Page 56 of Command and Control: GHOST Operative

"So are you staying in Alaska? Are you going back to Nashville? What's the plan?" Kyler shocks me with his question. Of my two sons, he's the last one I would expect to want me to have firm plans in place.

"I'm not sure." I answer honestly. Considering three men were recently murdered there, I'm not necessarily in a rush to go back to my condo. But I'm not going to tell them that.

I'm also not sure what Vincent is thinking. Looking at it rationally, it's hard to imagine a man who's been single his whole life would suddenly decide to move a woman into his home and his life permanently, so, regardless of what I may or may not want, it feels silly to hope for that.

And I'm too grown to be silly.

"I guess keep us posted then." Kyler lifts one shoulder and lets it drop, seeming more like the son I know and love. "We just need to know where to come crash during breaks."

The comment sends my stomach sinking. Vincent wouldn't want my kids here. He doesn't even have a second bedroom, where in the hell would they even stay?

I plaster on a smile, suddenly feeling very uncertain about everything. "Okay."

Thankfully, the conversation shifts to them. Their school. Their jobs. Their roommates and whether or not it's normal to poop three times a day.

After an hour with my boys, I'm usually in a great mood and feeling happy and content with my life, but notthis time. This time when I end our weekly chat, I'm entirely off balance. Confused about where my life is headed and who's going to be in it.

I don't even bother trying to hack into Vincent’s system after closing out the Zoom window. I don't really care what’s there. I just want to find him. Ask more of the questions I know drive him a little crazy. It’s my new favorite hobby and usually leads to my other new favorite hobby—getting railed by Vincent.

I leave his office and go down the hall, making my way toward the kitchen. It's late enough in the day that the sun is at full power. It won’t be around for long, so I pause to enjoy the light streaming into the house.

I really do love this place. It’s open and airy and soothing. And no one's been killed here. At least I assume not.

After taking another deep breath, I go into the kitchen. Unfortunately, I don't find Vincent. I do find someone else though.

Vera's eyes jump to mine, and she looks at me like a deer in headlights. Vincent’s housekeeper is probably in her mid-sixties, and shorter than me by a few inches. Her hair is dyed black and cut short. She probably weighs less than a hundred pounds soaking wet, and the deep tan of her wrinkled skin makes me think she’s dedicated a good portion of her life to laying in a tanning bed.

I give her a smile, not really sure how to handle the situation. "Hi. I'm Julieanne."

She eyes me for a second before going back to the dishwasher she’s unloading. "I know who you are."

The smile on my face turns more genuine because her expression, mannerisms, and tone remind me of someone else, and somehow that puts me at ease.

"Thank you for making dinner last night. It was amazing." I move to the counter, resting my hands on the smooth surface. "And only partly because I didn't have to make it myself."

Vera gives me another look, her expression staying stern. "You talkin’ to your sons back there?"

I nod. "They’re in college. We talk every Sunday morning." I tip my head from side to side. "Morning to them."

Vera continues watching me with an appraising gaze. She runs her tongue across the bright white of her teeth, sucking it before turning away. "Vincent said to tell you he had to go to work for a little bit, but he’d be back. Said your things should get here while he's gone."

That pulls a sigh of relief from me. I’ve spent a lifetime hating bras, but they’re right when they say you don't know what you’ve got until it's gone. And right now, I would kill to have the girls supported the way they deserve. "That's great."

Vera grunts, much like Vincent does, and I almost laugh.

"I'm gonna assume you're the one I have to thank for the robe, too."

Vera shrugs. "Vincent gives me a list. I get what's on it."

I chew my lower lip, weighing my options, but decide it's worth a shot. "Have you worked for Vincent a long time?"

Vera's eyes come my way, her expression saying, ‘I can't believe you really just asked me that’. "Long enough."

It looks like Vera's gonna take a little longer to warm up to me than Vincent did, and that's okay.

"Well I’m glad he had you." I motion to the dishwasher she’s emptying. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Her eyes narrow and I get the feeling she's back to being suspicious of me. "Nope."

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