Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Beck liked her uncle.
That ring was going back on her finger this weekend.
“I need you to understand that I had no idea what Levi was doing.” Drake looked like a man trying to placate a predator who wanted to rip him apart.
But then Ian Taggart was still angry.
Beck would never forget how pale Tag had gone when he’d seen Tasha on the ground. He’d never once seen that man cry, but the tears had fallen as he’d gone to his knees and held his daughter to his heart. He’d managed to send the rest of them on when he’d realized she was alive. But he’d still been holding her an hour later when she’d woken up. The fact that they’d had a doctor and a few nurses there who had been able to monitor her hadn’t meant anything to the Taggarts. They’d held vigil around Tasha and only breathed again when she’d woken.
“The Agency didn’t know one of their top men was using an innocent teenage girl as an asset?” The question came out of Tag’s mouth like a bomb waiting to go off.
“I assure you I didn’t know.” Drake seemed determined to defuse it. “Tag, you have to believe me. I would never have let him hurt Tasha. I would have gone against any orders I was given. I did go against orders to get Solo that package.”
“Kim,” he insisted.
“I’m only Solo now when Beck there wants to get some role play in,” Kim replied, giving the man too much information.
But it was true. Sometimes it was fun to have the badass Solo interrogate him.
Tag ignored it entirely, focusing all his attention on the Agency liaison. “Let your bosses know that I won’t forget. And I won’t forgive.”
“I think they are aware,” Drake said cautiously. “They wanted to let you know that as far as they’re concerned Ezra Fain died during the operation that took out his team. There will be no repercussions, and you’ll find no one is concerned with a priest.”
His brother could return to the life he’d built for himself. He could go back to doing good. After he’d spent some time with his family. “Thank you.”
“I’m happy to have been able to make that happen,” Drake replied as though relieved at least one thing had gone right. His jaw tightened as he looked to Taggart. “I was hoping you could give me a debrief on what happened that day. The Agency is interested in bringing Mr. Green’s body back to Langley.”
A humorless smile crossed Taggart’s face. “You’ll have to find him first.”
Drake frowned. “Are you trying to say you didn’t kill him?”
“I was far too busy being concerned with my daughter’s life, Drake,” Tag shot back. “And then I was concerned with what that fucker did to her. The things he said, they will haunt her for the rest of her life. So no, I did not bother to kill Levi Green.”
Before the Lost Boys had left to return home, they’d spent an evening at Tag’s place, sitting around the fire pit in the backyard with Tasha. They’d told her stories about her father and how he’d given his life to save Owen’s.
Charlotte had stuck close to her oldest daughter the last weeks. So had the other kids, though that hadn’t been hard since they were all grounded. According to Tag that might last forever.
Beck didn’t think so. The Taggarts would pull together and get through this as a family. The way the Kents would.
Drake looked Kim’s way. “Come on, So…Kim. You can’t expect me to believe Levi got away. If he had, you would have a bodyguard on you twenty-four seven.”
Kim merely smiled. “Beck totally trusts me to take out the bad guys. That’s what we’ve decided our jobs are. I’m the muscle and he’s the beauty.”
He had to laugh at that because his almost wife was so gorgeous it hurt. “Yep. I just make myself pretty for her. I’m strictly arm candy from here on out.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that the Lost Boys just up and left and went back to their lives with Levi on the run?” Drake asked.
“Jax and River are opening their summer camp next week.” He knew that schedule far too well since his wife had announced her plans for future employment. “They can’t keep the kiddos waiting. And the rest of them wanted to get home.”
Ari and Rob were the only ones hanging out. Ari was helping Kim get ready for the big move. Mostly that included the duo shopping like there was no tomorrow. It was so good to see Kim smiling and relaxed and happy.
They were walking away from everything they knew, and it felt good. It felt like the adventure he’d been waiting for all his life.
Drake sighed. “You know this means we’ll have to use Agency resources to look for him. And there are a whole lot of bosses at the top of the ladder who will likely be looking over their shoulder…and that’s why you’re doing it. Damn it, Tag. It’s going to look bad on me if I can’t find a body.”