Page 48 of Toxic Vengeance

Trinity grinned at her. “You still can’t cook?”

“Please. I barely have time to shower with this little one underfoot, and you expect me to cook?” She snorted. “And she’s being sweet right now, but Rosie hasn’t eaten her snack yet, so we’d better feed her before she realizes she’s starving. Then we can get going.”

Trinity carried Rosie to her high chair and set her in it. The suitcases were ready to go by the back door, awaiting departure for the airport. After Eden’s handler and Penny had been murdered, it was no longer safe for Briar and Rosie to stay here when it was so easy for enemies to find them.

Trinity and Rycroft had told Briar and Matt what was going on, and as a precaution their friends had decided it was best for Briar to take Rosie to San Diego and stay with Matt’s parents in an undisclosed location until the threat level reduced.

“But I can cut up fruit and stuff,” Briar said as she walked into the kitchen, then aimed a smile over her shoulder at Trinity. “Still good with a blade.”

“Yeah? Not rusty? And how’s your shooting?”

“Meh, I haven’t been to the range lately. Too busy, and the guys have been out of town a lot recently, so Matt hasn’t had much free time anyway. When we do get free time together these days, we nap.”

That made Trinity laugh. “Oh, my, what a difference a year makes.”

“Tell me about it.” She smiled at Rosie. “Good thing I love you, little stinker.”

Another bittersweet pang hit Trinity. She was happy for Briar, and her friend knew how lucky she was to have Rosie.

But it underlined the stark reality that Trinity would never have a baby of her own.

She rubbed her thumb over her diamond engagement ring, thinking of Brody. Even now she sometimes still couldn’t believe he was hers. He’d been more than patient with her. They’d been engaged for two years and she just kept putting off setting a date for the wedding.

It was wearing thin on him, she could tell, slowly eroding the foundation of their relationship, and their conflicting work and travel schedules kept them apart for long stretches of time. They were slowly drifting apart and she was afraid the distance was only going to grow, because she couldn’t give up on this mission, couldn’t give up on the others when they needed her.

With her back to Trinity, Briar pulled items from the fridge and started cutting them while Trinity amused Rosie with a game of peek-a-boo. “So, what’s the latest from headquarters?”

“We’ve brought on two new members.”

“Including Eden?”

“Yes, and Zack’s an intel specialist. I don’t know the details, but they’ve got a history together neither of them are forthcoming about.”

“Ooh, juicy. Sorry I’m gonna miss out on all the fun when you guys go hunting.”

Before Rosie, Briar would have been the first one to volunteer to be on their team, doing anything and everything to get the job done, up to and including giving her life. Now everything had changed. “We’ll miss you. But we’d all rather know you and Rosie are safe.” All the others understood.

A brisk knock came at the back door.

“I’ll check it,” Trinity said, hand on the weapon in the holster at the small of her back. Not that she expected to find an assassin on the other side of the door. Killers didn’t usually knock first.

Her heart flipped when she found her fiancé standing on the doorstep. She unlocked the door and whipped it open to throw her arms around him. “What are you doing here?” she breathed. He was supposed to still be on the flight back to Quantico.

His warm chuckle fanned her temple, the strength of his embrace making her eyes sting. “Wanted to surprise you.”

“Boss gave him the rest of the day off,” a familiar voice said from the direction of the driveway.

She peered over Brody’s shoulder to smile at Matt DeLuca, Briar’s husband, wearing his cherished Chargers cap and carrying a duffel. “Did he?”

“Yeah. He’s the best boss in the history of bosses.” He raised his eyebrows at Brody. “Right?”

“He’s a prince among men,” Brody answered, grinning down at her.

Trinity took his face in her hands and kissed him, her heart about to explode. It had been weeks since they’d last seen each other, their contact limited to texts and brief calls. “God, I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too.”

They all went inside together. Rosie stopped eating her snack and broke into a huge smile when she saw her father walk in.

---