Page 21 of No More Spies

“We think they didn’t have time,” her mother explained. “Wedidn’t connect it until Chelsea managed to find you on doorbell cams in theneighborhood. There weren’t any in the park, but we tracked you there.”

“So we know at the very least you were alone with them for acouple of hours before Kyle got to the airplane.” Her father was relentless.“What happened during that time, Kala?”

Yep. She was starting to feel things again. Starting withanger. “General Taggart, I’m not one of your soldiers, so you don’t need todebrief me.”

A brow rose over icy eyes. “Excuse me.”

It was said quietly, a sure sign her dad was on edge.Everyone well acquainted with her dad knew not to take him seriously when heshouted, but when he got quiet, they all took cover.

Kala didn’t care. “I said I’m not one of your operatives. Orhell, maybe I can be. In that case, you’ll have a report on your desk comeMonday. Until then I want some space.”

“Maybe we should talk this out in a session. Eve is waitingat home,” her mom said.

Eve. Who already thought she wasn’t good enough for her son.Eve, who was smart and could see through the whole she’s-just-young thing. Eveknew about dangerous people and wanted her son to stay away from Kala Taggart.

“I’m not talking to Eve.” The words came out far harsherthan she’d planned to say them. “I don’t need to. I’m fine.”

“You are not fucking fine,” her father said in that way hesometimes did. It was like the words floated out of his body. He didn’t need tomove his mouth. He was preternaturally still. It was intimidating. “So I askagain.”

“Ian,” her mom said, her shoulders squaring. “This isneither the time nor the place. We’re not alone.”

“No, she’s not alone, but can’t you see she’s trying to be?Do you think I want to have this out here and now? I want five minutes when Ican simply be happy I have my daughter back, but I don’t know that we do. Idon’t know what that fucker planted in her skull. I don’t know what they did toher. Charlotte, she was alone for hours with five mercenaries. Kyle wasn’tthere.”

“Pushing her isn’t going to help,” her mom argued.

“If I don’t, she won’t talk about it.” Her dad turned Mom’sway, his expression tightening like he didn’t dare give a moment’s softness.“If this was Kenz, I would let you handle this entirely. You understand Kenz,but I know Kala. We get to her now or she loses this piece of herself. I knowwhat she’s thinking. She’s thinking time will change whatever happened.Distance will make it go away, and she never has to admit to anyone what shereally went through. She can shove it down and it won’t be there lurking.” Heturned back to Kala. “It will. It will always be there waiting to poison anyrelationship you have. You are stubborn, my child. But so am I. I will notleave you in this alone.”

Her every wall shook and those stupid tears threatened. Ifshe ignored him, he might… He would only get more obnoxious. So she could turnit on him. “You did leave me alone. You chose not to train me. You chose totell me I’m not strong enough. Guess what, I was. I did. I’m sorry you wouldneed to cry on someone’s shoulder, but I don’t have to. I can do it alone. Idon’t need you.”

Her mom gasped and stood, walking away with her hand overher mouth. Aunt Erin caught her, holding her hand and giving her strength.

“I didn’t train you because you are fucking fifteen yearsold and I want you to have fun. I want you to complain about school and havethe kind of life your mother and I didn’t have, but trust me, that changes now.You want me to train you, I’m here. You won’t have anything else to do sinceyou’re grounded for at least six months.”

Three days ago she would have been thrilled. Now she wantedhim to leave her alone. She was pathetic. Always begging some guy to pick her.Her father. Cooper. The asshole martial arts instructor. “I think I’ll pass.”

“Not your choice anymore,” her father said. “Nor do you getout of this debrief. I ask again. Did they try anything? Did they succeed? Ineed to know what they did to you not because I want revenge. I already hadthat and it’s meaningless. I need to know because I have to fix you. I have totake the parts they broke and put them back together because I will shatterinto a thousand pieces if I don’t try.”

She felt the world tilt because her father was crying.

Her father. The strongest man in the world. Her father, whojoked about shoving everything deep. Her father, who she tried so hard to belike because she knew she could never be her mom.

What was she doing? She was letting that woman in her head,letting her burrow into her soul and making her question the strong ground herworld was built on.

“I don’t know.” She said the words quietly, her head down,unable to look at him when she said it.

“What?” her father asked. “Look at me when I’m talking toyou.”

She forced her face up. Those tears rolled down his cheeks,proof that he wasn’t some larger-than-life hero. He was her dad, and shecouldn’t scare him away or manipulate him out of this. She couldn’t keepsecrets from him, not ones he worried would wreck her.

She kind of wanted them to wreck her. If she split fromeveryone, she didn’t ever have to be here again. Didn’t ever have to feelagain.

Isn’t that what Julia had told her? If she didn’t care, shecould be free.

Did she want to be free? Maybe Julia Ennis wouldn’t havebeen such a psychotic murderous asswipe if her father had loved her. If she’dtaken all that nasty energy and turned it toward protecting the people sheloved.

“Kala, I can’t leave this. I can’t leave you. I know whereyou are.” His voice had gone low, and she heard the emotion behind it. “Yourmother might think I’m a monster, but you have to break now or you’ll holdthose walls up forever, and I can’t leave you there. Tell me what happened.”

It all rushed in. A wave that truly threatened to drown her.Or maybe she only now noticed she’d been in the water all along. Her father wasoffering her a way out of the river of misery she found herself in. It wasn’tthe same shore she’d known before, but it was something. It was a place.

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