Page 37 of Spy With Me
Why? He’d told her some of his past, a sanitized versionconstructed to get him where he wanted to be. There were likely some truthsmixed in, but a lot would have been hidden. What happened to him that hecouldn’t be the hardened operative around her?
Or was it all one more act?
When she thought about it, she knew little that was realabout him.
“What do you know about Zach?” There was zero way her momdidn’t know everything her uncle did at this point. Classified intel be damned,Ian Taggart wouldn’t leave her parents in the dark. Not about the basics.
“I know you should talk to him. I know some of his past, andit’s painful and cruel and he didn’t deserve it. I can tell you, but it mightbe better if you ask him.”
Because if he told her, he would be opening up to her. “Whatdoes Uncle Ian think?”
There had to be a reason her family wasn’t banging on doorsand threatening the world. Her parents had gone to Germany with the team whenher brother had been taken. They’d made sure he got home.
So there had to be a reason her mother was calmly sittingthere while she was in… Everyone told her it was Wales. They could be lying.
“I’m pretty sure your uncle knows more than he’s saying, andI know he did not arrest Zach when his dumb ass walked right up to the team inVirginia. I need you to think about that. He didn’t hide. He didn’t run. Hewalked up to them knowing they have orders to bring him in. I believe he didthat for you. Now you’re probably sitting there thinking it was all aboutCooper, but I don’t, and I have several reasons why,” her mother began.
She was confused. “Why would it be about Cooper? Because ofhow close they are and he didn’t want him to have to save Kala alone? I don’tunderstand. Uncle Ian could have gone in with him.”
Her mother went still, like she hadn’t anticipated thequestion. “He didn’t tell you. Damn it. I thought for sure he would have toldyou that.”
Really confused. How much worse was this going to get? Ordid her mom not understand? “He and Cooper are friends. At least they seem tobe. When we were together we spent a lot of time with Cooper and Kala.”
Who were getting married. She always dreamed of designingdresses for her cousins’ weddings. She’d made all the dresses for Carys’swedding. Well, for the one that got busted up with gunfire. She was supposed tostart Tasha’s wedding dress soon. Well, after her cousin figured out to thevery last detail exactly what she wanted. But that was probably done now thatshe was stuck on a Welsh farm. Someone else would get to lovingly sew thedress. Not her.
Was she going to end up being the cursed wedding dressdesigner? Not like “hey, you’ll probably get divorced if you wear that Taggartoriginal.” Nope. More like “your wedding will get raided and there will bebombs.”
“Sweetie, Zach and Cooper are biological brothers.”
She’d had such plans for Tasha’s wedding and thebridesmaids’ dresses. Wait. What? “Brothers?”
“Yes. It’s one of the things he told Cooper and Kala whilethey were in the woods.”
“Why were they in the woods?” She had been left out of sodamn much.
Now that she thought about it, they did resemble each other.Same coloring. Same nose. Same build.
Brothers.
“They were tracking down Zach’s aunt. The one who raised himafter his mom went to prison.” Her mother seemed to be carefully measuring herwords. A thing she almost never did. “Zach was there, and they all had ashowdown. You’ll notice that Kala didn’t bring him in either. As a matter offact, I believe Kala is still feeding him information.”
“How?”
“Well, there’s this thing called the Dark Web and…”
Her mother was starting to irritate her. “How are theybrothers? I swear I will hang up if you start explaining sex to me.”
Her mother sometimes spoke only sarcasm.
“I wouldn’t do that. Not now. Baby, I know you are hurting.I know it feels like you’re on the outside looking in, but that’s what happenswhen you’re involved with a person who works intelligence. I should know. I’vebeen on both sides.”
Her mom’s words kind of flowed over her because her brainwas moving in quick speed. “Cooper was adopted. Zach’s older. His mom kept himbut not Cooper? Or were they both adopted out?”
“You were right the first time. Our mom wanted to hideCooper from our father,” a deep voice said. Zach was back in the doorway.“Sorry. It’s not a big cabin and you kind of screeched. I’ll tell youeverything if you give me the chance. Or I can give you the reports I sent toyour uncle. Either way, I’ll be in the kitchen. Dinner’s ready. I’ll warn you.It’s beets. Do you want me to make a plate and send it to your room?”
Where she would get no information?
She felt her mom watching her. Waiting for what she woulddo. She loved her mom, but she could bejudgeywhenshe thought her kids were doing something dumb. Devi wasn’t sure which would bethe dumber path, but she knew which one she was taking. “I want a debrief.That’s what you call it, right? Look, Zach, if I’m staying here for safety, Iwant to know what I need safety from. I will not be kept in the dark. If youthink I’ll sit in my room and be a good girl, then you don’t know me. I’m smartand I’m strong and I can make decisions myself. So set the truth out in frontof me and I’ll decide if I’m part of this team or if I’m going to hidesomewhere on my own.”
