“I’m not playing games, little brother. I think you know that.” A horn honked in the distance and Jethro stopped breathing tolisten better.
“That’s not true. The kills with the notes, the bombing at my place, the doctored videos all point to a game, which I would’ve thought to be beneath you,” Jethro drawled. Had that been a vehicle horn? He listened for any otherambient noises.
Fletcher sighed, the sound creepy through the distortion. “Games promise winners and losers. That does not interest me. You should know that.”
True. As a child, Fletcher had never been interested in playing games. He waged campaigns to see what he could do and what he could get. Or rather what he could get away with. “You know, it’s shocking you passed the psychological exams tojoin the SIS.”
His laughter increased. “Please. I’m smarter than anybody you’ve ever met.”
Probably true. But these days Jethro was surrounded by exceptionally brilliant people. “You’re free, Fletcher. Why don’t you take your ill-gotten gains and go retire on an island somewhere?”
Ian’s left eyebrowlifted at that.
Fletcher sighed. “Would you ever stop hunting me? Brother?”
No.
“I take it from your silence that you would not. It also appears that you’ve become attached to the people around you, which is new and rather surprising to me. I haven’t decided what to do about that situation.” Even through the distortion, he sounded thoughtful. “The bottom line is that you screwed up one of my very carefully thought out plans, Jethro. I can’t let that stand.”
Theline went dead.
Chapter Thirty-Three
After a quiet weekend surveying Mother Nature and getting accustomed to having a lot more testosterone in her vicinity than usual, Gemma strode with Jethro across the parking lot at the university to fetch a couple more books so she could continue working remotely from the safe subdivision. While she could’ve stayed behind, she’d wanted a few moments out in the real world while Trudy was protected back at the house.
Jethro slipped his phone into his bag. The man looked deadly and smooth, even in professor mode. “I could’ve grabbed your books while I attended these student meetings I couldn’t reschedule.” His gaze swept the surrounding area as he took her gloved hand and started down the shoveled sidewalk.
“I know, but I wanted to get out of the house for a moment or two.” She was feeling both safe and a little confined, which had to be a good sign of hermental health.
He sighed. “We have to come back tomorrow for the mandatory staff meeting, and I much prefer you safe under guard.But I get it.”
She smiled. While she’d do anything to keep Trudy safe, she wasn’t going to let fear of Monty or even Fletcher make her hide ever again. This was one simple trip to the university, with backups around them that she figured Jethro didn’t even know she’d noticed. They’d get home safely by using his very cool spy techniques, and she liked the normalcy of some of that.
Besides. They were holding hands. Her heart did a happy little hop. She was holding hands with a British badass. They’d slept in the same bed all weekend while working on their cases, their classes, and their friends. Even so, holding his hand made their connection feel even more real. She fell into step beside him, wondering at thedeep blue sky.
The storm had finally passed, leaving behind beauty. The sun sparkled off the snow. Had Gemma ever been this happy? She took a second to enjoy the feeling, despite the fact that the world was falling apart all around them. Was there a chance they could fix their problems and see if they had a chance together? He was everything and more than she could ever want. Smart, sexy, and kind. Plus, a total 007 badass with a mind for game theory. She’d learned years ago not to have big dreams like this, but right now she was with Jethro, and Trudy was safe. “Do you think you’ll be forced to leave the country?”
“I think it’s a good possibility,” Jethro said, opening the door to their building. “I should know more soon.”His jaw tensed.
Her stomach dropped. So much for her happy fantasies. She released his hand and walked toward her office. “See you inabout an hour?”
“Yep. I have one student meeting and then will fetch you. Please stay in your office and the building until it’s time to go. I have operatives covering the campus while we’re here.” He moved in the other direction after giving her a wink.
She twittered like one of those silly college freshmen. Shaking her head, she strode into her office and ditched her outerwear, loving the heavy coat Dana had left in the closet. She sat and booted up her computer, looking for the PowerPoint she wanted to tweak.
The new house in the cul-de-sac was feeling like home.
She was just finishing emailing everything she’d need to herself when a gust of wind tossed snow from the ground at her window. She started.
“Excuse me?” A twentysomething man with sunglasses and a brown parka poked his head in the door.
“Yes?”
He stepped inside, his brown hair long around his shoulders. “Ms. Falls?”
“Yes.” She stood, reaching for her notebook to take it home. There was still time to add classes, so students would be popping by to change their schedules. That reminded her that she’d need to post online office hours for them. “What canI do for you?”
He handed her an envelope. “You’ve been served.” He smiled and stepped back. “Have a nice night.” Then he was gone.
