Page 41 of Soldier, Tailor, Spy

Jake grunted.

“Look, I tried to find Oscar's and Ginger’s marriage certificate. It’s not here. Not even the paperwork for when Ginger started or stopped the divorce proceedings.”

“What?” Jake cut his gaze toward Ginger. “Are you sure?”

“Yep. Went by both of their birthdays. Tried their social security numbers. Everything. Nothing matches up.” Asher blew out a breath. “I know she married Oscar. We both do.”

“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “I’ll tell her later. Not that it’ll matter.”

“Sure enough,” Asher agreed. “Just chalk it up to more questions we can’t answer.”

Yet. Questions they couldn’t answer yet. “Thanks.” He hit the comm and sighed. “Well, now that we’re here, what did you want from Ginger?”

Ethan shook his head. “It was a mistake. A gross, unjust mistake. I should have never paid attention to that email.”

“And, what?” Ginger said. “Live in denial? Never find out about Oscar. Pretend he’s still alive but never came home?” She shook her head. “I might be calm on the outside right now, but trust me, I’m seething mad. Shouldn’t you feel the same way?”

“Defeated. Used. Laughingstock. I feel disgusting. Abused and hurt. Confused. Angry.” Ethan gave a humorless chuckle. “I thought I found the love of my life and now it’s all a pack of lies built on deception.”

“Ethan, how old are you?” Ginger murmured. “I recognize you, but it’s been a long time.”

“Thirty-two,” he said. “You dressed me for your first show with Mr. Yamamoto. I don’t think you paid me any mind, either. You were too nervous. I must confess the second I saw you at the house, I knew you. I didn’t want to say anything because things were a little—”

“Fucked?” Jake quirked a brow. “Yeah, that’s what happens when shit hits the fan like it has the last few days.”

Ethan nodded. “So, what happens now?”

It dawned on Jake then to ask the one question he should have asked at the very beginning. “You said you and Oscar lived together and you have a home. Did he have an office there? A room he kept locked or anything of the sort?”

Ethan’s eyes widened. “He did. How did you know?”

“He had one at our place, too,” Ginger replied.

Fuck. Every time she spoke, another part of Jake was ripped apart. Again, if Oscar hadn’t had died, he’d have killed the man. “When the house burned down, all of Oscar’s records were destroyed. Do you mind if at some point I come over and look around or, better yet, a fellow FBI agent looks around?”

“FBI Agent?” Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Why is the FBI involved?”

Ginger snorted, then laughed. “Because Oscar was an undercover FBI agent.”

Ginger left the conference room feeling lower than dirt. How could she have allowed Oscar into her life? Into her daughter’s life? None of what happened made sense anymore. Hadn’t, she suspected, for a long time. Seeing Ethan and hearing his side of things only made the truth of her situation abundantly clear. She’d been a target. Oscar used her as a pawn to get closer to Mr. Yamamoto and Kiyoshi.

The sensation of a sickly sludge covering her body made her want to shower and scour her body until she was red and bleeding. She’d never get over this. Never get over the fact Oscar was gay? Bisexual? Fuck...just thinking about the situation made her sick and confused. She’d never get over the fact Declan wasn’t meant for her, but for Ethan and Oscar to raise.How the fuck would that happen?None of it made sense to her. Not a lick. Nevertheless, it made some sense now. Why Oscar had been distant. Why, he only fucked her when he needed to get off.

He never loved her.

He used her as a sex toy. A place to dump his cum and find release. At that, he didn’t even give her that much of himself. He used a condom—not as if she wasn’t relieved after everything she found out. She was just... Hell; she didn’t know what to call what she was feeling. As she stepped into the apartment, a different space from the last time they were there, she found Fawn and Declan on the floor playing with Bexley, who seemed right in her element. She had a feeling if they didn’t monitor the situation, Noah and Mateo might have to fight them over the girl.

That thought gave Ginger a little light in all the darkness.

“Hey guys,” Ginger said, joining them. “Everyone okay?”

Bexley nodded. “Made some lunch and we’ve been having fun. There’s extras if you want some.”

Ginger wasn’t hungry. “Later. Right now, I need a little alone time.”

Bexley stood. “Sure. I had fun.”

Ginger raised her hand. “No stay. I think I’m going to take a bath and maybe catch a nap.”

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