Page 122 of No More Spies

She frowned, arms crossing over her chest. “I meant IanTaggart.”

“He’s back in Texas. He doesn’t know I’m here,” Cooperreplied. “When Zach found out you have Devi, he called me. You have Kala, too.You have to know she’s mine, and we’re willing to do what it takes to get themback. Bringing the team in means bringing the Agency in, and we don’t wantthat.”

She studied him for a moment as the guard waited for orders.“I’m supposed to believe you ditched your team? She’s his daughter. You don’tthink Taggart would move heaven and earth for his precious girl? I callbullshit.”

“Call it whatever you like,” Cooper replied. “I have otherfamily, and I have loyalty to them, too. I didn’t want Kala hurt in theinevitable gunfight that would happen if I brought her parents in. Zach wantsthe same for Devi. Look, I’m only here so Zach has backup, and I can take thewomen with me when Zach turns himself in. He’s my brother. I owe him.”

“Ah, but he’s not just turning himself in, is he?” Lenaasked. “It’s your biological mother Huisman wants. No loyalty to her?”

This had seemed so simple half a day ago, but now he hadquestions. He also had a part to play. “She’s not my mom, so no. My loyalty isto my brother. He’s the one who came and found me. And to her. My loyalty isalways to Kala.”

“To that psychopath?” Lena asked the question with a roll ofher eyes. “That’s what she is. She has sociopathic tendencies. All it wouldtake for her to become a true monster is a loss. Do you have any idea whatshe’s capable of?”

He did. Love. She was capable of loving deeply, ofsacrifice. She was capable of making him laugh and feel safe. She was capableof being anything she wanted to be. He wasn’t about to explain any of that tothis woman who’d abused her trust so mightily. He was easily as angry with heras he was with Huisman. One tortured her body and the other her soul. Lena madeher feel less, and he hated her for it. But he had to play a long game. “Theheart wants what the heart wants.”

She sneered down at him. “Well, what your heart wants iscurrently being experimented on. Like the animal she is. Honestly, I hope Mannykills her. He’s treating her like some exotic animal he wants to tame, butshe’s feral. She’ll always kill. Like her parents.”

Zach growled a low warning.

Cooper needed it because his instinct was to get to his feetand make a run for the house. She was in pain, and the idea of it nearlyfloored him.

He took a long breath, checking his emotions. Getting hisass shot wouldn’t help anyone at this point. But he could fuck around with Lenasince now he knew the whole story. Big Tag had opened the files and let himread everything he had on the very dead Eli Nelson. “Like Charlotte took outyour asshole father?”

Lena gasped and backhanded him, smacking him right acrosshis jaw.

It tickled. Now if his baby had done it, she would have usedher fist and he would be seeing stars. But Lena didn’t spend the same time inthe gym.

Zach snorted. “You okay, brother?”

Cooper shrugged. “I’ll forego the tears. I find itinteresting that the doctor here is more than willing to give up her career andlikely her freedom to get revenge for a dude who knocked up her mom and left.You do understand those stories your mother told you were so you wouldn’t knowwhat a shit stain your dad actually was. He was a traitor to his country.”

“At least I had a mother.” Lena seemed to want to take themean-girl route.

“My mother is doing well, no thanks to you.” Cooper wasn’tabout to back down now. If she wanted to slap him again, he could use themassage. Huisman needed to find more terrifying minions. “And the woman whogave birth to me cared enough to spare me what could have been a difficultchildhood. My biological aunt cared enough to find the best family she could.”

When he thought about it, it didn’t seem like a cold,calculated move. It felt like a loving sacrifice.

And one he was deeply grateful for.

“Well, Mommy’s going to be in a world of hurt soon,” Lenasaid with obvious superiority. “And I’m giving up nothing. I’m taking my placein the new world order Dr. Huisman is going to bring about. I’m going to have aspecial position in the organization.”

“I bet you will,” Zach agreed. “He respects you.”

Cooper snorted. “Huisman hates women. He’ll use her and tossher on the garbage heap, likely as a corpse.”

“You know nothing,” Lena practically snarled.

His brother’s narrowed eyes spoke volumes about hisirritation. “There’s a reason you’re usually behind the scenes. Dude, whenwe’re dealing with a delusional person who also has a bunch of armed guards ather side, we agree with everything they say. She wants to believe she’s goingto be a queen? Here’s to your crown, girl. See. It’s simple. We both knowHuisman’s killing her tonight because her usefulness is over. Can’t you giveher a couple of good hours?”

Oh, his brother was a dick. Cooper liked this side of Zach.He looked back at Lena. “You’re going to look great in a crown.”

“My usefulness is not over,” she said with a huff.

Now he saw what his brother was trying to do. Sow discord.Take a page out of Huisman’s book and create chaos. “You were his insider atthe Agency. Maybe not the only one, but you were his eyes and ears, at least inyour department. You won’t be able to go back. You have to know we have videofootage of you taking Devi Taggart. You missed a camera. We have a few in thetrees on the walk up to the club.” He was lying, but it was a good idea heintended to bring up at the next meeting of the board of The Hideout. “It’sbeen sent to Drake Radcliffe, who’s probably already talked to his bosses.”

“I took out the cameras.” She’d paled slightly. Even in thelow light he could see it.

“Not the ones you couldn’t see,” he replied.

---