Chapter Twenty-One

 

 

“Are you sure this is safe?” Owen asked, staring up at the building where he’d briefly found something akin to peace. Oh, it hadn’t always been peaceful. Sometimes it had been crazy and emotional and chaotic and absolutely the best time of his brief life.

“I want to face him.” Becca sat in the back of the van that would eventually take them to the small airport where he would board a plane to London.

He would board. There was no reason for her to go now. In the three days since he’d passed out from the bullet wound in his shoulder, McKay-Taggart had worked miracles. Phoebe Murdoch had managed to find the proof that was needed to exonerate Rebecca Walsh, and the Huisman Foundation was standing behind her. The story was Paul Huisman had been involved in a plot to help a Chinese agent steal medical research. Jean Claude Huisman had come out in the press vowing to better protect the foundation and denouncing his son, not bothering to mention that he’d been the one having the affair with an MSS agent. Owen rather thought the Agency was working some magic since in all the reports on the news, no one had mentioned the dead CIA employee or the MSS agent’s corpse in the garage. According to the media, Paul Huisman had likely been murdered by one of his criminal cohorts.

“Are we worried this guy is dangerous?” Ezra sat in the driver’s seat, Theo Taggart beside him.

Becca snorted. “Only if you’re something that got mailed to me. The asshole picked up my mail from time to time. It’s one of the reasons he had a key. Apparently he liked to look through it. Jerk.”

Ezra sighed and put the car in park. “I’m sorry we didn’t send someone out earlier, but until yesterday I worried it was too risky. According to my source at the Agency, they’re backing off for now. It’s why we can take the team back to London for a while.”

Where they would have to figure out who the mole was. It was all too clear now that they had a traitor in their midst. Levi Green had been fucking with his head, yes, but he’d also been telling the truth. He had someone on the inside, and they would have to deal with it. One way or another.

And he would have to deal with the fact that she was going to stay here. There was no reason for her to leave her home now. She was high profile after all the press, and that would give her some cover. A bodyguard would keep her safe. It was all about who she wanted to watch over her.

It wouldn’t be him.

“We’re sure he has it?” Theo asked, turning slightly in his seat. His wife had gone home the day before, but not until she’d stopped by the small clinic that had been willing to give Owen and Robert a place to recuperate. Becca had stabilized him in the field, but they’d been separated when they’d driven hours out of Toronto and found a tiny backwater clinic that was willing to take a large donation in exchange for losing all record of their two patients suffering from gunshot wounds.

“Oh, I’m sure,” Becca replied. “He’s waiting to use it against me. I’m surprised he hasn’t gone to the press with it.”

“I think he’s waiting until he can talk to you,” Ezra said. “He’s probably planning on using it as leverage. He’s been leaving voice mails.”

“Someone has my phone?” Becca asked.

“We tossed it out, but that doesn’t mean Jax can’t get into your account and see who’s calling. Carter has been trying to talk to you for days,” Ezra explained.

“That asshole is going to try to blackmail me,” she said.

“He won’t after I’m done with him.” Owen wasn’t giving up. He couldn’t. This would be the first time he’d been alone with her since that day at Huisman’s. He’d woken up laid out in a bed next to Robert’s, and they’d proceeded to spend the next two days complaining about the food and missing their women. At least Ari had come to see Rob. They’d talked about having their first date.

It had made Owen cranky.

“Let’s get this over with if you’re going to do it.” Ezra unlocked the doors. “Theo and I will stay out here in case we need a quick getaway, but remember we just managed to get off the police’s radar. Try not to kill him.”

“I’ll try, but it’s going to be hard.” Becca got out of the van.

“I think he was talking to me.” Owen followed her.

“Well, I’m the one who’s pissed. That weasel.” She strode into the building. “As for you, don’t fight with him. You’ll tear your stitches and then you’ll be late for the plane.” She stopped and looked around. “Wow, it’s weird to be back here. I know it’s only been a few days, but it seems like a lifetime.”

“Becca, I want to talk. I can’t leave for London without us talking.” He wasn’t sure he could leave for London at all.

“There will be plenty of time for that later.” She sniffled a little and turned back to the hallway, moving to the lift. She passed the modern one, toward the one she’d sworn she would never use again. “I’m sure we’ll need to talk about a lot of things. How long will you be in London?”

He hated this polite talk when all he wanted to do was to force her to look him in the eye. “I don’t know that I’ll be going to London at all.”

The lift door opened and she walked inside. “You’re going on the new mission? I heard Ezra talking about exploring what happened at Kronberg with Tucker. I’m going to put him in touch with a woman who worked there. I should have known you would go with your brothers.”

How was he supposed to answer that? He would go if he had to. He owed those men. But he wanted to be with her. “I missed you. I wanted to see you the last couple of days.”

That seemed to fluster her. “I wasn’t avoiding you. There was a lot of stuff that had to be done. I made sure you were stable. The doctors at the clinic seemed knowledgeable. You weren’t in any danger and neither was Robert.”

How kind of her. “The doctors at the clinic were bribable.”

The door opened and she strode out. She didn’t seem to care that they’d been in the very lift where they’d first made love. Oh, she might have been having a good time, but now he knew that he’d been making love.

“Well, they wouldn’t let me take you to a regular hospital.” She stopped in the middle of the hallway. “Shouldn’t we talk about how we’re going to handle this thing? Am I going to distract him while you search for the package? Maybe you should distract him and I’ll look for it.”

Anger and frustration thrummed through his system, and he wanted to get this over with so they could have the fight they’d needed to have since the moment he’d screwed up. He’d been an arsehole, but he loved her. He’d told her he loved her. Now she thought she could pretend it never happened?

“Let me show you how this is going to go.” He turned and strode down the hall toward the apartment Carter Adams occupied. He could feel Becca behind him, racing to keep up.

“Remember what I said about your stitches,” she was saying.

He didn’t give a damn about his stitches. All that mattered was getting rid of the last piece of this mission that existed between them. When he had that damn package in his hands, they could be done with all the stupid things that had come between them and maybe he could finally gain her forgiveness.

He slammed his fist against the door.

“Owen, maybe we should talk,” she said, more tentative than she’d sounded before.

Before he could reply, the door opened and he was staring at Carter, who glared at him before turning his attention to Becca.

“Ah, Dr. Walsh,” he said with a frown. “I knew you would be here after your brush with the law. You’ll have to tell me how you managed to get out of that. You didn’t have to bring your meathead boyfriend with you. I think we should discuss this situation alone, don’t you?”

That was not happening. He needed to make a few things plain. If Carter thought he was some kind of a thug, he could play that role. He pulled back his right hand and smashed it into the fucker’s face. Carter’s head snapped back and he heard Becca gasp.

“Owen, someone could call the police,” she said.

He was sick of that argument. “Who? Carter’s not going to be able to in a few moments, and the rest of the bloody floor is currently preparing to flee the country.” He followed Carter inside and was satisfied when Becca closed the door behind them.

Carter was on the ground, desperately backing away while trying to ensure his nose stayed on his face. He looked like a three-legged crab, except far less coordinated. “Get out.”

Not until he had what he’d come for. “Where is it?”

Becca seemed to have found something that interested her on his bar. “This is my mail. And my hair clips. Why do you have my hair clips?”

Owen could answer that one. “He’s a pathetic pervert who can’t understand why no one wants to sleep with him. But it’s all right. I’m going to make it easy for him. I’m going to cut that prick right off you, Carter. Then you won’t have to worry about it again.”

Carter’s eyes went wide. “It’s in my desk. It’s a letter that asks Becca to keep this for her. For old times’ sake. It’s a thumb drive. It’s got a bunch of medical research and files on it. Tabula Rasa. I think it’s illegal. She was testing on humans, and I think she was doing it against their will. Becca was involved. She was in on it.”

“She had no idea and if you decide to tell anyone, the next time you see me will be right before I slit your throat,” Owen promised. “Do I make myself clear? If you have other copies, tell me now because I won’t take it kindly.”

He shook his head. “None. That’s the only one. I bribed the postal worker to let me take them to her. I looked through her mail so I would know her better. I was trying to find things we had in common.”

“You have nothing in common.” Owen found the desk and opened the top drawer. There was a box with Becca’s name on it. It was posted from Malaysia. Dr. McDonald had reportedly held several of the men, including Tucker, there. Owen picked it up and made sure the thumb drive was there. The desk had nothing else of interest in it, though the man needed to lay off the mints. “If you come anywhere near her again, I’ll kill you. If you talk about her, I’ll kill you. Do you know what I’ll do if I even find out you whisper her name again?”

“You’ll kill me?” The question came out on a squeak.

“It’s good that we understand each other.” He turned to the door. “Let’s go.”

He was done here. It was time to deal with the real problem.

“I would take back my hair clips, but I don’t know what you’ve done to them,” Becca said. “And while I took a vow to do no harm, that doesn’t mean I can’t let him do you harm. Asshole.”

Owen stalked down the hall to the lift. It was a fitting place to have this particular conversation.

“I can’t believe he did that to me. I can’t believe I didn’t realize he was such a pervert. Cathy told me she didn’t like him, but I was trying to be tolerant,” she said as she hustled into the lift.

She hit the button for one and the doors closed, but he knew how to handle the lift.

He pressed the emergency stop button and turned on her, holding the package out. “This is yours.”

She took it but stared at it like she wasn’t sure what to do. “Ezra wants it.”

“Then give it to him if you like, but if you don’t then you keep it. You do what you need to with it whether or not that means giving it to my team. I’ll fight to make sure it’s your right.” That was out of the way and he could get to his point. “If you think I’m letting you go without a fight, you don’t know me at all. Maybe I don’t know myself, but I do know this, I’m not quitting. I love you and I’m not going to stop saying it.”

She frowned up at him. “I know you think you do, but I’m not going to hold you to it. It’s guilt. I turned out to not be the crazy person you thought I might be, so now you feel bad about using me.”

Was she daft? “I love you. I’ve never said that to anyone before.”

“That you can remember.”

“Don’t you hold that against me. I know what love feels like. And I never thought you were crazy. I had a moment of weakness. Please don’t let that ruin us.”

“Ruin us?” She crossed her arms over her chest. She was in a deep red cardigan today that let him know she’d done some shopping while he’d been waiting for her. “What are you talking about? Owen, I think we should wait to talk about this.”

“Wait? You think if you put me off this will go away?”

She leaned back against the lift wall. A soft smile curled up her lips. “Where would it go? Owen, I think your brothers are mean. Did they tell you I quit Huisman?”

No. No one had told him shite. When he’d asked, they’d all simply said he should talk to her. This was his first chance to do it. “Why would you quit?”

“Because I have a new job and it pays horribly and my lab apparently is going to consist of a couple of rooms in this club thing,” she said. “I didn’t stay away from you because I don’t care. When Phoebe managed to get the charges dropped, I flew home for a day and a half to talk to my dad. I needed to explain things to him, and he agreed that I have to do this. I have to fix this. I’m going to London to work on reversing Dr. McDonald’s work. I’m going to get Robert’s memory back. And yours. But you might not want me when you remember. That’s what I’ve been thinking about for days. Memory is a funny thing. It’s a part of our personalities. It’s the sum of the forces that shape us. You could wake up one morning and not want me anymore.”

Not want her? “Never. I’ll never not want you. I don’t care what memories come back to me, you’ll be the first thing I think of every morning and the only woman in my dreams at night. Becca, I love you. I think I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you. Oh, my love, if I get my memories back, the old ones can’t erase the new ones. They can’t erase what I feel for you.”

“And I love you, but we have a lot to work out. Ariel thinks we should go into couples therapy. That’s what I meant by having time, but if you’re going on the new mission…”

He wasn’t wasting another second. He’d almost lost her, almost lost everything. He moved into her space, shoving her back against the lift wall. “Ariel needs to stick to assassinations. She’s damn good at them and I don’t find it annoying. As for you, I’m never leaving you, love. If you’re in London, that’s my home. I might have to travel occasionally, and I definitely have to help my brothers, but you should know that I’ll always come home to you.”

Her hands came up and he could see the vulnerability stamped on her face. “Tell me this is real, Owen. I would rather we took a step back and worked through all of this if there’s the slightest chance that you’re going to wake up and realize that you don’t love me.”

He put his forehead on hers, rubbing against her and feeling better than he had in days. “Never. You’re my everything, Rebecca. I’ll go to any therapy you want to go to, but you should know it won’t change how much I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Her face lifted to his. “I love you so much. It’s killed me to be away from you, but I had to get everything ready. I had to be sure.”

He kissed away whatever she was going to say next. He kissed her and felt as though the world opened up again.

This was what he’d been waiting for all his life. He didn’t need his memories to know that.

His mum would have loved Becca. He simply knew that, too. His mum would be thrilled he’d found the love of his life.

“Will you come back to Scotland with me?” He whispered the question.

She nodded. “I’ll go anywhere with you.”

It wouldn’t be that way, but he appreciated the words. She was the brilliant one. He would follow her. He would be the man who protected her so she could work. He would be the man who reminded her that she was loved for more than her brain. He would watch over her and give her everything she needed. It was his job in life.

And she would lift him up. She would make him whole.

“I want to go back with you. I think I might find something of them there if you’re by my side. I might feel some connection.”

Her whole face lit with an empathy that seemed to come so easily to her. “I want to try a couple of things with you. You’re having flashes. I think we might be able to get some of your memory back. I want to try. I want to give them back to you.”

She’d given him so much already. “All I need is you.”

The sound of the phone ringing jarred him from his intent.

Becca’s smile rocked his whole world. “You should probably answer that.”

He didn’t want to. He wanted to shove her right back against that wall and have his way with her.

The ringing continued. With a curse, he picked it up. “What?”

“Eh, someone’s telling me the elevator’s stopped again.” Colin was back on the job. “Sorry, I’ll get right on that. I mean not right on it because I’m walking my dog at the moment, but I’m sure he’ll be done soon. Then I’ll be right there.”

He hung up the phone without saying another word. He turned back to his lady, lowered his head, and got back to business.

 

* * * *

 

Forty-eight hours later Robert McClellan sat in the conference room at The Garden and stared down at the report he’d been handed. It hadn’t taken Jax long to break the encryption they’d found on the thumb drive Owen had taken from Carter Adams. Though it would take them a while to get through all the files and completely understand it. What they did know was that McDonald had sent Becca a large amount of data, and most importantly in Robert’s mind, she’d sent their personal records. Though those were proving difficult.

“There’s nothing about history in these records?” Damon glanced up from his seat at the head of the table. “And she doesn’t actually name the subject? Is this some kind of code?”

Damon’s wife, Penny, sat next to Ariel and set down her tea mug before addressing the crowded conference room where the whole team was gathered. “I’ve looked through it and there’s no real code. I think this was her cheeky way of recording her experiments. She used Latin to name the project and Latin to describe each subject. We’ve figured out a few of them based on timing and medical records. We believe Theo Taggart’s file is the one named Interim Militem.”

“It’s Latin for the perfect soldier,” Becca explained. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and despite what he knew were long nights and little sleep, she looked bright and shiny in the way only a well-loved woman could look. “I’m fairly certain Robert’s file is the one marked Ex Novo. That means built from nothing. I’m not sure why she named your file that, but you have a rare blood type and this file is the only one that matches.”

“You can match us by blood type?” Dante asked, leaning in.

“Not always,” she replied. “There are over seventy files in here. It’s going to take some time to match them up. I’m afraid I think most of these test subjects are no longer with us.”

Because they were dead. McDonald had been a monster and they had a lot of cleanup to do.

Starting with a new mission.

But first he was going to get through this very thorough debrief, and then he was finally going to do what he’d wanted to do since the moment he’d set foot in this place. He was going to take Ariel Adisa out on a date. Sure he would have to do it in a foreign city because they were hopping on another plane in a few hours, but that would make it all the more special.

Becca went on about the files, but Robert had more pleasant things to think of.

Ari. Gorgeous, smart, surprisingly mean Ari. He would never forget how she’d fought to get him the help he’d needed after that massive ass had shot him. Ari hadn’t faltered. Not once. He’d pulled away from her initially because she’d been worried about their patient-therapist relationship. But he knew what he wanted, and he’d never wanted anything more than Ariel. Not even his freedom.

He’d separated himself from her professionally. Ari served as the therapist for the rest of the group, but Robert was seeing Kai Ferguson. He did it via phone calls and over the Internet, but it worked and it meant he was free to pursue the woman of his dreams.

Her eyes caught on his and they warmed, her sensual lips curling up. God, he loved it when she wore white. It made a stark contrast against her gorgeous skin. Her dark eyes practically ate him up.

He was going to get his hands on her tonight.

This was the right time. This was their time.

“Robert, are we boring you?” Damon’s icy tone cut through his inner thoughts.

Ari grinned his way as though she’d known exactly what he was thinking. “He asked a question three times.”

Yep, he was in trouble. “Sorry, boss. My mind was elsewhere.”

Damon sighed. “Yes, that seems to be a problem these days. I asked if everything was set for the flight this afternoon?”

Everything was good to go including reservations at a very nice restaurant that Damon didn’t need to know about. “The jet is ready. Tucker’s finishing up his prep, which is why he isn’t here. Everyone’s got new passports and we’ve got the go from the McKay-Taggart team. They say Green is in DC and he seems to be hunkering down after the defeat we handed him.”

“Or he’s found someone new to work on this cure he claims to have,” Owen said.

“Do we believe him?” Ariel sat back. “He’s been known to lie.”

“I’m looking through the material we found,” Becca replied. “But there’s a lot of it. Walter, Steph, and I are going through it down in the lab. Faith Smith is coming in next week and she’s going to help us. So far I’ve seen nothing that makes me think she’d worked on a cure, but I’ve still got hundreds of files to go through.”

Walt, Becca, and Brody’s wife, Stephanie, had taken over the lab. It was now filled with white boards and computer equipment, and apparently they were getting some high-tech medical stuff that the docs would be playing with.

All so they could potentially get their memories back.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he intended to cooperate. After all, he meant to help his brothers.

Except one of his brothers was a traitor.

“All right then.” Damon nodded his way. “Let’s break and we’ll meet tomorrow morning for a regular weekly. Robert, could you stay behind? Ariel, we might need you.”

Ariel’s eyes flared briefly, and he knew she was surprised. But he wasn’t. Tucker’s mission to explore some of his past was one they’d all argued over. Going back to Kronberg was dangerous, but Tucker was insistent. He needed to know. Robert was likely going to have to advocate for his brother again.

“Get ready, Rob,” Owen said, his hand tangled in Becca’s as they moved to the door. “I promise I won’t crash the plane. I can’t promise I won’t lose Tucker. You’ll need to keep eyes on him. The boy needs a leash. He follows every shiny object he sees, and by object, I mean women.”

Becca laughed and shook her head as she followed her boyfriend out of the conference room.

Boyfriend? Not for long. Owen was already talking about rings. He would be attending another wedding soon.

And then maybe he could start thinking about his own because Ari was the one. The only one for him. And he’d known Ari far longer than Owen had known Becca. Sure, they’d had their ups and downs, but starting tonight, they were going to be a couple, and it would be smooth sailing from here on out.

The conference room emptied and he was left with Damon, Penny, and Ari.

“Tucker is going to be fine. We won’t let him do anything crazy.” Another thought hit him. “You can’t possibly be worried about Owen. Or is it Tucker you’re worried about?”

They had a mole. No one was talking about it, but Robert was sure Damon was working with the Dallas team to figure it out. He hated the thought that one of them wasn’t what he seemed.

Or maybe there was another explanation. As Ari had pointed out, Levi Green lied. A lot.

“I’m not worried about Owen. Of all of you, Owen is the one I’m certain didn’t have ties to Green or McDonald beforehand,” Damon replied, his expression grim. “I’ve known Owen for years. Despite what happened with his mum and sister, I trust him implicitly. It’s why he’s still on my team. Big Tag and I are going to work with Ezra to try to figure out what’s going on, but I’m worried about Tucker for different reasons.”

Ari moved to his side. “I’ve given you my assessment, Damon.”

Penny shook her head, blonde curls shaking. “No, it’s not about who betrayed the team. We’re worried Tucker could be volatile when it comes to his past.”

Damon put a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “He’s not rational about this. He needs someone who can take charge in the field and make the call to pull him out if needs be.”

That was what this was about? “Of course. I’ll handle it all. You don’t have to worry.”

Damon frowned and sighed as though he didn’t like what he was about to say. “Ariel, you’re in charge of this operation. Do you understand me? Robert can have the final say when it comes to logistics, but on whether or not the op continues or gets shut down, that stops with you.”

Embarrassment flashed though his system, but he tamped it down. Damon was worried about Tucker’s state of mind. Ari was the shrink. Of course she should make the call in case Tucker was in mental trouble.

Not that it would ever come to that.

“Yes, sir,” Ari said, but her eyes had trailed Robert’s way.

He gave her a reassuring grin. “You’re the boss.”

And he firmly planned on getting it on with his boss.

“Excellent,” Damon said. “Carry on then. Let me know when you land.”

He took Ari’s hand, not bothering to hide it from the Knights. Everything was going to be okay.

In a few hours they would be in Munich and his life would truly begin.

 

* * * *

 

Robert, Ariel, and the whole McKay-Taggart team will return in Lost in You, coming August 6, 2019. Click here to pre-order.