by Lexi Blake
With a dart.
Tasha slumped to the ground. God, she hoped they had the dosage right.
“I’m not stupid. Killing Tag’s daughter would irritate him. She’ll take a nap and maybe she’ll learn a lesson,” Levi said, looking down at the teen. “Maybe Tag will be too busy dealing with his fucked-up adopted mess to look for me. Now, I believe you said something about wanting to come along.”
Could she get close enough to fight him for the gun?
“Come on. We’ve got a car waiting about half a mile from here. I want to get on the road before they find the girl. She’ll cost them some time.” Levi gripped her elbow and pulled her close.
“Where are we going?” She forced herself to stumble a bit to slow them down.
Levi merely pulled her along. “I’ve got a safe house in the Philippines no one knows about. And luckily, now I have your money. We’re going to clear your accounts out so we have some working capital. I have to pay these guys. I don’t get to call up a Special Ops teams anymore. You know I’m really going to miss the perks.”
How slow could she go? “I was surprised you didn’t clear out my accounts when you had the chance.”
“Beck blocked me. I’m sure he was planning on finding you and getting his hands on it. He went to your banks with a couple of lawyers and made sure the government wasn’t able to access the funds. But now I’ve lifted the freeze on your accounts, and we can march right down to the bank and transfer the funds. We’re going to need them for our new life.”
“In the Philippines.” The grip on her arm was starting to hurt. She wished she knew the land better. They were surrounded by trees. She was certain they were heading southeast, away from the lake. They couldn’t be far from the house. It hadn’t taken them more than ten minutes to walk down to the pier.
If she ran, would he kill her? She’d been perfectly willing to die seven years before when he’d had her in that limo. There had been a part of her that had been disappointed Beck had stopped her from finishing it. Her life had seemed like such a misery at the time.
She didn’t want to finish anything. She wanted to watch her son grow up, wanted her second or third or fourth chance with Beck.
“In the beginning we’ll stay there.” Levi stopped and forced her to look up at him. “I’ve got plans. Don’t think I can’t take care of you.”
“It sounds like I’ll be taking care of you.” She couldn’t let him get her in the car. She had to time this so they wouldn’t go back for Tasha, wouldn’t be close enough to the house to catch one of the kids. But she wanted her shot at surviving, and that meant delaying the moment when they got her to the road.
“I don’t think you’ll mind.” He actually had the balls—or the insanity—to brush her hair back. “I think we’re going to get along quite well this time around. This time Beck won’t be between us, and you won’t lie to me about anything.”
“Because you’re going to drug me and turn me into some kind of zombie?”
One side of his mouth kicked up in an arrogant grin. “Not at first. Remember when I said I wasn’t going to torture you? I changed my mind. You kept Ezra Fain from me for years. You hid that fucker when he was mine to deal with.”
“Ezra wasn’t a bad man. He was in trouble and you manipulated him.” It was what Levi did. He saw a weakness and used it to his own advantage.
“He chose to do the things he did, and I need you to understand that I can’t let him live.” He started walking again, his grip tightening. “You won’t mourn him. Like you won’t mourn Beck. Or that brat of a kid. I’m not stupid. I know you’re playing me for time. You’ve run out of it. I’m taking you back to my safe house where I’ll properly punish you for your infractions and then we’ll start our new life. You think I haven’t had to start over again? I’ve done it more than once and I always come out on top, Solo.”
“Don’t call her Solo,” a deep voice said. A familiar voice. A heavenly voice. Beck stepped out from behind a big oak, his SIG in his hand. “She’s not alone.”
Her breath caught as she realized she wasn’t. Beck hadn’t come alone. Somehow they’d moved in behind them. Rob and Tucker. Owen and Jax. Theo. They all moved out of the woods, surrounding Levi and the two mercenaries he’d brought with them.
“Lay it down and walk away.” Theo had his gun trained on the man flanking her right. “You should understand my brother is back at the lake holding his daughter. The only reason I’m letting you go is he’ll kill you, and the last thing he needs is more blood on his hands. You better be fucking happy you used a tranquilizer on her, and I would suggest you watch your back for the rest of your life.”
“And you,” Beck ordered. “My friends will escort you out of here and I better not see your faces again. That was my wife your boss was kidnapping.”
Both the mercenaries dropped their guns and held their hands up.
“Tell Taggart it was a job and we didn’t know it was him.” The man Owen was guarding had gone pale.
“We can tell him. Doesn’t mean he’ll believe it,” Owen replied. “Only reason you’re not going down is it’s harder to bury three bodies than one.”
Levi had pulled her close, putting his gun to her head. “I don’t think you’re burying anyone. Unless you want to put Solo in the ground with me. It would be fitting. You should know that I’ll have her in the afterlife, too, Beck. She was always meant for me.”
She was so sick of one asshole wrecking her life. Maybe she and Beck would have imploded the first time around no matter what happened, but Levi had been the match. Levi Green had decided she belonged to him like she was some piece of property he could occupy. He treated the whole world like it was his and no one else mattered.
She was not going down with him.
She could be Solo one last time. Just once, because Beck was right. She was never going to be alone again.
“Baby, what do you want me to do?” Beck asked, and that was when she noticed the fine tremor in his hold. He wasn’t the cold “Ezra Fain” he’d become when they’d been apart.
They’d played roles for so many years. Maybe the whole time they’d known each other. But it was time to be Beck and Kim. Solo and Ezra—sexy operatives—had been a toxic combination. But she thought maybe Beck and Kim—parents, partners, madly in love—might be able to make it.
But Solo could do one last mission.
“Follow my lead,” she said.
He nodded and no one else moved. Owen and Theo had escorted their guests off, and she heard the squeal of tires as the car left.
“Well, it looks like I’m going to need…” Levi began.
God that fucker could talk. She brought her arm up and back, breaking his hold and forcing the hand with the gun in it to drop. She kicked back, sending him to his ass. In seconds, she had his gun in her hand and she was in the superior position.
He always did underestimate her.
She held the gun on him. “I’m going to suspect Tag wants a word.”
“Yes,” Beck said, moving in beside her. “I would, too.”
That was the moment she noticed Levi had something in his hand.
“You always were magnificent,” Levi said softly. “And you were always fair. I’m going to have to use that against you, my love.” He had a hypodermic needle in his hand, and he plunged it into his own arm. “You won’t get any answers out of me. That was the last of the formula. In a few minutes, I’ll start all over again.”
Kim Solomon shot him without hesitation. She watched as the light faded from Levi’s eyes and he slumped back.
She turned to Beck. “He’s right. I wouldn’t have been able to kill him if the drug took effect. But it hadn’t. He was still the same son of a bitch he’s always been. He doesn’t get to start over.”
Theo Taggart walked up to the body and solemnly put another bullet in him. “Just in case.”
Jax was next. “Can’t be too sure.”
Owen and Tucker took their turns as though t
hey all needed a hand in finally putting down the man who’d caused them so much trouble.
Rob stepped up and another crack sounded. He looked to Beck. “Your turn, man.”
Beck shook his head. “No. I have everything I need. You got this?”
Rob nodded. “We’ve been ready to clean this particular mess up for a long time, boss. Take Kim back to the house. They’re all worried about her.”
He left the guns on the ground, obviously trusting the Lost Boys to deal with the situation.
He hadn’t even looked Levi’s way. Every bit of his attention had been on her. “Beck, it’s okay if you need to stay.”
He shook his head and cupped her cheeks, bringing his forehead down to meet hers. “He’s incidental in our love story. He’s nothing but a blip, and now we move on. Together.”
“I love you, Beck. Wholly and without holding anything back. I love you. I trust you.” Tears fell on her cheeks because she did. She let go of all her anger. They could start over. They could take all that passion they’d had in the beginning, pair it with the abiding love and patience they’d found, and have the marriage they’d always wanted.
“I love you. More than anything.” He kissed her forehead and then leaned over to pick her up and hold her against his chest. “Let’s get our son. And my brother. And a drink because I need one. My hands are still shaking.”
She laid her head on his shoulder and held on to him.
* * * *
Beck sat back as the CIA operative known as Drake lowered himself into the seat at the big conference table. Drake had been with the Agency for years, but he still looked like a baby to Beck.
He and Kim had been babies when they’d started. So many years had passed, and yet he felt far younger than he had back then. He reached over and brought her hand to his lips.
She gave him a smile that rocked his world. And she winked his way before turning slightly. The movement made her blouse gape a bit, and he caught a hint of the ring looped on her necklace. Her uncle had sent it to her from Malta along with a letter for Beck. He’d promised severe retribution if Beck screwed up again. The man had explained that he had a good relationship with the almighty, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
Beck liked her uncle.
That ring was going back on her finger this weekend.
“I need you to understand that I had no idea what Levi was doing.” Drake looked like a man trying to placate a predator who wanted to rip him apart.
But then Ian Taggart was still angry.
Beck would never forget how pale Tag had gone when he’d seen Tasha on the ground. He’d never once seen that man cry, but the tears had fallen as he’d gone to his knees and held his daughter to his heart. He’d managed to send the rest of them on when he’d realized she was alive. But he’d still been holding her an hour later when she’d woken up. The fact that they’d had a doctor and a few nurses there who had been able to monitor her hadn’t meant anything to the Taggarts. They’d held vigil around Tasha and only breathed again when she’d woken.
“The Agency didn’t know one of their top men was using an innocent teenage girl as an asset?” The question came out of Tag’s mouth like a bomb waiting to go off.
“I assure you I didn’t know.” Drake seemed determined to defuse it. “Tag, you have to believe me. I would never have let him hurt Tasha. I would have gone against any orders I was given. I did go against orders to get Solo that package.”
“Kim,” he insisted.
“I’m only Solo now when Beck there wants to get some role play in,” Kim replied, giving the man too much information.
But it was true. Sometimes it was fun to have the badass Solo interrogate him.
Tag ignored it entirely, focusing all his attention on the Agency liaison. “Let your bosses know that I won’t forget. And I won’t forgive.”
“I think they are aware,” Drake said cautiously. “They wanted to let you know that as far as they’re concerned Ezra Fain died during the operation that took out his team. There will be no repercussions, and you’ll find no one is concerned with a priest.”
His brother could return to the life he’d built for himself. He could go back to doing good. After he’d spent some time with his family. “Thank you.”
“I’m happy to have been able to make that happen,” Drake replied as though relieved at least one thing had gone right. His jaw tightened as he looked to Taggart. “I was hoping you could give me a debrief on what happened that day. The Agency is interested in bringing Mr. Green’s body back to Langley.”
A humorless smile crossed Taggart’s face. “You’ll have to find him first.”
Drake frowned. “Are you trying to say you didn’t kill him?”
“I was far too busy being concerned with my daughter’s life, Drake,” Tag shot back. “And then I was concerned with what that fucker did to her. The things he said, they will haunt her for the rest of her life. So no, I did not bother to kill Levi Green.”
Before the Lost Boys had left to return home, they’d spent an evening at Tag’s place, sitting around the fire pit in the backyard with Tasha. They’d told her stories about her father and how he’d given his life to save Owen’s.
Charlotte had stuck close to her oldest daughter the last weeks. So had the other kids, though that hadn’t been hard since they were all grounded. According to Tag that might last forever.
Beck didn’t think so. The Taggarts would pull together and get through this as a family. The way the Kents would.
Drake looked Kim’s way. “Come on, So…Kim. You can’t expect me to believe Levi got away. If he had, you would have a bodyguard on you twenty-four seven.”
Kim merely smiled. “Beck totally trusts me to take out the bad guys. That’s what we’ve decided our jobs are. I’m the muscle and he’s the beauty.”
He had to laugh at that because his almost wife was so gorgeous it hurt. “Yep. I just make myself pretty for her. I’m strictly arm candy from here on out.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that the Lost Boys just up and left and went back to their lives with Levi on the run?” Drake asked.
“Jax and River are opening their summer camp next week.” He knew that schedule far too well since his wife had announced her plans for future employment. “They can’t keep the kiddos waiting. And the rest of them wanted to get home.”
Ari and Rob were the only ones hanging out. Ari was helping Kim get ready for the big move. Mostly that included the duo shopping like there was no tomorrow. It was so good to see Kim smiling and relaxed and happy.
They were walking away from everything they knew, and it felt good. It felt like the adventure he’d been waiting for all his life.
Drake sighed. “You know this means we’ll have to use Agency resources to look for him. And there are a whole lot of bosses at the top of the ladder who will likely be looking over their shoulder…and that’s why you’re doing it. Damn it, Tag. It’s going to look bad on me if I can’t find a body.”
“You’re young. You’ll do fine. I have no idea where Levi Green is,” Tag said flatly. “I can’t help you.”
“All right. I get it. I even understand it.” Drake pushed his chair back and faced Kim. “Ms. Solomon, I’ve been given the go-ahead to offer you any position you want at the Agency.”
So she would tell them what happened to Levi Green? He snorted.
Kim looked back his way. “You’re not worried I’m tempted?”
Not for a second. “You have a job.”
Kim stood and offered Drake a hand. “I’m afraid my fiancé is right. I’ve found a much better position.”
Drake shook her hand. “Here? McKay-Taggart is taking a lot of our talent.”
Taggart finally flashed something like a real smile. “Nope. She turned me down flat, and she’s taking Beck with her. But she’s going to another place that seems to suck a whole lot of talent up. They won’t be the only ex-Agency employees there. And I’ve heard there are aliens.”
<
br /> Drake’s expression turned distinctly horrified. “Are you talking about that weird place John Bishop ended up in? You know most feds avoid it like the plague. What the hell are you going to do in Colorado?”
“I’m a nature guide with the best tour agency in Southern Colorado. Mountain Adventures,” Kim announced. “And Beck has a job with a group Adam Miles works with from time to time. The Kincaid-Briggs Group. They’re private investigators who work specifically with small law enforcement offices and cold case files.”
He’d talked to the former FBI agents and found himself excited to focus his talents on solving mysteries, on giving families peace. “The pay is crap, but moneybags here already bought us a gorgeous piece of land on the Rio Grande.”
“They’re staying at my cabin until theirs is built,” Tag acknowledged. “We usually go up for a month before school starts, but not this year. My family is keeping close to home for a while. Drake, you need to let your bosses know I won’t handle any further interference in my business or my family life well.”
Drake picked up the bag he’d carried in. “I will. And Tag, if you do need anything, call me. I know you don’t like who I work for, but I owe you.” He stopped. “I need to know if my cousin should worry. She’s a good kid. She got taken in by Levi, too. I just want her to feel safe.”
“Your cousin shouldn’t worry.” Tag gave him a nod. “And thank you, Drake.”
The CIA agent breathed a sigh of relief and walked out.
Tag stood. “You leaving this afternoon?”
Beck held out a hand. “We’re all packed up. The paperwork on the sale of the house should go through in a couple of weeks, but I told Hutch he can move in whenever he likes. I’m glad he’s taking the place.”
“I’m glad he’s getting out of that apartment he’s been in for years. We’ll miss you around here, but I think you’ll like Bliss. Well, except for Max Harper. He’s annoying,” Tag admitted. “And all the protests. You should get used to listening to Nell Flanders sing protest songs through a bullhorn.”
