“Silence!” His father held up both hands and the room quieted almost immediately. “Ethan, are you telling us the truth?”
He knew the fighting would probably break out again, but for now he kept his tone even in his best attempt for some peace while he explained. “Yes, and before you ask, I didn’t do it because of Anda, or because she forced me to, or any of that kind of shit. I fell in love with her separate from all that.”
Anda didn’t respond or add anything, her face a calm mask, and he was getting more worried as each second passed and she kept quiet.
He continued with his tale instead. “I’ve always wanted to do more, wanted to be more, but that’s not what drove me to becoming an agent. I’m good at it, that’s what drove me to it. Anda’s amazing at it. I trained with the Elites for months before I officially started going out on missions with them. I know what I’m doing. I know doing this means I might get hurt sometimes.” He gestured to his head. “But what I’m doing is important. It’s for our country. Aren’t I allowed to serve my country in some way? It might not be the same way you serve, but it’s just as valid and just as important.”
None of them could really say anything to that. Being born into royalty meant being born into a lifelong service of others. Alex might have the most intense part of that as the next king, but they all served their country in some way. There might have been times they fought this as children but now, as adults, there wasn’t fighting anymore. There was just acceptance and action.
Marcello was shaking his head. “There’s no way you trained with the Elites. I approve everybody on those teams specifically.”
He’d been prepping for this answer for a while, knowing that he couldn’t keep being an agent a secret from them forever. “I had help. People who decided to keep my new assignment secret in order to preserve my identity. And yes, they were keeping secrets from you. Not because I asked them to but because they knew that was the best way to keep me on the team, and they shouldn’t be punished for that. Question them if you want, in fact, I insist on it. Ask them how I’m doing. They’ll tell you I have an instinct when it comes to being an agent. Maybe it’s not the instincts you would have wanted me to have, and maybe it’s not how you would have wanted me to use these instincts, but it is what it is. And I’m really fucking good at it.”
His mother, who’d been surprisingly silent for most of this, finally spoke. “I’m very hurt that you didn’t feel you could come to us with this, but I do understand why. You may not be a baby anymore, but you’ll always be my baby. My last child.” She sighed.
The wall Ethan had erected around himself to deal with his family started to crumble. He hated to disappoint his mother.
“Does this mean you’re going to stop being a doctor?” Cat asked. “I can’t believe that. You love that work, or at least you seemed to love it.”
“You’re right, I do. And no, I’m not going to stop. Being a doctor is another way I help and serve our country, and I’m not going to give that up. My medical training actually makes me an invaluable asset on the Elites.”
Marcello ran a hand over his face, and Ethan realized he sometimes made the same gesture when he was frustrated or angry or upset in some way.
The wall around him crumbled a little more.
Marcello’s hands fell to his sides. “Don’t worry, Mama. His spy days are over.”
Fuck him. Ethan had thought Marcello would force him to stop but hearing the reality of it from his brother’s mouth had his anger growing exponentially. “You know, I’ve spent my whole fucking life trying to prove to all of you I was more than just the ‘youngest’ or the ‘baby’ or the other bullshit you’ve hit me with, but I am done with that shit. The Navy didn’t do it, becoming a doctor didn’t do it, being an agent didn’t do it…I’m done trying to prove myself to all of you. My Elite superiors and crewmates, along with those in command, know I measure up. If all of you—my family—can’t see that and can’t respect me enough to stop treating me like a child…that’s your loss.”
Marcello still wouldn’t let up. “I cannot believe you kept this from me. It’s my job to keep you safe.”
Ethan spoke softly, kindly, as he would often do to a patient when he had to break bad news to them. “You’re wrong, Marcello. It’smyjob to keep me safe. You might have been right to protect me when I was two years old or ten years old, but it’s not true anymore. That doesn’t mean I don’t need your support, I do, because I have other work I need to do.” He looked over at Anda. “Andaand I have work we need to do.”
Anda still hadn’t spoken. She’d just continued to stare at the ground, and he seemed to be the only one holding hands. Her hand was there, linked with his, but only in the loosest way. It was almost as if he were the only one hanging on, and the thought sent a flash of fear through him.
Marcello’s fury flicked higher as his gaze landed on Anda. “Anda, you know you should have reported this to me. You work for me. Or you used to work for me.”
She continued to stare at the ground, not even lifting her eyes to answer. “I understand, Sir. I apologize for disappointing you.”
“I can’t let you out of this bunker yet, so you’re going to stay sequestered in another room. You’re going to get clear on the story we’ll tell the public and get your injuries are treated. Then, once it’s safe to leave, you’ll do so and make the public statement we draft for you.”
Suddenly, life seemed to flicker within her again and she finally lifted her gaze. “Actually, Sir, you fired me, which means I no longer have to take orders from you. I would, however, love some privacy, so I will gladly take you up on your offer to leave this room.”
“I need to check your wounds.”
She still wouldn’t look at him. “Maybe later.”
She once again tried to pull her hand from his, and this time Ethan let her, and she curtsied again to everyone.
With an RPS agent leading her, she walked out, her head held high, the skirt of that seductive, sinful silver dress a beacon in the caged room.
“Now that was a good exit.” Cat stood up and gestured to the other women at the table, even their mother. “Let’s go, ladies.”
Ethan’s mouth fell open. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Cat gave him an impertinent rise of her chin. “Where do you think? We’re going to go talk to our one-day-probably-soon-to-be-sister-in-law.”
Marcello growled. “Didn’t you hear anything I just said? She’s an agent.”
