The Revenge by Tijan

Wha …

I sat back on my heels. “Death policy?”

“My grandfather has been in the game a long time. He has allies built over allies. Allegiances. Fucking plans on what happens if he dies. And while you’ve been grieving, I’ve been unearthing all of it. It’s a lot of shit to unearth.” Again that jaw was tightening, then flexing. “I’m close. I’m so close. But finding out about my brother was new, and every stone I turn over, there seems to be more under them. But I’m close. I can feel it.”

I swallowed over a lump.

I was getting it now.

“And this team you have on him, that’s the team you’re pulling for my mom?”

He nodded, his eyes cast off. “Yeah.”

Wow. I was really getting it now.

“You’re doing that for me?”

His jaw clenched again. He lowered his head, turning away. “I’m doing it for my brother.”

But he wasn’t, and I knew it, and he knew it.

I crawled over the bed, reaching for and catching his hand. I tugged him over to me, sliding to the edge of the bed. I moved in to stand in between his legs and looked up at him. “Thank you.”

He was giving up his grandfather for me.

“I’m not just doing it for you.”

But he was, and he was lying so I wouldn’t feel bad.

Kash was moving heaven and hell to help me find Chrissy.

I rose up on my knees, and holding his eyes, I pulled my shirt up and over my head. After our second round, I’d pulled on underwear and a top to sleep in. I was naked in front of him now, except for my underwear, and he took me in. His eyes darkened, lust filling them, and he moved forward, just beyond touching.

He pinned me down with his gaze. “Underwear. Off.”

The underwear went off, and then there was touching.

There was kissing.

There were moans, groans, and thrusting.

But mostly, there was nothing but good happening.

Finally.





FORTY-FOUR

Kash


The phone woke me, and I rolled over to grab it.

Bright calling.

I turned the light on, sat up against the headboard, and knew this wasn’t going to be a good call.

“Yeah?”

Bailey rolled over, lifting her head. She was blinking at me, still drowsy.

Glancing at the clock, I added, “It’s four in the morning.”

“Your girlfriend messed up.”

Fuck.

Throwing back the covers, I stood and went to grab my pants. Pulling them on, I grabbed a shirt and threw it over my shoulder.

“What’s going on?”

I headed for the hallway, but mouthed to Bailey, “Go to sleep. I’ll be back.”

Her eyes were troubled. I doubted she’d go to bed.

Going out into the hallway, I headed for Peter’s study. “Hold a second.”

“No.” Bright’s tone was snarling. “You hold on. We know what you and your girlfriend did. We also know you didn’t call when you could’ve called.”

Coming to the office, I left the lights off and went to stand at the windows. The golf course lay just beyond and the lighting was on, but dim, so anyone walking could still see.

This place had been my home for half my life.

With this conversation, I was now wondering if I’d be getting a different home for the rest of my life.

“You found the house.”

“We found your twin and Chrissy Hayes!” she snapped. “Why the fuck didn’t you give us a heads-up?” She pressed on, not letting me answer. “And don’t even give me some bullshit story where you wanted to handle it yourself, because you know that’ll give you so many felonies that we could lock you up for the rest of your life.”

My hand clenched tight around my phone. “I take it that this call is not as someone who has been paid heavily for favors from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

She laughed. “You bet your ass it ain’t. What were you thinking? Your girlfriend left a trail a blind semi driver could find. She did not cover her tracks, and we are working our asses off and finding our own tails behind our rears, but the second you found Chrissy Hayes, you should’ve called us. The second!”

I remained silent. There was no response that she’d want to hear.

She heard that silence and sighed. “Oh, dear God. What were you going to do?”

Again, silence from me.

“We picked up a transition call from someone at your location to a location in Greece. Tell me that wasn’t you, and tell me that wasn’t you either calling in a team or you making plans to go and get your grandfather. Tell me that wasn’t also Calhoun Bastian’s coordinates.”

I just let my chest rise, air went out, and it lowered.

“Fuck!” She swore into the phone, the vehemence almost rattling. “Shit, shit, shit. You are going to ruin my career. You are a right bastard, aren’t you? What were you going to do, Kashton? At least tell me that.”

Now she was coaxing?

My hand went into my pocket and I tipped my head up, thinking. “What are you doing, Agent Bright?”

She wanted me to say the words.

Fuck.

She was trying to trap me. On the phone.

Fuck.

Someone was listening.

Fuck!

She was no longer an asset to me.