Page 29 of The Spy Ring

TEN

Jagger

“It’s ninja time!” Tenn crouched down and sliced the air with his hands.

Grabbing my partner’s arm, I yanked him back up. People eyed Tenn in suspicion as they curved around us on the sidewalk.

“Come on, I don’t want to be late,” I said studying their faces out of habit, but mostly due to embarrassment.

“Can I come and help?”

It had been a few days since I volunteered my services to David as a ninja instructor. I felt good when I left the park that day. Helping some kids be able to defend themselves gave me that high that’s been absent these past months.

Instead of hurting the bad guys, I was helping the good ones. It was different but something about it made my heart full.

Then I walked into the office the next day and gazed into Katlin’s cold eyes. She was relieved I obtained the signature for the divorce, but warned me to stay away from anyone related to Emma Hawthorne’s case.

I confided in Tenn. He promised to keep my secret but suggested I not tell anyone else.

“No, I don’t want to get you involved. It’s one thing to put my job on the line but I don’t want to risk yours too.”

He nodded but as we walked toward Tiffany’s building, I realized my partner was unusually quiet.

“What is it?”

Tenn shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re doing this—risking the case like this. You know if this gets out and Emma Hawthorne or her lawyer find out, it doesn’t look good for us.”

My throat tightened. “Yeah, I know. Just this one time and I’ll explain I can’t do it anymore. One time shouldn’t be a problem. I mean, I already fucked up marrying the woman. At least Katlin can work her magic to make sure that doesn’t get out.”

“I guess.” Tenn paused and looked at me. “What happened to you, Jag? You’ve been different lately.”

Shoving my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, I turned my head toward the street. “Don’t you ever want to be like them?” I removed a hand and waved it toward the people around us.

“What? Naïve? Boring? No, thank you.” Tenn laughed.

“Sure, they’re innocent of the evil people that we fight so hard to protect them from, but if I’m going to be honest, I’m jealous of them. I want to be blissfully unaware sometimes. Hang out with my friends and go to a bar on a Friday night. Maybe date a woman without having to search her background and the backgrounds of her friends and family.”

“What happened to Cate?”

“She’s dating some guy. He has a regular job downtown doing finance or something. When I saw her last that’s what she told me. No more hookups for me.”

His hand came to rest on my shoulder with a hard smack. “Sorry, man. She was hot. I’m sure you’ll find another fuck. Someone with a clean record that only wants sex.”

Maybe I want more than a fuck.

“Perhaps you’re right. Looks like I’m here. Thanks for walking with me. And good luck on your lunch date. Hope you get lucky,” I said just outside Tiffany’s building.

“Hopefully she lets me into her inner circle.” Tenn winked before he continued on his way.

I used to be like that. Find some woman, have a casual fling, and not feel like I was the loneliest man in the world.

Tenn usually bragged about the women he was about to hook up with, but he didn’t tell me anything about this one. Maybe he wanted more than sex, too.

Pushing the buzzer to Tiffany’s apartment, I forced myself to get out of this funk I was in. Making the country safe, that was more important than some woman to come home to at night.

“Yes?” Tiffany’s garbled voice came through the speaker.

“It’s Jagger.”

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