“Thanks,” Jamie said wryly.
“Been through it all before with a family that theoretically heads up a country.You need advice, you know how to reach me.”
Jamie swallowed the last of the tea in his delicate cup and set it on the tray, being very careful not to shatter the porcelain.“I will.Thanks for the tea, but we should get going.”
Samaira nodded goodbye at them, staying put while Liam showed them to the door.Kyle headed outside, giving them some privacy to say goodbye.Liam tipped his head to the side as he studied Jamie in the light of the foyer, his eyes searching.
“I thought about asking you and your fellow to stay, but watching you tonight tells me the answer would be no,” Liam finally said.
Jamie couldn’t help but look at where Kyle was milling around at the edge of the rose garden outside, patiently waiting for Jamie to finish up.“It’s a cover.”
Liam threw back his head andlaughed.Jamie eyed him in exasperation as the other man reached out to smack a hand against Jamie’s chest.
“Bollocks,” Liam gasped out, mouth curved in a genuine smile.“Bollocks.That wasn’t some cover tonight.That’s you and him having a go at it.I’m glad you found someone, Jamie.Honestly, I am.And that’s why I didn’t ask you to stay the night.”
They’d done it a few times before, shared a willing body between them because it was fun, and they got off on it with someone else in bed between them.The risk of being found out was as much a rush as the sex.They’d been young and stupid before they learned to be discreet about it.Their friends-with-benefits situation had made rare occurrences over the years around their duty to country and the short-term relationships they’d attempted to form.No one in the past had lasted long for either of them, but Jamie liked to believe Kyle would.
Liam seemed to believe that, too.
Liam patted him on the shoulder, still smiling.It wasn’t a breakup between them because there was nothing romantically theretobreak up.But it was an acknowledgment that they were older, hopefully wiser, and the way they used to live their lives was no longer possible.Because Liam was right, Jamie could grudgingly admit, though he’d never say so to Liam’s face.
Jamie wasn’t willing to share Kyle with anyone.
“We’ll do lunch,” Jamie promised.
“Yeah, we will.Put on a proper show for the spies out there.Now go home and shag your man.”
Jamie smirked as he left Clarence House.“I plan on it.”
He headed down the pebbled drive, where Kyle was waiting for him.They fell into step together, neither speaking until they were back in the black taxi and on the move.They didn’t talk, well aware that the taxi was monitored by the company for safety and security purposes.It took them down The Mall, veering around Buckingham Palace on the way back to the house in Kensington, the GPS map up front showing them the route to the very end.
They were the last to arrive, which wasn’t surprising considering their side trip.The sound of the television greeted them upon arrival, a newscast reporting live at the scene of the shootout from earlier.Jamie glanced at the flat-screen, eyeing the projected chyrons of breaking news updates.
“Computer, television off,” he said.
The computer system that ran the home, like in Jamie’s condo, wasn’t a true AI, but it still obeyed his order.The screen turned off, and seven pairs of eyes looked their way.Everyone was still in their clothes from the evening, though Katie had kicked off her high heels.Donovan sat on the long couch, shirtless, cold packs strapped to his shoulder and side over quick-heal patches to help ease the bruising sustained in the crash.
“You all right?”Jamie asked him.
Donovan nodded.“Nothing broken, nothing strained.Just sore as all fuck.Trevor fixed me right up.”
“Good.”
Kyle handed Katie the solid-state drive on his way to claim a seat on the couch Alexei had chosen.“UMG files on the Reborn IRA.It’s encrypted, and I have the password.”
Kyle easily rattled off the alphanumeric code.Katie, curled up in the comfiest armchair, placed the solid-state drive on top of her tablet where it rested on the side table.“I’ll get to it after we debrief.”
Jamie loosened his tie as he took a seat on the only other empty armchair.He leaned forward and braced his elbows against his thighs, gaze sweeping over his team.
“Tonight could’ve gone better,” he said, letting his gaze come to a rest on Sean.“The Reborn IRA wasn’t in our briefing for this mission.”
The corner of Sean’s mouth twitched a little, but he didn’t seem cowed by Jamie’s laser-like attention.“The Reborn IRA wasn’t in the briefing because the MDF didn’t know they were in contact with the Russians or Jansen.”
“You played it well in the heat of the moment, I’ll give you that.But I’m still not hearing an answer.”
Sean’s shoulders tightened, but he didn’t rail against Jamie’s demand about giving up what could technically be considered state secrets.“I was recruited by the CIA when I was eighteen during my freshman year in college.I was trained for deep cover work, but it took a few years before I was sent into the field.My last mission with the CIA had me working in Northern Ireland, trying to establish ties with the Reborn IRA while impersonating an arm of the Irish Mob out of New York City.The CIA wasn’t looking into drugs but for information on Cillian Halloran.”
“You mentioned him at the club.You also mentioned Emmet.Who are they?”
