The Revenge by Tijan

I murmured, “I wondered how you were handling it.”

He frowned, blinking rapidly before his eyes seeming to focus on me again. “Handling?”

“She told me right before they attacked that night.”

His Adam’s apple moved up and down. “Told you?”

“That you two were falling in love.”

He breathed in through his nose. “I had no idea you were aware we had gotten to that part.”

“You loved her.” I put the coffee on his desk, hugged myself, and sank low in the chair. “But I get it. I understand why you didn’t tell me.”

Another swift intake of air. “I’m a parent before everything else. You had Kash, but you needed a father, and that is who I will always be for you. I don’t think you know how much I love you, how I would do anything for you.”

I lifted up a corner of my mouth, letting him see the sadness on my face, and then I noted, “But I do know. It’s the same love you have for Ser and Cyclone. It’s why you’re bringing someone back that’s the face of my kidnapper.” He went rigid, but I stood. I leaned down, placed one hand on his desk, and flattened my palm there. My fingers were turned toward him. “You don’t have to worry about me. If you say Payton will help my siblings, then I’ll deal. I love them, too.”

His gaze searched mine, studying me, and then he nodded. His shoulders lowered, and he looked decidedly relieved. “Thank you.”

A dip of my head. “Yeah.” I blinked away a few more stray tears. They were sneaky little bastards. “I’m going to head to bed, if that’s okay?”

“Bailey.”

I got to the door, but paused.

He was still sitting there, his face seeming to have aged just from our exchange. Or maybe he wasn’t masking it anymore. “Whatever was said, Kash knows you’re still mourning. If that is something you’re worried about, you don’t need to. He’ll be back.”

Yes. But I’m not there for him now, and I should be.

I tried to give him a grin, but I know it didn’t reach my eyes. “Yeah.”





TWENTY-TWO

Kash


We’d just touched down in Aspen, Colorado, when Josh brought a phone to me. “Scott.”

I took it, continuing as we deplaned and got into the back of two SUVs. “Bailey?”

“She’s okay. Got drunk with Matt, but she’s at home, sleeping safely.” He hesitated a second. “She seemed sad.”

“Did she say that?”

“No. I was reading her body language. Peter had a talk with her, but what we could ascertain, it was about the aunt returning to the house.”

“Yeah.” I remembered now. “Peter’s doing that for the younger ones.” Everyone filed in. The little luggage we brought was a few bags, and they were stowed away. Josh got in next to me and we were off to the next location. “Were you calling to give an update on her?”

“No. Harden reached out. He said he has news you will want to hear about Bastian.”

I needed good news, and at this point, any news was good news. Calhoun had been quiet and I didn’t like that. “Have him call.”

“He said it was news that should be heard in person, and he’s unable to come to you this time.”

Meaning I had to go to him.

I mulled over that information. Harden had a reputation that once he said he was on your team, he was, until death or an event close to death would separate him from your side. When he locked in on a mission, it was for life. But the paranoid part of me, the part of me that knew my grandfather was an anal obsessive bastard, also set off alarms inside of me.

Josh must’ve been thinking the same. “We can reach out to your intel-gathering team. They have military backgrounds, too, and could act as backup if it was needed.”

“No.” They’d been my first call after my twin took off. I pulled them from working on my grandfather, looking for my brother. Harden was now my only in-field asset on Calhoun.

We were getting closer, and that was why we were in Aspen.

It was time to bring in one of his last assets that he thought he still had. Griogos Maragos had a home here.

The drive was an hour through the mountains.

We ended the call with Josh being responsible for setting up the meet. He was briefed on the reason we were in Aspen. And exactly one hour later we pulled up to a log cabin-esque house. Three stories. Every single window was lit up.

Josh took the house in as we parked. “Don’t think she was expecting us.”

I hid a grin, but then it was go time.

We got out and the guards took off.

They would sweep the perimeters, then the interior of the house.

The first wave approached the house.

The security system was dismantled.

The door was unlocked and we entered.

I was the fourth man inside.

We cleared the first floor together, moving as a team.

Two went upstairs.

I was with Josh as we went downstairs.

The second floor was cleared.

The guys went to the third floor right as Josh and I kicked in the last door of the basement.

Everything was cleared.

The living room. Bathrooms. Bedrooms. Closets.

Any door was opened, the room or whatever it led to was swept through.

We came back together on the main floor, and guns weren’t holstered but they were lowered.