“You do realize I work for the CIA, right,littlebrother?”
In other words,I don’t take orders from you. He got it. But Travis’s death had rocked him, and if anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. Fourteen months younger or not. “I don’t want you anywhere near this, Kate. I never should have brought you into it, although God knows what we would have done without you. But you’re an analyst, remember—not a field agent. I’ll have Colt go and talk to her.”
She made a sharp sound. “You’re kidding, right? Have you seen my ex-husband lately? He looks like an ax murderer. She’ll probably take one look at him and run away screaming. And unless he’s prepared to lean on a pregnant woman—which I suspect may be too low even for Colt—his less-than-charming bedside manner isn’t likely to get us any information.” She took a deep breath, probably realizing that Scott’s poorly chosen words had come from a place of concern and love. “Look, I know you are worried, but I’ll be careful. I know how to take care of myself. I may not be a field agent, but I have had training. And I was married to Colt for almost five years.”
He sighed. “I know you can take care of yourself, but Travis had training, too—a hell of a lot more than you.”
There was silence on the other end so he knew he’d made his point.
“Call Colt,” he urged. Another long silence. He could almost hear her resistance and anger. Both of which he understood. He had plenty of reasons not to want any contact with his old teammate and former friend, either. But no matter what had happened between the three of them, Scott could trust Colt to keep her safe. “I’d go with you myself, but I’m a little tied up.”
Understatement.
“Does this have something to do with Jennifer? Is she why you are in Kensington, Vermont?”
He swore again. “How the hell did you...?” Hisvoice dropped off. “You’re tracking me? God damn it, Kate—”
She didn’t let him finish and clearly didn’t have any intention of apologizing. “The general wanted an update, and I was worried when I got your message and said you were turning off your phone. That isn’t like you.”
He swore again, knowing she was right. He just hadn’t been ready to face the music, so to speak.
“Next time tell me what’s going on.” She paused. “Whatisgoing on?”
He got ready to drop his bombshell, knowing there was going to be blowback. Lots of blowback. “It wasn’t Natalie in the car crash. It was her friend Jennifer.”
Shocked silence followed. “Natalie is alive?”
“And pretending not to be. Yep.”
It didn’t take long for Kate to process the ramifications and pummel him with the questions he’d been trying to avoid thinking about, let alone answer. “But why haven’t you brought her in? She could have all the information we need to clean up this mess.”
“I promise to explain everything, Kate, but it’s more complicated than I realized.”
He could sense her skepticism through the phone. “What do you mean, ‘complicated,’ Scott? She’s a spy! She betrayed you and leaked information that got your guys killed.”
Scott felt his anger rise and couldn’t hold it back even though he knew it was grounded in defensiveness. “I know exactly what she did, Kate. You don’t need to tell me.” Remind me. “But it isn’t that straightforward.”
“She was a spy or she wasn’t.”
He gritted his teeth, trying not to take his anger out on her for saying what he’d thought himself. “She had her reasons, okay? I’ll explain everything when I get back.”
“When will that be?”
“I’m not sure. I, uh, need a few days.” She didn’t say anything. But he knew what she was thinking.Idiot. The thought had crossed his mind more than once.
“Are you sure you are looking at this objectively, Scott? I know you cared about her. But she could destroy your career.”
If she hadn’t already done so. He knew that well enough. And his objectivity had definitely taken a beating—he couldn’t believe he’d lost control like that and kissed her.
But objective or not, he didn’t have a choice. He dropped the second bombshell, knowing this one would be far more painful for Kate. He alone knew how desperately she’d mourned the loss of her unborn child. “She’s pregnant, okay? Natalie is pregnant and I’m waiting for the blood test to confirm the baby is mine.”
• • •
The hope that Natalie felt after the explosive kiss in the bathroom died a quick death when Scott hung up the phone and turned around and saw her watching him.
Whatever softening there might have been in his attitude was gone. His face was a cold mask of rage, his gaze every bit as fierce and accusing as it had been that first day he’d showed up at the farm. “Did you get everything you need?”
She flushed at the unspoken accusation. “I wasn’t listening.” At least that hadn’t been the reason she’d been waiting in the hall. “I was worried. I could tell something was wrong, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
