Page 106 of Illicit

“Shit,” he hisses.

“I know,” Teagan goes on. “She’s emotional and exhausted. She can have one person go in with her since the father isn’t here. She picked Mom. You can go back and see her if you want, but be quick. They’re prepping her.”

Tim looks from Teagan to me and then heads back to the birthing suite without another word.

Teagan waits for him to get out of sight before coming straight for me. She buries her face in my chest as I wrap her up and put my lips to the top of her head. “She’ll be fine—the baby will too. There’s no way they won’t be fine. Sammie won’t allow it.”

“I know. It’s just hard to watch her go through this.” She lifts her head to look up at me. “I really thought you told Dad about us.”

I shake my head. “I figure Sammie will do that after she has the baby. She’s not going to miss the opportunity to rat us out. Something like that is right in her wheelhouse.”

“True.” She wraps her arms around me one more time before letting go.

“I’m not anxious to be ratted out by your sister. We need to claim the upper hand. Once the baby comes and we know everyone is okay, it’s time to have a talk with Tim and Annette.”

She nods in agreement just in time for Tim to return.

He looks more emotional than he did before. I think we’re beyond shoulder squeezes.

“She’s going to be fine. The baby’s going to be fine. Women do this all the time,” he says, as if he’s talking himself into it.

Teagan goes straight to him, wraps her arms around her father, and gives him the real thing. “You’re right, Dad. They’ll both be perfect.”

25

FIGURATIVE ORGASM

Rocco

The doors part. I walk outside to fresh air and a new day.

This was not a call I could take in front of anyone.

“It’s about time,” I say.

“You sent me a needle that I had to find in fucking Africa of all places. Do not bust my balls, Roc. I get enough of that from Uncle Sam.”

“I don’t know why you’re searching an entire continent. I narrowed it down to a country. And not even a big one.”

“Right. Nigeria. They’re super-duper cooperative when someone like me makes a phone call. Do you think I got to where I am today by my smooth-talking personality and rugged good looks alone? I’m an investigator, dammit. Don’t marginalize me. It hurts my feelings.”

“For fuck’s sake. Did you find Heath Hayes or not?”

“Let’s back up a moment. You, my young, handsome friend, have uncovered a network so large and broad, I have the fucking CIA eating out of my hand and shocked that I can be even more amazing than I was last week. I love it, and I love you for it. To be honest, I might be taking a little credit for the whole thing. But I want to know how you found it.”

I’ve known Cole Carson since I was on the other side of the law as a prospect in a motorcycle club. He was the reason Brax was able to go undercover in the cartel as deep as he did. Cole pops up from time to time and is a good man to have in your corner. He can do shit we can’t when it comes to investigations outside of the country.

And if Cole Carson is a good contact to have, his wife is even better. Bella Carson is as badass as they come. She is former MI6 for the British government, but now she works for a private organization that contracts with the CIA. That organization doesn’t care what the law is when it comes to getting shit done.

Cole is tight with Brax. Really tight. But he’s also worked with Tim, Micah, and King. I took a chance on calling him on my own. It was a first for me. When I made the call last week, Cole was downright giddy to hear from me.

Fuck the State Department for not helping the Hayes family. It seems all I needed was a friend at the CIA.

I look out at the parking lot of the hospital and answer as blandly as I can. “I had a tip.”

“Well, no shit,” he drawls. If I had to guess, he’s reclined in his office at Langley and just propped his feet on the corner of his desk. “I’m going to need more than that if you want me to spill all the beans in the whole damn pot. And let me tease you, my beautiful friend, it’s a big pot.”

I drag a hand down my face and try not to yawn. We didn’t sleep at all last night. “I’m not sure I can tell you.”

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