Page 50 of No More Spies

“He’s your cousin?” Lena asked.

Kala sank down to the bench Gabe had built. The Hideout wasa work in progress. It wasn’t much to look at right now, certainly not from theoutside, but every week the board worked on it, and slowly it was becomingsomething they could all be proud of.

What would it look like ten years from now? Would it rivalSanctum or The Club? Would she ever see it again if she walked away from herteam?

“Yeah. He’s my uncle Theo’s oldest,” she replied. “I have aridiculously large family.”

“Yes,” Lena agreed. “Four brothers on your dad’s side, andyour mother has a sister.”

“It’s way bigger since my parents collect people. My parentshave had the same close group of friends since long before I was born. They’refamily, too. It can be a lot sometimes,” she admitted. And wonderful, but italso was hard because she didn’t fit with them. “How about you? You have anysiblings out there?”

Lena sighed, and her eyes found the darkness again. “No. I’mafraid I’m on my own. My father was involved in the intelligence business atone point, and he was killed in the line of duty. Not that I spent much timewith him. My parents weren’t married. He didn’t want a kid at the time, but Ilike to think if he’d lived, he would have been a better dad.”

“I’m sorry.” Maybe she shouldn’t get to know this woman. Itwas easier to hate her when she was nothing more than an Agency spy sent tobreak up her team. Which she was thinking about doing herself. “Was it hard towork in intelligence? Or was it easier? Everyone thinks I’m here trying to bemy father, but it wasn’t him. It’s something I needed to do.”

“This work fills something inside me,” Lena explained. “It’sgotten me to where I need to be to do what I want to do. If that makes sense. Ihave goals and dreams and plans like everyone else. Being here gets me closerto achieving the goals.”

Did she have goals beyond the next job? Anything that didn’tinvolve work? Cooper had been…not a goal exactly, but definitely a dream.

Lena got quiet, and the silence sat between them, not acomfortable one. It was awkward, and Kala remembered that wasn’t the onlyquestion Lena had asked. “It’s a BDSM club. Did you not get the backgroundresearch on my family? I suspect it’s one of the reasons the Agency watches usso closely. Can’t trust those perverts.”

Lena sat down beside her. “Of course I have read all therelevant background, and your parents’ lifestyle was covered. I wouldn’t sayit’s perverted. Simply more open than most lifestyles. And since you’re in anhonest lifestyle, do you mind if I ask a couple of questions?”

“Is this a session?” If she could fit in one of the requiredsessions, the night might not be a total loss.

Lena snorted like she knew exactly what she was thinking.“Not a session. This is just me asking some questions so I can work better. Thewhole team is involved, correct? I can understand you all better if I’minformed.”

Lena made it sound so reasonable, but Kala’s suspiciousnature still made her careful. “Sure.”

“So I do understand that there are a couple of differentways to play… That’s the word, right?”

“Yes,” Kala allowed. How long would TJ be? Lou had alreadychanged. She wouldn’t take any time at all. She would grab her bag, but TJprobably wanted to look pretty or some shit.

“So there are different ways to play. Pain can be oddlyrelieving for some people. For some people who don’t like traditional therapy,the careful administration of pain can release pent-up emotions. Are you asubmissive, Kala?”

Kala sighed. Naturally, she was a woman so she should submitto someone. “Nope.”

“So you prefer to be the one inflicting pain?”

Kala lifted a brow, staring plainly at the therapist. “Whathappened to the careful administration of pain to relieve inner turmoil? Yourdisdain is showing, Dr. Gallagher.”

“Sorry. I’m not disdainful at all,” Lena countered. “I wassimply surprised. I’ve heard the lifestyle can often provide a place for theother side of a person to come out. You deal with violence in your daily lifeall the time. You’re in control. You have to be. I’m surprised you prefer todominate. I guess some of us are simply wired one way and don’t have anotherside. See, I’m learning.”

Learning she was a violent freak? “Yeah.”

Lena sighed and sat back. “And I’ve put my foot in my mouthagain. I’m truly not judging you. I find you fascinating. If I looked merely atyour records, I would say you’re the perfect lone wolf operative. I would sayyou would be able to work the blackest ops, but then there’s the issue of yourteam.”

“What about them?”

“They ground you,” Lena replied. “Working with your familygives you something a lot of other operatives don’t have. It can be good inthat they can act as a check and balance to your—and every otheroperative’s—darker impulses. And bad in that you’re forced to think about thembefore the mission. What I’m trying to figure out is where’s the line. Wheredoes family loyalty come into play before the job? If I was talking about yourtwin, I would say that line is very thick, and she would struggle to ever crossit. I believe Kenzie would throw the job out to spare her friends’ feelings,much less their lives. You’re different.”

“Of course I am.” It was nothing she hadn’t heard before,but she was raw tonight and Lena’s words were touching all her nerves.

“Stop being so defensive, Kala. I think you take the jobmore seriously than anyone on the team. I genuinely believe you are one of thebrightest operatives we have working today,” Lena explained. “One of my jobs atthe Agency is to identify truly gifted people. I think you qualify, and beforeyou say because I’m some kind of brutal monster, I’m talking about more thanyour skills at taking down the bad guys. I’m talking about how you can seepatterns and recognize danger before anyone else knows it’s there.”

Comforting words. Words she should listen to. Lena might behelpful if she decided the team would be better off without her. She might besomeone Kala could bounce ideas off of. She certainly couldn’t talk about thiswith her mom or dad or sisters. Lou would get worried, and that was the onlytime her bestie would go behind her back. “The team exists because of me.”

“Why would you say that?”

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