Page 15 of A Labor of Hate
“But, it also means everything has to look as if you’re a happily married couple—clothes in the same room, sharing a bathroom, et cetera.And, Piper” —his face tightened in sympathetic discomfort— “that means you’ll have to be wearing your accessories anywhere you could possibly be spotted.Including passing by windows in the house.The last thing we need is one of Gauthier’s men seeing you obviously pregnant one minute and obviously not pregnant the next.”
The weight of what he said dawned across my shoulders with the grace of a buffalo.“So I’ll basically only be free of this” —I jabbed a finger at my belly— “when I’m sleeping?”
McBride nodded, while Colt bit his lip to undoubtedly keep from grinning.
Would it kill him to look a little less happy about this?He was getting entirely too much enjoyment out of it.
His words from earlier echoed through my head.You know, it’s not too late for you to back out.As if I’d let him win.As if I’d let this chance to get Gauthier behind bars slip through my fingers because a prissy know-it-all fake-accountant was my partner.
Never.
To save other families the pain of what mine went through, this discomfort was nothing.Even if it meant dealing with Colt every day.While being fake pregnant.All the time.
“Dixon, your job at an accounting firm is already in place, as we discussed.It is there that you’ll be in contact with us to keep us updated on the progress you’ve made.Any communication through phone, radio, or other means is strictly prohibited unless it’s a matter of life or death.”
I swallowed hard.Would Gauthier really bug our phones?Probably.There was a reason he hadn’t been caught yet.Heck, he’d probably bug the house.And car.And if we had a dog, he’d bug it, too.
“You’ll have the weekend to make arrangements to transition into your new lives.Get a dog-sitter, plant waterer, what have you.”McBride gave us each a small packet and met our eyes, his voice gravely serious..“Your new IDs and documents are here.Memorize your covers like your lives depend on it.Because, if Gauthier’s involved, they do.”
CHAPTERSIX
I MASSAGEDTHE bridge of my nose, glaring at the offending fake belly sticking out of the box on my sofa.It, like the ring still glittering on my left hand, was innocent.Seeing as how neither Colt, nor McBride, nor Gauthier were here, the poor tummy was the recipient of my frustration.McBride had graciously allowed me to drive home unencumbered by the thing, though our time apart from one another was numbered.My temporarily, silicone-less midsection could feel the time ticking down like a death sentence.
With great effort, I dragged my attention from the box and back to the task at hand.My sole pet, a goldfish named Gill-bert, had an automatic feeder and a self-cleaning tank, a necessity with the hours I often pulled for work.And while I didn’t have any plants to take care of, Ididhave family members who might notice if I suddenly stopped responding to any and all forms of communication with them.The last thing I needed was one of them to report me missing and get my face plastered all over posters.
I’d already emailed Mom and Dad, as that was their primary means of communication since setting off to travel the globe.Their decision shouldn’t have been surprising, considering each of their children were named after explorers, but I’d still been taken aback by the fact that they wouldn’t even be in the same country as Dekker and me anymore.
If I were really pregnant, maybe they’d come home to visit.They might even stay.But alas, a fake marriage to a fake husband with a fake baby on the way wouldn’t be enough.Especially considering the fact none of them were to know the exact nature of my assignment.
Technically, I still had time to tell Dekker.I could put it off, and I sorely wanted to, but I knew myself.I’d need a small buffer after letting her know so I could call and ask random questions, say goodbye a bazillion times more, maybe send a few memes before I had to say goodbye for good.Or for the duration of the assignment, anyway.
Nope.It was time to rip off the Band-Aid so I could have time to rub and lick the wound.
And with that charming mental image, I dialed her number.
The line rang a handful of times before my sister finally picked up, her voice a touch breathless.“Hey, Lex.What’s up?”
A smile automatically spread across my face at the sound of her voice.If anyone could help me forget the enormity of the assignment, even just for a night, it was Dekker.“You havenoidea how good it is to talk to you.”
Dekker snorted.“That bad of a day, huh?”
“You have no idea,” I muttered.“But, uh, along those lines I got my first undercover assignment.”
I had to pull the phone away as Dekker squealed happily on the other end.“No way!Tell me all about it!Or, I guess, what youcantell me, anyway.”
I bit my lip.Dekker was in Pennsylvania still, and I trusted her with my life, but if Gauthier somehow found out about her, I’d never forgive myself.Not that I’d live long enough to get the opportunity to, anyway.“Well, it could take up to two months, and I’m going undercover with another agent from my squad…”
When I trailed off, Dekker interjected.“Okay, and…?”
“And it’ll be a deep cover, so I can’t communicate with you in any way for the entire time it’s going on,” I blurted, the words tumbling out of my mouth.
Silence echoed across the line.
“I’m only calling to tell you so you don’t panic or anything when I don’t respond to any calls or texts or emails.”
The line remained silent for another moment.The only sounds I could hear were the beating of my heart and my own breathing.
Finally, Dekker spoke.“Is it going to be dangerous?”
