Page 55 of Sweet Little Spies

He’d never tried. He’d pretty much loved them all from thebeginning. He was one of them now. Zach was letting him know it was time tostop being a secretive operative. It was time to be a team player. A familymember.

“Mom, you’re going to want to take notes.” He was sure hiswhole fucked-up mission would show up in one of her novels, complete withexplosions and anal play. Because that was how she rolled.

A slow smile crossed his mom’s face. “Really?”

He felt something lift, something heavy that had beensitting firmly on his chest. He could breathe again. Well, he would be able toif someone would cut him out of all this wrap. “Yeah, really. You know you wantto. And Bri. But you have to be open and take notes, too, and Mom isn’t goingto ask you what you’re writing. You know she’s not ready.”

His mom’s eyes narrowed as she looked at his sister. “Maybeif she spent some time wrapped up, she would think about listening to hermother’s excellent advice. You know I do have some experience as an author.”

His sister stood. “I’ll get us some paper and pens. Weshould definitely take notes for later fiction writing that will absolutelyhappen. Please don’t mummify me.”

His sister ran off, but she would be back.

“Jake, would you please let Tristan out?” His mom reachedfor the muffins, calm in her movement. As though she had some faith again.

He hoped he wasn’t bringing them all into serious danger,but he had to trust his fathers would protect his mom and sister.

He had to protect Carys and Aidan, but he’d realizedsomething profound. While he’d protected their lives, he’d done a number ontheir souls. He would have a long talk with his mom. And maybe Bri. Tonight hewould start winning them back.

Right now, he would work with this part of his team. Thebest part. His family.

His dad used scissors to gently cut the wrap, loosening itenough that Tris could wriggle, and then he was free.

“Someone pass me the bacon before Zach eats all of it,” hesaid, stretching.

He was suddenly hungry again.

Chapter Eight

Carys took a deep breath and tried to find the calm placeshe’d been taught to go to before a fight.

Though they hadn’t been called fights. Matches. Kumite. Itwas one of the three main parts of karate, along with kata and kihon. It wassparring with and learning from another student.

She’d enjoyed her time in karate. She’d started her trainingwith Kenzie and Kala, though they’d quickly blown past her.

“How much do you remember?” Kenzie was dressed in shorts anda tank top, showing off toned arms. Her cousins were incredibly fit. Deadly.

“Enough to know I should pay attention to my flightinstinct,” she admitted. It might be for the best all the way around.

Kenzie grinned. “She’s not going to hurt you. Now if UncleAdam was here…”

She’d seen Adam and Jake carry Tristan out, and for a secondshe’d felt a worry. Then she’d let it go. Surely he’d been through worse thanbeing kidnapped by his family. Not that he would ever talk to her about it.

Her cousins knew far more about the man she’d loved than shewould ever be allowed to know.

“I think Adam is about to discover how stubborn his kid is.”She couldn’t imagine whatever Adam and Jake were planning would go well.Tristan would get pissed and get his pride on and then he would find a way out,and he would have blocked off someone else who could have helped him.

He seemed determined to be alone, and she was tired offighting him. She couldn’t help but think about all the times she’d pleaded forhim to come home, to talk to her, to be with them. She’d told him how lonelyAidan was without him.

Except Aidan hadn’t been alone at all.

“I don’t know,” Kenzie said, sitting on the bench.

The Hideout had a room deep inside the club the regulars allcalled the fight club room. It was one of the larger spaces, with a paddedfloor and bleacher seats on either side. Cooper had obtained the seats from alocal high school in the middle of renovations. Her uncle had looked at themand sworn they would rot away from all the adolescent angst, but it had beenmold that had caused problems. Lucky for them Gabriel Lodge was incrediblyinterested in carpentry and had replaced the bad rows promptly.

“I think he might be coming around.” Her cheeriest cousinwas also overly optimistic.

Carys stretched one arm over her chest, opening up hershoulders. “Last night he promised he would answer any questions I had.”

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