Page 89 of What Remains

Until there’s a knock at my door.

Because of course this is one of those times he feels like he has to tell me something face to face.

CHAPTER 29

Gwen

I’m a good girl and check the peephole first. Disappointment fills me to see it’s Julian, not Easton. I swing open the door, not a fan of his sour expression. “What’s wrong?”

He props his hand on the doorframe, leaning in ever so slightly. “Gideon found Zoey’s source in London.”

I fold my arms and remain in the doorway. “That’s good, right?”

He frowns. “Kind of weird that a former MI6 officer who vanished without a trace is suddenly caught on CCTV in London of all places, and not far from where she used to work.”

“Maybe not if she’s innocent. But I assume you’re going to tell me you lost sight of her, just caught a glimpse on camera?”

“Unfortunately, yes and yes. Zoey insists on going, though. She’s packing now. Gideon told her he’s going with her, and Mason was in the room with us when we found that lead, so he’s offered to join as backup in case⁠—”

“It’s a trap?”

He nods. “I’m sure Carter’s going to hate this plan, but Zoey’s leaving whether we want her to or not.”

“And you can’t let her go rogue, I get it. I take it you’re going, too?”

“Yeah. My sister and her husband are in Surrey now. They’ll head over to London and meet us there and see if they can be of help, too.”

I shut my eyes at the mention of his sister, remembering the op that brought down Easton’s bird. That domino knocked all the rest down leading to this point. I know that mission has nothing to do with what’s happening now, but someone sure as hell took advantage of the pain of our past to manipulate our present.

Time to stop them from screwing with our future.

“We also have our family’s other team members out that way, too, if we need anything,” he adds while I remain quiet.

Right, his old protector peeps are now their teammates. No longer their shadows. That’s a whole other story for another day, one that ends with the very crash I don’t want to keep thinking about.

I open my eyes, finding Easton and Nash closing in on us from down the hallway. “You sure we should be splitting up like this, even if you have reinforcements there?”

Before Julian can answer, Nash sidesteps him to pull me in for a hug, the door thudding shut behind me. “I’m glad you’re okay. Sorry I was away when this all happened.”

“I was on vacation. You were the one on an op.” I pull back, forcing a small smile. “You shouldn’t have been needed in Dubai in the first place.”

“Well, from what Easton’s told me, there’s a chance that op I was on is somehow tied to what happened to you. Or possibly an attempt to divert Sebastian and myself away from you all.”

“Possibly,” I whisper.

“And you are?” Nash asks Julian.

“No one you need to know.” Julian pulls me in for a hug and says into my ear, “The fewer people who know about me, the better. I’m dead, remember?” He pulls back and briefly meets my eyes. “I should go.” He nods a goodbye to Easton, then turns to leave.

I guess I’ll fill him in on what we found about Bodhi’s old military friend later. “Be safe,” I call out behind him, and he glances back at me for a second before going to his suite.

“Is he always that mysterious?” Nash asks.

“You have no idea just how much,” I say with a small, nervous laugh. “So, are you planning to⁠—”

“Stay despite Easton being back?”

“I hope you do,” I answer as Easton gestures for me to move so he can open the door with his keycard, assuming I left mine in the room. And he knows me well.