Page 66 of No More Spies

Her father’s eyes went right to their entwined hands, browrising, but the bastard had a grin on his face. “Oh, Joyce will love Kala. It’smen she can be nervous around, and by nervous, I mean she can shoot first andask questions after she’s buried your body.”

It was Kala’s time to chuckle. And not think about how goodit felt to sit here with him, to have his affection in a place where someoneelse could see it. “Somehow I think Coop will be okay. He knows how to handlean angsty chick.”

“They’re my favorite kind,” Cooper replied.

“I’m pretty sure from here on out they better be your onlykind,” her dad said with a smile that was only half predatory. Seventy-fivepercent.

“Ian,” her mother said, his name a clear warning.

Yeah, maybe she should rethink the in-public thing. Herfather shouldn’t threaten Cooper when this relationship was completely casualand had an open end date that would probably happen sooner rather than later.

“Don’t push her, Ian,” Cooper said quietly, and he turnedher way when she started to pull her hand back. “It’s hold my hand or sit on mylap.”

A weird thrill went through her. She was almost neverchallenged. Her siblings would poke her, but they wouldn’t ever throw down somearbitrary choice she didn’t have to make. Dom wanted to play, did he? Shepulled her hand away and stared at her temporary lover. “I don’t have to doeither.”

Cooper glanced between her and her father, and she wassuddenly well aware that Coop was now trapped between two stubborn Taggarts. Ifit bugged him, he didn’t show it. He simply shrugged. “Then let’s negotiate.”

Her dad huffed, an annoyed sound. “And it’s time for me toleave.”

Her mom winked her way. “I think that’s a good idea.”

“And I don’t.” Lena slapped her hands on the table. “Look, Iget it. You’re family. But I’m here as a representative of the CentralIntelligence Agency, and you are running this like some family bakery orsomething. The emotional connections between your operatives alone makes mewant to question your leadership choices.”

“Question away, Doc,” her father said with a shrug. “Youwant to fire me, cool. I would love some more golf time.”

“You’re acting like you can fire us,” her mother challenged.

Lena took a long breath. The doc was definitelyoverstimulated. “All I can do is suggest. And right now I suggest that Kalaremains here in Dallas. She’s doing some important work both mentally andphysically.”

“I have the exercises I’m supposed to do for my knee. I’lldo them.” She knew what she’d promised and she wasn’t going to back out, butthe truth was she could use some time away from everything. Everything excepthim.

Negotiate.

She understood negotiations. Negotiations put things inplain words and let her know what was expected. She didn’t pick up on nuancessometimes, not when it came to the interpersonal. A contract. She loved acontract. Maybe they could talk about one between them.

Though she wasn’t his sub. And he wasn’t hers.

“Kala, I scarcely think the Agency wants to lose its mostvaluable young agent in the damn forest,” Lena complained. “I don’t like theidea of you being completely dependent on McKay in a world that is utterlyforeign to you. I’m trying to look out for you since it’s very plain yourfather is pushing this new…relationship.”

Cooper sat up straighter, seeming to decide this was aserious conversation. “First off, she wouldn’t be dependent on me. You saidRocky Mountain National, right? She spent most of her summers in the Coloradomountains. Trust me, I’ll be nothing more than the dude who carries a bunch ofstuff and cleans up after us. She knows the woods. Her dad’s an asshole whodumped her in the middle of the woods and forced her and her sisters to findtheir way back.”

She didn’t blame him. She’d requested the test when she wasfourteen, and she was pretty sure her dad had been following them, waiting incase they needed help.

“Can’t go raising soft kids,” her dad replied. “They eithercame back or got eaten by a bear.”

Her mom rolled her eyes. “Yeah, because you didn’t have mostof the town of Bliss watching for them. Those wildlife cameras just popped upovernight.”

She wasn’t sure who Lena thought she was. “It’ll be good tospend some time in nature. I’ll be fine, and I’ll take a sat phone with me.Well, Cooper will. Those things can be heavy.”

She kind of hoped it took a couple of days to find thewoman. It would be nice to be alone with him in a place she loved. Alex and Evewould come out there from time to time, but never for the weeks and sometimesmonths her parents did. Once they got good Internet, her parents had spent mostof the summers in Colorado.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. I actually was going topropose that you and I go to Langley for a couple of weeks. I think you canhelp me with the profile of Zach Reed. Your father seems to think his aunt isgoing to… I don’t know, open up his baby book and you’ll know what he’s doing.It makes no logical sense.”

Her father’s eyes narrowed, and she could tell Lena hadn’tspent a ton of time around her dad. His voice went soft, a sure sign he wasabout to do some bad shit. “We don’t understand the same logic, Doctor. You arenot her boss. I am.”

“Yes, I have a problem with that, too,” Lena added. “Kaladoesn’t need a firm hand. She’s smart and capable, and sometimes you treat herlike a child.”

Her mother’s hand disappeared, going under the table andlikely squeezing her dad’s thigh. Her mom’s hand was a leash, hauling back thebiggest, baddest guard dog in the world.

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