by Lucy Monroe
“Clearly, I don’t.” Elle was all business, not a glimmer of her usual charm showing. “What did Mr. Smith say?”
“About Archer Sandstone?”
“Yes. I’m not particularly interested in his opinion on other matters.”
Frank cleared his throat. “Uh…right. I can’t say that I blame you. Anyway, he instructed me to wait on firing Archer until the current attempt to procure the antigravity plans has been dealt with.”
“Good.”
“He thought you might be able to come up with something that will mess up Archer’s bug without letting him know we’ve found the second one already.”
“Do you want it to fail completely, or merely have intermittent transmission problems?”
“Could I control the intermittency?”
“Absolutely.”
“That sounds like the best alternative, then. Hopefully by the time he risks trying to fix or replace it, the smugglers will have been apprehended.”
“If they are indeed responsible.”
“What’s to stop them from coming after the experiment again?” Beau asked. “I mean, even if you arrest those in the U.S. now, there’s still a whole organization who think they want the plans, not to mention the other buyers who didn’t get their chance at the plans before.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Elle said, her expression not happy.
“And?”
“I considered having Chantal come clean with them on the nonviability of the experiment, but there’s no reason for them to believe her.”
“Right.”
“Don’t you think she should try it anyway?” Frank asked.
Elle’s eyes glinted as cold as steel. “I think the men threatening her deserve to be brought to justice.”
“I agree,” Beau said.
“Good.” Elle smiled. “However, once that has happened, I think a press release with the results of the initial tests, including the dangerous levels of electromagnetic discharge, should be circulated.”
“One of the reasons we’ve kept the project under wraps is so that our version of antigravity won’t get the bad rep nuclear power has because of safety issues. When we fix the discharge issue, it could languish as a new technology if public perception of it has already taken that direction,” Beau said.
“It’s your choice, of course, but given the circumstance and the risk of the plans getting stolen at some point, I would say that some possible public concern would be the lesser of two evils. Not ideal, but doable,” Elle said.
Frank adjusted his stance in his chair. “There was resistance to the automobile at first too, Beau, but now it’s one of our base technologies.”
“This whole situation makes me madder than hell.”
Elle gave Beau a look of commiseration. “I hear you, but I really think it’s the right path to take.”
Beau nodded. “You’re right. If we’d done the press release to begin with, neither Gil nor Chantal would have been put in danger.”
“You didn’t know someone else was going to come after the plans,” Elle said.
“We should have guessed it would happen,” Beau said.
“When you’re an honest person, it’s hard to foresee the dishonest actions of others,” she said.
“You do it, and you’re one of the most honest people I know,” Beau said.
Elle looked shocked, then smiled. “Thanks, but it’s my job.” The smile slipped. “At least for the next few weeks.”
“I’m very sorry about that, Elle.”
“Thank you, Frank, but you aren’t responsible for Sandstone’s behavior.” The words were gracious, but Beau could feel the difference between Elle’s reaction to him and her response to Frank.
“The man is an idiot,” Beau growled.
Frank rubbed his temples, a sure sign a headache was coming on. “I agree.”
“You can bring stalking charges against him for this,” Elle mentioned.
“Good.” Frank looked ready to tear someone a new asshole and Beau thought his mentor just might be planning to use the legal system to do it to Archer.
“You’ll have to look into what other charges can be brought against him,” Beau suggested.
“Don’t make it a vendetta. You’ll just end up using energy that would better be applied to making the world a better place.” Elle smiled. “Remember, that’s what you all do around here.”
“And people like you make it possible,” Beau said, believing it fully as he finally accepted how much Elle’s current career had cost her life.
“Like I said, it’s my job. And I’m going to make sure I don’t mess up this final case, so if you’ll both excuse me, I’ve got a bug interrupter to put together. I’ll install it tonight, after everyone is gone.”
“Sounds good.” Frank stood. “I think I’ve got some pressing things that will keep me mostly out of my office for the rest of the day.”
After he left, Beau asked, “Will I see you tonight, princess?”
“I’ll have to work so I can take time off tomorrow to go shopping with Josie and Chantal.”
“Can I help with anything?” He just wanted to be with her but didn’t want to sound lame saying so.
“I…” She didn’t say anything more, looking lost again.
He bit the bullet. “I don’t think you need to be alone tonight.”
“I’m a big girl. I can handle disappointments in my life.”
“Losing the career you passionately enjoy is more than a mere disappointment. It’s okay to lean on someone else once in a while.”
“I thought your doctorate was in physics, not psychology.” She was smiling a little wistfully when she said it, so he didn’t take offense.
“You learn all sorts of stuff at school, don’t you remember?”
“I remember learning that I didn’t want to spend my life in a lab.”
“Then don’t.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to leave TGP.”
“You don’t have to make that decision tonight.”
“That’s good, because I don’t want to.” She looked down at her hands. “I love being an agent.”
“I know.”
“I never wanted to work for a different agency, even though I couldn’t tell my family about TGP. I believe in what I do.”
“And you’re damn good at it.” He waited a beat of silence. “Are you going to tell Mat?”
“I don’t know. I’m so used to hiding everything to do with my job, but now I don’t have to do that. I’ve already been outed.”
“You don’t have to tell him about TGP in order to tell him the result of Archer knowing about your career there.”
“You’re right.” She met his eyes, hers not quite so dispirited. “It’s going to feel good to tell him, you know?”
“I can guess.”
Elle waited to tell her brother until she and Beau were over at Mat’s house after work.
Mat surged to his feet, his fury a palpable force in the kitchen. “That son of a bitch!”
Chantal laid her hand on Mat’s back. “Calm down, cher. Your sister needs your support right now, not the roaring grizzly bear. N’est pas?”
“I can’t believe your agency is pulling you from active duty just because one creep made your cover.” Josie was shaking her head.
Elle laughed, surprised she could feel amused after finding out her career at TGP was irrevocably changed and maybe gone for good. “I’m not a soldier, but I know what you mean. It’s policy. I’m sure they had a good reason for making it.”
“But this is the government, and even if the implementation of a policy doesn’t make sense, it has to be done,” Nitro said sarcastically.
Mat was sitting down again, but he was still plenty mad. “You can’t tell me your boss doesn’t have any latitude.”
“There’s no question that Archer Sandstone falls under the potential hostile-party determination,” Elle said.
Josie frowned. “But that doesn’
t mean he could blow your cover in the future. I mean, what are the chances?”
“It’s not like your boss couldn’t bury the fact that Archer knows about you,” Mat said.
“I’d never ask him to do that. I wouldn’t let him if he offered to either, and I think he knows that.”
“Personal integrity.” Beau said it like it was a code for something.
And in a way it was, because both he and Elle knew exactly what he meant by that. “Right,” Elle said.
“So, this is your last active case for the agency?” Josie asked.
“Yes.”
Chantal reached out and hugged Elle. “I, for one, am glad you’re on it.”
“Thanks.” Elle patted the back of the smaller woman somewhat awkwardly, but she really appreciated the sentiment.
“So, anything new with the case?” Nitro asked Elle.
“Josie told you about the meeting earlier today?”
“Yeah, I know about the Friday deadline.”
“My associate had a break in locating the two men currently Stateside known to associate with the smuggling ring out of South Africa.”
“Yes?” Nitro asked.
“They’re in Southern California, staying in a hotel about forty-five minutes from here.”
“Do you want me to set up surveillance?” Nitro asked.
“If you don’t mind.”
“Whatever the job takes—you should know that.”
Elle nodded. “Mat, I’ll need you to stay at ETRD and in contact with Beau while Josie and Nitro are both out of range.”
“I’m not a little kid. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“No, you are my brother, and if you won’t do this little thing, then I’ll skip the shopping trip and keep an eye on your stubborn ass myself.”
“I’m going to tell Baba you swore at me.”
“Have you told her about Chantal yet?” Elle asked with obvious threat.
Mat glared, but everyone else in the kitchen cracked up.
“Little sisters are definitely the harder species to handle,” Beau piped up.
“I wouldn’t know,” Josie said, with a smile. “I was an only child.”
“Me too,” Chantal said, “but if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say big brothers with stubborn streaks are the bigger challenge.”
“You coached her,” Beau accused Elle.
She shook her head. “I didn’t. I swear. She just has enough brains to recognize the truth.”
Elle didn’t say anything when Beau made no move to pick up his bike after they returned to ETRD for her to install the interrupter for the listening device in Frank’s office.
“You need clothes for tomorrow, or can I just take you by your apartment in the morning?” he asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.
She’d let him drive again. The man was getting seriously spoiled, but for some reason, that didn’t bother her. “You’re really taking my not being alone tonight as a personal mission statement, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She loved his honesty.
“We can go by the apartment in the morning.” If they went now, she’d feel like she had to make a bid for independence and tell him she’d be fine on her own.
Only she didn’t want to be alone, but not because of what had happened with her job. She’d slept terribly the night before and missed Beau’s presence in the morning. She should be running fast and furiously in the other direction, but she couldn’t make herself do it.
She wanted to spend the night with him.
She couldn’t pretend otherwise. Not to him. Or to herself. She had let him make love to her without a condom. No other man had done that except Kyle. She’d even admitted to Beau that she wanted him with a deeper intensity than she’d wanted the man she’d loved and lost.
She’d fallen over the edge into the abyss, and all she could hope for now was not to land at the bottom and shatter.
Again.
It was time to have a talk with Mama.
It was surprisingly comfortable working on the new security plan for ETRD while Beau muttered at the printout of test results he was going over. Companionable.
Elle liked it.
She’d never done this kind of thing with Kyle. She’d wanted to talk about her cases with him, but since there were so many things she wasn’t supposed to say, they had agreed she wouldn’t say anything at all. That had led to the mutual bargain to leave the job at the office and concentrate on one another when they got home. That had been good, but sometimes it had also been really difficult.
And there had been nights when she’d laid in bed and questioned how well Kyle could know her if he knew nothing about how she spent her hours away from him. And vice versa. She’d loved him so much, but she’d wondered if she knew him. Really.
They’d known each other when they got married. They both were university students when they met, and their lives had meshed easily. It was when they graduated and began to pursue their chosen careers that life had begun to change them both. If he had lived, Elle wondered if they would be two total strangers living in the same house by now or if they would have made changes so their marriage could thrive.
She hoped they would have been smart enough to do the latter.
Her phone rang and she looked at the caller ID. It was Alan Hyatt, the other TGP agent who had had the initial case that linked to the antigravity plans. He’d transferred to a research-only position afterward because he hadn’t wanted to be separated from his new love, an actress filming out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Elle was glad The Old Man had okayed the position.
They’d needed somebody on staff doing the backup research for a while now. Alan had already been invaluable on this investigation, and she knew he’d help the other TGP agents in the future as well.
A future she might not share with them in any capacity.
She flipped open the phone. “Hey, Alan, hold on a second.”
“No problem.”
She touched Beau on the knee. He hadn’t even looked up when the phone rang.
He gave her a slightly unfocused gaze from gorgeous brown eyes. “Yeah?”
“Will it bother you if I take this call in here? I can go in the other room to talk,” she offered.
“No problem.” He waved his hand vaguely and went back to his printouts.
She grinned and put the phone back to her ear. “Hey.”
“How you doing, Elle?”
“I’m okay.”
“The Old Man told me about the reassignment of our position after this case.”
Elle sighed. “I’ll figure it out.”
“It sucks.”
“Yes.”
“You sure you’re going to be okay?”
“What is this, life with Jillian making you soft?”
“You’re a friend, Elle. A prickly, private-to-the-point-of-paranoia one, but a friend nonetheless.”
“Thanks. I didn’t mean to…I…” She sighed. “I appreciate your concern—I really do.”
“No problem. If you need to talk, I’ve got an ear.”
“I don’t know that I want to stay with TGP,” she heard herself saying.
“You’re not going to be happy in a lab, and I don’t see The Old Man approving a second research position, even if you wanted it, which I doubt.”
“I’ve got the education for the lab.”
“But you’d be miserable. It’s not your thing and you’re intelligent enough to recognize that.”
“My family lives here.”
“In Southern Cali?”
“Yes.”
“You thinking about staying out here?”
“I sort of am.” She hadn’t realized she was, but that thought had been in the back of her mind since The Old Man had confirmed TGP’s policy regarding her blown cover.
“You’ve still got your security consulting business. You’re good at it.”
“I am. I enjoy it, but I’m not sure it’s enough.”
“Don’t sell i
t short. There’s a lot you can do without government red tape holding you back.”
“You make it sound like I’d be a mercenary.”
“More like a hired gun, just not the kind that shoots.”
“I can do that very well, thank you.”
“Yep, but as good as you are with weapons—and we both agree you’re deadly—you’re a genius with securing a client’s interests. It’s a gift.”
“You really think so?”
“I know so.” He said something away from the phone. Probably talking to Jillian. Elle had met the redheaded actress at the wedding. She liked the other woman. A lot. “You’d make a great information source as well.”
“In other words, you’d make sure I kept my finger in the pie.”
“Something like that.”
“You are a good friend, Alan.”
“Just remember that. No matter where you work.”
“Thank you.”
They hung up before she realized he must have called simply to make sure she was okay, because they hadn’t talked about the case at all.
She put her phone down only to realize she had Beau’s undivided attention.
She smiled. This not being alone thing wasn’t so bad at all.
“You’re thinking of staying here?” Was that hope in his gaze? It certainly wasn’t indifference.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“I’d like that.”
Then, before she had a chance to respond to that amazing statement, he was swinging her up in a fireman’s hold and carrying her off to his bedroom. Their lovemaking was strangely silent and very intense.
But she thought she heard him whisper, “I really would,” before she drifted off to sleep.
The shopping trip was fun. Both Josie and Chantal treated Elle’s knowledge of the beauty industry like it was something awe inspiring. Elle ended up insisting they do a little clothes shopping too and, man, the outfits the two shorter women bought were so going to leave their men breathless and wanting.
Elle bought herself some butter-soft black leather pants to wear riding on Beau’s motorcycle. She’d brought her favorite leather jacket with her, so she figured she was good to go.
Now, she just had to remind him of his promise.
They were on the way home, in Josie’s rental SUV, because Elle’s car didn’t have a backseat for the third person, when the former mercenary asked, “So, have you considered what you’re going to do about being taken out of the field?”
