Cricket’s hand shot up and she made sure she hit every one of our brother’s faces as she waved her hand repeatedly in the air like one of those inflatable tube men you see in a used car lot.
“Yes Cricket?” I said.
She slapped Cade one more time as she lowered her hand. “I would like to know how and where you met.”
“Funny you should ask that, sissy.” I cleared my throat, scratching the back of my neck. “I guess you could say we met at work.”
“How the fuck is that even physically possible?” Cade demanded.
“Not our company so much asthecompany.”
Tess chuckled. “Good one, Bugs.”
“Thank you, I thought that was pretty good myself.”
“What the fuck does that even mean?” Cade bit out.
“Look, I’ve been working another job for the past few years now, outside of our construction business.”
Cade sighed. “Are you telling me you’ve been moonlighting?”
“No, it has nothing to do with building or anything like that,” I said. “But it does explain my absences.”
Hatch waved his hand. “It’s okay, Cam, just tell ’em.”
I exhaled. “Okay. Tess and I met while working on assignment for the CIA.”
“You’re doing construction work for the CIA?” Cricket asked.
“No,” I said. “What I’m telling you is that I’m in the CIA.”
A deafening silence filled the room for aboutthree seconds before uproarious laughter filled the space.
“No, seriously,” I countered, but no one was listening.
Tess shoved two fingers into her mouth and let out the loudest whistle I’d ever heard, and the room was silent again.
“Aw, man, I didn’t know you could do that,” I said. “I’m so jealous.”
She grinned. “Let’s focus.”
“Right.” I turned back to my family. “Tess and I are CIA officers.”
“Okay Johnny Utah,” Cullen retorted.
“That was the FBI, dumbass,” Cricket said.
“Look, what I’m trying to tell you is important,” I continued.
“Holy shit, you’re being serious,” Cade said.
“I am.” I nodded. “For the past four plus years I’ve been working with the CIA, first as a recruit, then a trainee, then as a field officer.”
“A field officer?” Cullen asked. “Where were you a field officer?”
“Iliterallycannot tell you that or anything else about my job.”
“Holy shit, you really are being serious,” Cullen said.
