Page 108 of Sweet Little Spies

Tristan cursed inwardly because when he’d gotten dressed hehadn’t put his holster on. He’d been in a hurry because they’d lain aroundnaked for a while, and then he’d sat there talking to Aidan while Carys was inthe shower. When he’d remembered his phone, he’d gotten dressed in a hurry.

Zach rounded the corner. “You need help in here?”

Tristan forced his expression to go blank. “Nope. Goteverything I need.”

Zach stared at him for a moment, and then his eyes closed.“Fuck. He was face up. You turned him over. Damn it, Tris.”

Tris dropped the bags he’d been holding. Zach was armed,unlike him. Tris held his hands up and assessed his odds of getting out of thissituation alive. “So you killed him? And if you did it, then who did I kill? Ithought I killed his assassin.”

His mind worked overtime, trying to come up with any reasonwhy Zach would have done what he’d obviously done. Zach was his friend. Zachwas also military. He could have been following orders. But why would Tris havebeen left out?

“He was a distraction. I hired the man. Trust me, hedeserved what he got. I needed everyone to think we’d closed that circle. Youshould know Tara had nothing to do with it. She was just doing her job.” Zach’shands came up, too, as though trying to let Tris know he wasn’t a threat.“There’s a reason, Tris. Please believe me. I am not here to hurt you or anyoneon this team. I genuinely care about you guys.”

There were a few scenarios he could come up with. “Your Armybosses wanted The Jester dead? Had they been working with him? Taken bribesfrom him?”

“It’s not like that,” Zach replied. “Let’s get out of hereand I promise I’ll explain everything. Just… There are people who can’t know.Who can never know what I did. Big Tag…he won’t forgive me. Cooper…”

Tristan was about to make a move when a sound split thecharged air around them. A knock. Someone was at the door.

Zach’s jaw went tense. “Tash would have called.”

“She wouldn’t have had to,” Tris said. “Aidan has a key. Ididn’t order anything.”

Then they heard the sound of something worse. The door inthe outer room opening.

Zach pulled his SIG and held out a hand, telling Tris tostay back. “Hide.”

He wasn’t about to do that. If this was going south, thenCarys and Aidan were in danger. He wasn’t about to hide behind the fuckingshower curtain. Not that there was one. It was a standing shower with glasssides. Where the hell did Zach think he was going to hide?

“Mr. Dean-Miles,” a deep voice said. It was masculine andheld a heavy French accent. “We know you’re in there along with Captain Reed.We have your ladies in custody. Would you like to see them again or should weput them down? It’s entirely your choice.”

Carys. Fuck. They had Carys. “I’m coming out.”

Zach sent him a fierce look, his voice low. “Like hell youare.”

“Are we going to let them kill us in the bathroom?” Hedidn’t see they had a choice unless they wanted a firefight followed by thepolice showing up and then him likely receiving Carys back in a body bag. Hedidn’t even know where Aidan was. Did they have Aidan, too? Was the “ladies” abit of homophobia stacked on top of these fuckers’ criminal behavior?

“I’m not playing,” the voice said. “I have colleagues withme, and you’ll find we’ve taken over the hotel. There’s no one who will come toyour aid and no way to contact the police. You can come with us or we’ll killthe women since they’ll be of no use.”

“I’m coming out,” Tris said forcefully, raising his hands ashe walked by Zach. “I can’t let them hurt Carys, and we don’t know who elsethey have.”

There were three “ladies” in the hotel tonight, and Aidan.His gut churned. Could they have killed Aidan? They would have to have found away to drug Kala or she would fight until she killed them or they killed her.

How had it gone so wrong?

Because chaos was always the point. They’d played Huismanthe way they would have played anyone else. Like he had things that mattered tohim. Like he had things he loved and wouldn’t want to lose.

But what if chaos was all he cared about? Chaos and somerevenge no sane person could understand.

Zach cursed behind him, and when Tris glanced back, he’d putthe SIG on the counter and held his hands up. “We’re both coming out, andneither of us is armed.”

Tris went out the door first, though Zach tried to move infront of him. He couldn’t trust anyone. He was immediately faced with five mendressed all in black, each carrying a weapon. Two of them held handcuffs.

“Dr. Huisman requests the pleasure of your company.” The manin the middle seemed to be their leader. He was tall and lanky, his eyespredatory.

“Where is my fiancée?” Tris asked. “Let her go and I’ll tellyou everything.”

A chuckle went through the group, and the leader shook hishead. “You will tell Dr. Huisman everything anyway.” He glanced over to hisleft. “Prenez-les.”

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