Page 57 of Soldier, Tailor, Spy

“Sleeping. Fawn’s ear was bothering her, so she only used her left hearing aid. Declan had a ball at the beach and they both wore themselves out.” He turned to face her before tugging her to him. Jake brushed his lips over hers. “How was work?”

She melted into his kiss, pressing herself to him. “Interesting. Stressful. The new guy...” She shook her head.

“Won’t work?” Jake stared down at her, a twinge of worry filling him.

“On the contrary,” she said. “He’s good.Fantastic. He might take my job if I don’t pay attention.”

He chuckled. “Somehow I doubt that. Were there any issues?” Even if the FBI and CIA were watching Ginger’s back while keeping tabs on the Yamamotos, he still feared for her safety. Anyone who saw a weakness in the syndicate would come looking for a way to break down their walls. He never wanted to see Ginger as she’d been the night he got shot and Oscar was killed.

“None. All of our customers came back to pick up their suits. The shop owners around us were happy to see the business open. Of course, there were questions, but we all played it off and well, like Luca said, Mr. Yamamoto crowed like the biggest cock in the yard.”

Jake barked out a laugh. “I would have loved to have seen that.” He rubbed her back, not wanting to let go. “I know you’re having a hard time reconciling this. So am I. On one hand, I want to hate them for what they put you through. On the other, they did the one thing I couldn’t in that moment because I was too slow. They saved you.” He brushed his lips over hers while staring into her beautiful eyes.

Ginger nodded. “I feel the same way. However, gut deep, I made the right choice. I might sound like a pushover or an idiot for even attempting to put my trust back in their hands, still they saved our lives. I can’t brush that off either.”

No, neither could he. “So, we take it a day at a time. We don’t forget who they are, but we also don’t actively continue to harp on it either.”

“You’re home!” Fawn rushed to her mom’s side, her cheeks pink from being in the sun all day. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too, baby.” She kissed Fawn on the crown of her head. “Ew, sand.”

Fawn laughed. “We went to the beach.”

“Your father was just telling me. How about I help you get a bath and get changed and you can tell me all about it?” Ginger wrapped her arm around their daughter’s shoulders. “Then we can eat, because I’m starving.”

“I’m not a baby, though,” Fawn said, scrunching up her nose.

“I know,” Ginger whispered. “How about this? You shower and we’ll talk.”

“Perfect,” Fawn replied.

Jake leaned against the counter as his ex-wife and child headed back upstairs. Things weren’t perfect yet, but he couldn’t wait for the day when they would be once more. Then and only then would he have everything he ever wanted.

His family.

Chapter 13

Jake strolled into the conference room located inside the base’s C&C. Asher had more information on the people responsible for the attacks on their team and where they were located. Because he wanted them before Interpol got their hands on them, today, they were making smaller teams to track the assholes down and bring them to justice. The notion sent a thrill down Jake’s spine. Being back reminded him of how much he loved the job and how much he missed it because of his insufferable bullshit.

Sitting down at the table, he glanced around at his crew, gratefully to be there, now, on a full-time basis. His designation, this time, wasn’t in the field per se. He would hang back like Noah, overseeing one of the younger teams. No, he wasn’t necessarily in command, but he was a group leader. Which fit better with where he was in his life. Having a family meant, instead of pushing them away, he wanted to keep them close, and seeing how they almost died affected his ex-wife and his daughter, he knew putting his life on the line day in and day out, would only add tension to their tenuous relationship, something he didn’t want to put them through again.

“All right,” Asher said, “now that everyone is here, let’s begin.”

Jake flipped open the binder in front of him. It wasn’t overly thick with information, but enough to get them through the operation with the allotted time they had. In the first section, he saw a picture of Mr. Yamamoto. Obviously, the stamp of case closed across the pages was a given, considering Luca had the operation in hand. Plus, from what Ginger said, everything was well on its way within the business.

“Jake, I want you to know I have someone watching over the shop. As much as I trust Luca, I don’t trust the FBI right now. If anything goes sideways, he’s been given orders to get Ginger out. No exceptions.” Asher flipped to the next section in his folder, as though what he said was of no consequence.

“I appreciate that. I’d be remiss if I didn’t have the same reservations,” Jake stated. “Ginger said, though, Luca’s plant and the rest of the staff were working well together.”

“Good, then hopefully it will continue to go accordingly. As for Thomas and Duncan.” Jake glanced at the second section of the folder. “They’ve already left.” It was then Jake realized AJ and Scotty weren’t with them during the meeting. “They’ve caught a flight to Ireland where Duncan’s brother has been spotted.”

“What about his father?” Alex asked, glancing through the file they had on Liam Frazier.

“From what we know,” Asher stated, “the man was killed in a “bar fight,” Asher made air quotes as he described the incident. “No one is claiming responsibility, and the person connected to the situation has been released without charges. There are other reports that say it was an accidental death while making an improvised device.”

Jake frowned. “You don’t think it was just a bar fight, do you?”

Asher shook his head. “No, I think it was a job. Whether it was within his organization or someone for the government, he was eliminated.”

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