Page 45 of Soldier, Tailor, Spy

Ginger glanced up at him. “Meeting?” She tilted her head. “Did you find something?”

“Not sure,” Jake answered. “We have five minutes to join him, though.”

“For God's sakes, Jake. You need to lead with the time limit.” Ginger got out of her chair and gathered up Declan while Fawn picked up the toys and blanket. “This little turd needs a diaper change and a new set of clothes.”

Jake pointed to Fawn while he signed, “What about that turd?”

Fawn laughed. “Don’t be mean, Daddy.” She hurried into the house to put everything away, then grabbed her backpack with all her gadgets. “Ready.”

Ginger shook her head. “She reminds me of you.”

“Well, she is my daughter.” He winked at Ginger, then looked at Fawn. “O’Malley’s are always prepared.”

Fawn giggled and nodded.

“Well, O’Malley, change this dirty butt while I slip into something different as well.” Ginger deposited Declan in his hands.

“On it.” He carried the boy to his make-shift nursery and went to work changing Declan’s diaper. “You have a strong momma, you know that? She’s a good lady with a good head on her shoulders. Your sperm donor, however, not so much. So, I think we should come to a gentleman’s agreement.”

Declan cooed and chewed on his fingers.

“All right,” Jake said. “From now on, you can call me, dad. But don’t tell your mom. Not yet, anyway.”

Declan gave him a four tooth grin as he wiggled on the changing table while talking in gibberish, almost as if he understood everything Jake said.

“Then it’s settled. I’m your dad.” When the little boy was changed and dressed in different clothes, Jake met Ginger in the hall as she stepped out of her room, ready to go. “He’s ready after a quick three S’s.” He handed Declan over to Ginger while the boy giggled and jabbered on.

“Three S’s?” She quirked a brow.

“Shit, shower and shave,” Jake said. “Well, maybe two S’s. He’s not old enough to shave yet.”

Ginger laughed as she headed down the stairs. “Jake O’Malley, I think you’re the one full of shit.”

“Maybe.” Jake laughed.

When they arrived at Asher’s house on the point, the place was alive with activity. The cacophony of noise didn’t surprise Jake in the least. It reminded him of the base. Ginger and the kids joined Rae and the others outside while the men, along with Bexley, went downstairs into Asher’s mini C&C.

“There’s been a development,” Asher said after closing the door behind him. “Well, several.”

It was then Jake saw a crying AJ and Tex, a man he hadn’t seen in years, sitting at the computer across from where he stood. Thomas stood to side wearing a grim expression while Scotty typed furiously on his laptop. Whatever happened since they arrived in the cove couldn’t be good, especially if AJ was that upset. To the side stood the rest of his team, including Justin, Xavier, Timothy, and Duncan.

“I fucked up,” AJ said. “I should have known this could happen, but I didn’t think it would. I thought Oscar was the good guy.”

Nothing she said made any sense. “Come again?” Jake stared at the young girl. He’d only met her briefly before being kicked off the base and since he’d returned, well, she wasn’t around much because of her other duties.

“Tex has been with us for the last couple of days,” Asher said. “I didn’t want anyone to know, because of the sensitivity of this mission. Well, it would be a mission if we didn’t have the little congressional hearing hanging over our heads. Fucking bastards.”

“I’ve left the Bureau as well,” Thomas said. “Retired. Because of this case and all the bullshit that’s been found, I couldn’t in good conscious stay.”

“Would someone put us out of misery and tell us what the fuck is going on?” Jake cut his gaze to the right where Duncan was standing. Technically, the man wasn’t an agent, but a private eye, now, since he had a new identity.

“The thumb drive was bugged,” AJ said with a sniff. “When I cracked it, I also unleashed hell on this organization.”

Jake blinked. “What?”

“The thumb drive had a failsafe,” Tex reiterated, coming around the front of the desk. Felt like old times seeing him there, considering Tex had helped them occasionally. “When AJ cracked the encryption, it sent hidden files on all of you to all of your worst enemies and out onto the dark web.”

A knock came at the door before it opened and a man Jake had never met before stepped into the space, making it crowded. “Sorry I’m late. The drive in took a little longer than expected.” The man wore a well-tailored suit, probably worth more money than Jake made in a year. He had a gold ring on his right pinky and a few days' scruff on his cheeks. His hazel eyes were clouded by exhaustion, almost as if he’d worked non-stop to make it there, which was curious to Jake. The man also eyed AJ as she sat there, like they had some kind of relationship Jake didn’t quite understand.

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