Cas stood by the window and stared at the street below. In the distance, the Eiffel Tower lit up the night, a shining beacon of the life Cas would soon have to leave behind yet again. Footsteps approached, but she didn’t turn. Even though she and Donovan were no longer alone, she sensed his presence behind her.
“You doing okay?” Donovan asked.
Cas lifted her shoulders. Coalition members wanted her dead, her family wanted proof she was alive, and the life she had built for herself as a guardian was in shambles. She wasn’t sure how the word okay could begin to describe the turmoil swirling inside her.
“Hey.” Donovan put his hand on her arm and stepped beside her. “Talk to me.”
“What do you want me to say? That it hurts to be back in Paris? That I’m scared to tell my parents I’m still alive, especially since that information could put them in danger?”
“And you’ll be watching me talk to your ex-boyfriend and your sister,” Donovan added.
“I can’t even think about that right now.”
Troy walked in from the kitchen, holding his laptop. “I just looked over the file on Germain. Did you know about the injury that caused Germain to leave the bureau?”
“Yeah. A friendly fire accident.”
“It wasn’t just friendly fire.” Troy nodded at his screen. “Germain came out of an alley, and a white agent shot him.”
“The coalition uses race as a tool for hatred,” Cas said. “If Germain was sympathetic to their cause, a career-ending injury would certainly add fuel to the fire. Black law enforcement officer shot by white fed. I’m surprised the press didn’t jump all over that when it happened.”
“They probably would have, but the case was classified.” Troy set his laptop on the coffee table. “The incident was covered up.”
“Even more reason for Germain to be bitter.”
Donovan gave her arm a squeeze before letting his hand drop to his side. “Now that we know he had access to Massey, I don’t think anyone has any doubt that Germain is our guy.”
“Yes, but will he give up the rest of the coalition leadership?” Cas asked. “Unless he does, my family is in danger as long as they believe I’m still alive.”
“They?” Troy asked. “As in the coalition or your family?”
“Both.”
Troy’s cell phone rang. He answered it and put it on speaker. “Hey, Kade. You have all of us here.”
“Another party and no one invited me.”
“You don’t want to come,” Troy said without missing a beat. “Cas and Donovan are making me sleep on the floor.”
“Stop whining,” Donovan countered. “Kade, what do you have for us? Any news on Germain?”
“Yeah. He slipped out of the country on an Argentinian passport.”
“Any idea where he went?” Cas asked.
“He flew into Paris, but we haven’t been able to locate where he’s staying.”
“He’s here?” Concern vibrated in Donovan’s voice.
“Yeah. We don’t know what he’s doing there. Could be he’s coming to help find Cas, or it could be something completely unrelated.”
“When did he arrive?”
“Eight o’clock this morning.”
“That was hours ago.” Cas glanced out the window. “He could be just about anywhere by now.”
“Yeah, which is why I need all of you to help us track him,” Kade said. “Oh, and one more thing.”
“Every time you say that, you give us more bad news,” Cas said.
“Not this time. Kristi had the baby. It’s a girl.”
A guardian with a family. This was a first. Maybe miracles could happen, miracles like staying alive long enough to see her own family again.
* * *
Germain might as well be a ghost. With his FBI training, he would qualify if it weren’t for his twisted loyalties and his involvement in the death of at least two witnesses.
Donovan sat beside Cas on the couch while Troy worked at the kitchen table. The three of them had searched through airport surveillance footage for Charles de Gaulle Airport for the past six hours, and so far, the only possible glimpse they’d had of Germain was when they’d caught sight of a man with a noticeable limp coming out of a restroom, his face hidden by a ball cap.
Cas stifled a yawn.
Donovan put his hand on her knee. “You should get some sleep.”
“What about you? You have to be as tired as I am.”
“We can turn this over to Kade and Renee for now. It’s still only six o’clock in the States,” Donovan said. “We can start up again first thing tomorrow.”
“Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.” Cas pushed to a stand. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Though Donovan itched to give her a kiss good night, Troy’s presence caused him to remain seated. “Good night.”
The bedroom door closed, and Donovan plugged his laptop in to charge before opening the hall closet where extra blankets and pillows were stored. He pulled out one of each and set the pillow at one end of the couch before he spread out the blanket.
Troy’s phone rang, and Donovan straightened. “Is it Kade?”
“No, it’s Jocelyn.” Troy answered his phone. “Hey there. How’s everything going?” He settled back in his chair and chatted with his girlfriend. Judging from the ease of conversation and the look on Troy’s face, Donovan suspected another guardian engagement was imminent. When Troy expressed his love to Jocelyn, those suspicions only heightened.
“I’m going to crash for a few hours,” Donovan said as soon as Troy hung up.
“Yeah, me too.” Troy fetched the futon mattress and a pillow and blanket from the closet, then moved the coffee table aside and made up his bed on the floor near the couch. As soon as he lay down, he asked, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Cas?”
“You know what’s happening. The coalition knows she’s alive, and I’ve been trying to keep her that way.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Troy propped himself up on one elbow. “You two were looking pretty cozy tonight.”
How had Troy noticed anything? Donovan had made a point of keeping things professional since they’d arrived and found Troy in the apartment. “We sat together on the couch. That’s not exactly getting cozy.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Troy said. “You two make a good couple.”
“Except that I live in Africa, and Cas lives in Europe.”
“You know she’s going to have to be reassigned.”
“Yeah, but can you imagine her living in Africa? She doesn’t even speak the language in half the places I cover,” Donovan said. “She’d hate that.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Donovan’s disappointment crawled through him. It was one thing to suspect a relationship with Cas couldn’t go anywhere, but it was disheartening to hear someone agree with his assessment.
“It’s too bad though,” Troy said. “You do make a good couple.”
Donovan agreed, but he changed the subject. “What’s the deal with you and Kristi’s sister?”
“She’s flying into Helsinki to visit Kristi and Ace tomorrow. I’ll meet up with her after we secure Cas’s safety and neutralize the situation with the coalition.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I stopped and bought this earlier today.” Troy produced a small jewelry box from his bag. He flipped it open to reveal a tear-shaped diamond.
“Wow. Getting engaged. That’s huge.”
“I know. I’ve never been so scared before in my life.”
“It’s a big step, especially with someone who isn’t part of the guardian program.”
“Ace is going to let me use my Coast Guard alias with Jocelyn’s family so we won’t have to hide our marriage from the people closest to her.” Troy snapped the ring box closed. “Assuming she says yes.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks.” Troy settled down on the futon. “I think Kade and Renee should find Germain for us so we can close this case down. I’d rather not be carrying a diamond ring around with me for long.”
“I don’t blame you.”