her after the wedding. For now, I’m going to watch my daughter marry the man of her dreams and have some champagne. I’ll be in a better mood later, but we need to figure out what’s going on.”

Kenzie knew. “Huisman’s done playing around. I know the hackers haven’t settled on who put out that hit, but we know it’s Huisman.” She looked back at her sister, who was marrying the man of her dreams. “You look gorgeous. Don’t worry about this. You’ll be on your honeymoon soon, and Kala will have a new chew toy.”

Everyone looked to her twin, who simply shrugged. “That’s fair.”

Kala was pretty self-aware. It was time to get this thing moving. And by thing Kenzie meant life. Her life.

Her sister looked stunning and she was about to start her marriage, and her other sister was married to the man she’d been in love with since she was a kid, and Lou was happy with TJ and they’d gotten a rescue dog, and her parents were still happy pervs after all these years. So happy they would never believe the other would cheat. Because they wouldn’t.

And Kenzie was lying around all sad and shit. So sad she was a bit worried Bud Two had caught her depression. 

She wasn’t going to let one man bust her life down.

“I don’t think I like sound of this,” Sosa said. “I will not to be going anywhere with you. Call the police.”

But Uncle Alex worked fast now that he wasn’t solving whatever disaster her cousin Daisy had caused. Probably a fire. Or a lightning strike. Once Daisy managed to accidently let a snake out of its cage and they had an extra party guest.

Landon Vail and Ross Brighton walked in. Landon was the son of one of Uncle Sean’s partners, Eric Vail, and his wife, Deena. Ross was the son of Dallas Police Assistant Chief in charge of Investigations, Derek Brighton, and his wife Karina, who was a kick-ass private investigator. While Ross worked with his dad and not at McKay-Taggart, the man would know how to not let a potential suspect go.

But also, it was handy since Sosa had offered. “There you go. He’s a police detective. Ross, I know it’s hard to believe but this is a trained, paid assassin who probably works for a group who will murder her if she hits the county jail. She would like you to bring her in.”

Her mom winked her way. “Well played, baby girl. If she’s with a syndicate, they don’t like it when you hit the local jail system.”

Sosa had gone a pasty white. Well, pastier than she had been. Girl could use some sun. “Fine. I’ll go with your thugs.”

“Hurtful,” Landon said, a hand on his chest. “Also, it sucks that I’m going to miss this. I was told there’s an open bar.”

“Not for us, buddy,” Ross said, helping Sosa up. “Let’s get her to the club. I don’t suppose you want me to get professionally involved.”

“No. This is unfortunately Agency business, and she probably would get whacked in jail. I suspect there’s more of her out there,” her father explained.

“We have police presence,” Ross reassured them. “The wedding is safe. I’ll let my dad know where I am and that he needs to keep an eye out in case she has friends.”

“Oh, she has friends. I assure you,” her father said with a sigh. “It’s like a John Wick movie out there. When I get my hands on Huisman, I’m pulling his balls off his body and shoving them down his throat. But as for this one, be careful with her. She might try to hurt herself.”

Landon and Ross nodded and walked Sosa out.

“That was weirdly kind of you.” Kala sounded disappointed. “Any particular reason why you’re playing nice with an assassin?”

Her mom moved into her dad’s space and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”

Sometimes Kala didn’t understand nuance, but Kenzie did. “She’s young and Russian and likely trained against her will.”

Very much like their mother, and her father obviously saw the parallels.

“I’ve got some intel about a couple of groups in Europe and Asia recruiting young women for training,” Tasha explained, her eyes on the door.

“And by recruiting we mean trafficking,” Lou continued. “And there have always been rumors of a group who uses young orphans—girls from the old Eastern Bloc states and Russia—as operatives and thieves. They run a bit like a syndicate. I like to call them Black Widow groups.”

Her mom stepped back, holding her hands up. “We will deal with this later. Right now, we’re going to celebrate. Now Kala, your cousin is waiting to steam the skirt of your dress because it’s obvious you have already played around with your groomsman.”

Kala groaned and stood since she totally had and her skirt bore some wrinkles. “Fine. And we’re not doing fight club.”

“No, we’re not.” Kenzie had an announcement, too. It had been too long. She hadn’t even looked at another man since the moment she saw stupid Ben Parker, who didn’t deserve her in any way. It was past time to get right back on that horse. “Lou, let’s put on some Rhianna and talk about which Bliss boys I’ll be riding tonight.”

“Whoa.” Her father’s hands went to his ears. “That turned so fast.”

It was time for her bad bitch era to begin. Sad girl was out. Boss babe was taking over. She was done being down bad for that man. New beginnings.

She would start over. She would live for her job and her family, and have righteous sex whenever she wanted because she was giving into the spy life. Her sister’s heart condition wouldn’t let her go into the field anymore. Not for anything other than an emergency with a full backup team. So it was up to Kenzie. She was the operative now, and she had to be everything.

She would stand tall. She would take Huisman down, and she would do it in style. Ben Parker would rue the day he decided to walk away from her. He would come crawling back and she wouldn’t be there for him. She would be the queen. It was like Halsey said. If she couldn’t have love, she would take all the power and take out her enemies while enjoying herself with whatever man caught her eye.

“She’s going into what I like to call wronged queen mode,” Kala said with a nod as though she approved. “The playlists are about to get really girl powery, and we should prepare for some slutty times, my sisters.”

“I should have let the bomb take me,” her father whispered.

“It’s a good thing,” she heard her mom whisper. “She needs to let that asshole go.”

Cool. They were reaching the insult-the-guy stage. She could do that. It was like immersion therapy. She would immerse herself into the world where she hated Benjamin Parker and cursed his name and wished she’d never met him and… Oh, no…she was tearing up again.

Everyone was watching. Like they were all waiting for that tear to fall and they would know she wasn’t ready.

Kenzie sucked it the fuck up because she was ready. Ready to live again. Ready to leave Ben behind. Ready to stand in her own glory, needing no man.

“Kenzie,” a deep voice said. “I was hoping we could talk before we walk down the aisle together. If you let me walk you down the aisle…”

Ben stood in the doorway wearing the sexiest tuxedo she’d ever seen. It fit him like a glove. And his face. She’d missed his gorgeous face. He was here.

“It was supposed to be a surprise. Dare asked him to be part of the wedding party. Seth is willing to step down so you can walk with Ben,” Tasha whispered. “Unless you’re determined to make your own ménage.”

She practically tripped running to him. He was here. He was just slow. It was okay. She could deal with slowness. What she couldn’t deal with was never seeing him again.

He caught her and his face lit with the sweetest smile. “So we’re okay?”

She wrapped herself around him, feeling more at peace than she had since that moment in Nepal when she thought she’d lost him. “No, but we will be. We need to talk.”

His hands stroked over her back, and she felt him kiss her temple. “We will, but first we’ve got an aisle to walk down.”

He shifted back and the room was in motion again. Devi had stepped out of the side room and was dragging Kala back to what she called the steamer. Lou helped Tash into her shoes. Her mom took pictures and tried hard not to ruin her makeup. The aunties showed up. Grace and Avery and Serena and Erin and Eve.

Her family. And Ben was here.

“By the way, I hope you don’t mind but I didn’t get a hotel,” he whispered, his arm still around her waist. “You look fucking gorgeous, and now that the two of you are in a room together, I can’t believe I thought you were the same person.”

No one could tell when they wanted to play the other. Not even her parents, but she would give this to him.

Because he was here. “You can stay with me. We can get your things after the wedding, but you should know I might have to work some this evening.”

A brow rose over those intelligent eyes of his as he stared down at her. “I suspect you’ve discovered Manny put out a hit on your dad. I have some thoughts. And, baby, my things are already in your room. I broke in. I thought you would think it’s sexy that I can get through any security system you want to put between us. You should understand that everything changes tonight. I won’t let anything come between us.” He kissed her forehead. “And your dog is sweet. I’m going to go check on Dare. See you soon, baby. Kenzie. I like calling you Kenzie. I’m going to like whispering your name when I order you on your knees. When I tell you to serve your Master.”

A shiver went through her. It was everything she wanted.

She watched as he walked away.

Her epic love story was totally back on.