Page 31 of Memphis

My mouth opened, but no sound escaped it.

“And I knew this was coming. You don’t train to kill without eventually having the desire to kill. It was only a matter of time before you acted on that desire. You did a stellar job, by the way.”

“Uh…th-thank you?”

“BUT, let that be the first and last time you do some shit like that. Going rogue could jeopardize our entire operation.”

“O…kay.”

“Now, let’s get down to business. I know you graduated. Congratulations on that. Are you planning to live here?”

“Yes. My family is here, and…thank you again.”

“That’s fine, but you need a cover.”

“Like a job? I’ve been looking for one.”

“We’ll set you up with something that looks legit for tax purposes, but in reality, you’ll be working for us. We pay through offshore accounts.”

“Oh, I don’t know…”

“We will handle everything, including tax stuff. So don’t worry about that. Second, you’ll need to move out of your father’s house. Find a place, and we’ll take care of the rent.”

All I could do was nod.

“Good. On your burner, you’ll find the information about your Agency email account and how to access it via the Tor browser. Once you read it, delete the message. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s it.” He stood to leave, and I kind of panicked.

“Wait! Aren’t you going to tell me who you are?”

“I’m 001A.”

Then…

She walkedinto that room in that restaurant and birds started chirping and shit. I’d seen pictures and footage of her, so I knew she was fine and pretty as hell, but got damn! In person, the shit was disarming. Those eyes, those lips, those hips?

Jesus Jerome Christ!

This woman was perfection, and when she turned to leave, that ass in those jeans almost made me slide from my chair to my knees. I totally got why Zaccai liked her, but she was too big of an asset for me to let him fuck up her potential. He would’ve wifed her and taken her off the job, and well, fuck that. We needed someone like her on our roster. Me? I’d wife her and not interfere with her new career.

Damn, was I really thinking about getting with this woman?

Nah, no way I could do that. I had too much going on, too much on my plate to start something with her…

But I wanted to.

Zaccai was pissed when I removed him as her handler, but whatever. He worked better with the guys anyway. Plus, it was my call to make now, since our father was killed.

Fuck.

That hurt. I mean, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get over it. One day he’s down in his hometown of Romey, Tennessee, doing his professor and self-defense coach thing while still heading up The Agency, and the next, he’s shot dead outside his dojo. My mom was taking it hard, which was crazy since they hadn’t lived in the same house in years. I guess love wasn’t all that cut and dry.

Now, I was the boss instead of just an agent in my father’s company. I’d lived in Parkton for a few years, having relocated after visiting my mom here one Christmas. This washerhometown and where she fled when their relationship started crumbling. I missed Chicago, though, where I’d been staying in my childhood home.

“You want her. That’s it. First, Ma gives you The Agency, and now you tryna take my woman? I can’t have shit!” Zaccai was saying. Hell, I’d zoned out so bad that I forgot we were having a family meeting.

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