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“I like her more and more.” Jase grinned.

“It’s possible that there is something that Vugar wants and can only get it from her, especially now that Elijah has died,” Kostya went on.

“Why didn’t they try to kidnap him when he was first back in the States?” Jase asked.

Linc looked over at Jase and frowned. “I thought I told you Elijah came back from Syria with a traumatic brain injury. He was very low functioning. He couldn’t have told them his own name.”

“Damn. Your girl’s been through a lot.”

“So, we agree. She has some information that Vugar wants,” Kostya summarized. “And Linc, I hate to say this, but I think you’re right. If Caryn saw a way to take down Vugar and out the spy at Langley, she would gladly use Leila as bait.”

“Depending on what the information is, we could just email it to Vugar,” Jase said hopefully. “That’d be the end of everything.”

“Drakos, you’re now relegated to the children’s table of this conversation,” Gideon said with a warning look.

“Linc,” Kostya started. “There’s still hope that this is something that we can count on Caryn’s help for, and she won’t want to use Leila. But the only way we’ll know is to talk to Leila.”

* * *

“Leila, did you see how well he was doing? Did you? His grip was so strong.” Miray was looking so much better than she had a day and a half ago when they’d been waiting for her father to get out of surgery. Even after seeing him in recovery, neither she nor her mom had been reassured. It was like Elijah all over again.

Today was better.

Today there had been a glimmer of the normal Grant Edward Cloud.

“I saw anne. I saw.” She pushed a plate of eggplant parmigiana in front of her. “Now eat. You haven’t eaten since you rushed to the hospital.”

Her mother actually looked down at the food and smiled. This, too, was a first since her dad had been shot. “I can’t eat all of this. It’s enough for three people,” Miray protested.

“Then eat a third of it. The rest we can put in the fridge for leftovers, or Jace will eat it.”

Miray looked up and smiled at the two big men who were sitting in front of their own dinners that Linc had picked up from Adolpho’s. It was one of her mom’s favorite restaurants.

“Mrs. Cloud, I have your back.” Jase looked up from his plate and winked at her.

“Jase, I told you, call me Miray.”

“Okay, Miray. Now I know why you rave about this place; the food is spectacular.”

Miray leaned forward, smiling brightly. “It is, isn’t it? Grant takes me there at least once a month. Bebek, we should have gotten some for your father, so he could have it tomorrow.”

Leila closed her eyes for just a moment, then opened them again. “Mom, they will not let dad have rich food like this for quite a while. My guess is they’re going to be giving you a whole new diet that he’ll need.”

“You’re right, Leila. After the hospital tomorrow, we can go to the grocery store.”

Leila sat down in her spot between Linc and her mom. “We’ll talk about it, okay? In the meantime, let’s have a nice meal and maybe a good night's sleep, okay?”

“That sounds good.”

* * *

When she was sure her mom was settled in for the night, she joined Linc and Jase at the kitchen table.

“Bourbon?” she asked as Linc got up and pulled out a seat for her.

“Your dad has a well-supplied home office,” Linc murmured as he kissed her temple and pushed in her chair.

“I forgot he keeps a bottle in his office.”