Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
He only suspected, but he would never tell if he did. “That’s Kala and Coop’s story.”
Zach nodded, accepting the response. “I know that Tristan is a reckless asshole who is probably in over his head, but I can’t convince him that not everyone in the Agency is trustworthy. I suspect he’s working for a couple of teams, but I can’t get the information I need to vet them and figure out how dangerous his side projects are.”
The thought of Tristan working dark ops made him worry. “But my uncle knows, right?”
“No. He doesn’t, and that’s what scares me. If Drake knows, he’s not talking, and that makes me nervous. We all knew he was doing some support work, but we thought it was for the military. I wasn’t too worried about it until I tried to contact him for this op. I was told he was on a high-security mission and wouldn’t be available for a few weeks. I worry Tristan is trying to prove he’s as good as his father, and it’s going to get him killed. Tasha is grace under pressure. She can handle anything and she never panics. And then there’s Lou.”
“Don’t try to tell me you know Lou better than I do.”
“Oh, but I do.” Zach stared out at the dark night. “I know the Lou who lives for the thrill of the op. I know the Lou who’s living out some of her childhood dreams right now. And I know you. You view Lou as this princess in a castle to be worshipped from afar.”
He didn’t like how intimate Zach sounded. “I assure you I worshipped her from up close, and I intend to do it again. Zach, if this is your way of telling me you have a thing for Lou, I need to make myself plain. I don’t care what power you have over me. She’s mine until the minute she cuts me out of her life and even then, I’ll protect her. I don’t care if something’s gone on between the two of you. I love Lou, and I won’t let you or anyone else stand in my way.”
Zach’s head fell back on a groan. “That’s the last thing I need.” He brought his head up, shaking it in a weary fashion. “Do you know how happy I would be if this team was like every other team? On other teams the mission is the only thing that matters. No one gives a fuck about their teammates because they don’t know each other.” He took a long breath, his face a bit ghostly in the light. “It’s easier and maybe more efficient. This is hard because I care about every person in the field, and I know they care about me. I am not in love with Lou. That’s not where my heart went, but that’s neither here nor there. What is important is you’re going to be working with us for the next couple of months, and that means I have to trust you.”
“So you’re not leaving me at Langley?”
He was well aware that he was on a timeline. He wouldn’t be allowed to stay with Lou’s team forever. He had to convince her because if he got sent away on assignment for a couple of months, he wasn’t sure she would be waiting when he got back.
Zach waved him off. “Oh, that was an empty threat. I wanted to make it plain that if you put my team in danger again, I’ll take care of you myself. I complain about them. I worry about them. I sometimes don’t fit in with them, but they are my team, and I will do whatever it takes to protect them and this experiment of ours. So are we clear?”
He was jealous of Zach, jealous of the place he had in all their lives. “As crystal, sir.”
Zach nodded. “Excellent. Keep your mouth off her in the field unless she needs CPR. That is for home or the club, and try to keep the drama to a minimum and we’ll be okay. For now, you’re going to have to do some of Tristan’s work because I don’t know when he’s coming back.”
He was worried about Tristan, too, and maybe it was time to start getting to the bottom of what was going on with his friend. If he was in Dallas for the time being, he could do some snooping. Maybe he and Lou could make it a project. “Is that all, sir?”
Zach finally turned his way. “You know she’s been dating, right?”
“She mentioned she had a date with this asshole from high school. I think it was only one date, though she claims she’s going to see more of him.”
“She’s been on four dates, including the coffee she had with Dennis Sims.”
TJ wasn’t sure he could handle this, but he plunged on anyway. “You’ve been watching her?”