Because I’m part of the problem, I have to make sure she’s okay.

  “Fine,” he groused. “I’ll stop by and have a chat with her.”

  “Good luck with that. I wouldn’t go today.”

  “Why?”

  Beau headed out of the room, only to stop at the entrance. “Because Grams is with her and, trust me, it’s going to be enough of a pain for you to explain to myself and Ethan why you slept with her, but you sure as hell don’t want to explain it to Grams.” One final look of warning and the one-man army disappeared.

  How the hell does he know about that? No way he could have. He was bluffing. However, now that he thought about it, Ethan wasn’t as warm as he usually was—granted, none of the Jackson crew was over-the-top friendly, but there’d been a definite chill in his demeanor, as well.

  He reclined in his chair and drummed his fingers on the desk.

  “Masters.”

  He opened his eyes to find Mino entering. “Yes?”

  “Paperwork for you to sign.” She waved one hand full of sheets and in her other she held two sheets.

  “And those?”

  “Not sure if you’d made up your mind on Anabelle Lee. One is a leave chit granting her leave and the other is a termination paper.”

  “I’m not firing her,” he snapped, irritated Mino would even think that.

  “I know. It’s actually the menu for the dinner you’re attending Friday night. They faxed it over and wanted to make sure you were okay with everything.” She put the stack down. “These are requisition papers for the ammunition and other weapons we need to replenish.”

  “Don’t I have someone to do all this?” He glanced at her sideways. “Like you?”

  She snatched the papers back and left the pen in his hand with nothing to write on. “Fine,” she growled. “Just don’t get pissed I am signing your name.” She was out of his office in a few seconds.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m just not winning on any level here.”

  He pushed away from his desk and walked to hers. Mino was on the phone.

  “Yes, he’s fine with the menu, says everything appears perfect. Thank you so much for sending over a copy of it so he could take a final look. You have a wonderful day also.” She laughed. “No, I’m not going to this, it’s way above my paygrade. Bye, Shellie.”

  “Am I going to like the menu for the dinner with the top brass?”

  “Should have looked at the damn menu.” She slammed her drawer closed. “And I’m offended as hell you would ask me that. If you don’t trust me by now, fire me, as well.”

  He didn’t have time for this. Hands on her desk, he glared at her. She didn’t back down. In fact, the fire in her eyes grew.

  “What is going on with everyone around here? Do you need a vacation, as well?”

  “I’d be more than happy to take one but you wouldn’t be able to do your job without me.” Her words were tight and sharp.

  “Take a vacation then, Mino. I don’t need you. Christ, what is going on with everyone?” He headed for the elevator. “Fill out your forms and take the time you need to get your head back on straight.” He punched the button and waited for the car to arrive.

  He stepped in and waited for it to transport him down to the basement and the gun range they had in the building. He needed to get rid of some stress. Only after he’d ruined fifteen targets did he calm down a bit and get more in control of his emotions. He returned to his office floor and stopped exiting the elevator when he didn’t see Mino there.

  Maybe she’s on lunch break or something.

  Striding to her desk, he noticed it was all clean as it was by the end of her day. Not liking the feeling of unease creeping up his spine, he entered his office. Nothing out of the ordinary, just how he left it, with one exception. A single sheet of white paper sat in front of his chair.

  “So she went and took a vacation as well.” His irritation grew once more.

  Snatching it from the smooth surface, he stared at it. Three words stood out to him. Tendering my resignation.

  He swore as he sank to his chair, unable to move by that statement. Is she serious? His heart thundered behind his ribs and he rubbed at the furrow between his eyes.

  He yanked the handset off the base and called her phone. The ring was echoed by her desk. Fuck! He rose and went to her desk, pulled open the drawers until he got to the bottom one where the phone sat with a sheet of paper taped to it.

  Theta Corps property.

  The urge to roar in anger swarmed him. He took several deep breaths, shook his head and took a couple more. It didn’t work, not even in the slightest way.

  “Let me recap,” he said to no one other than himself. “One of my best agents just put herself on a vacation for an undisclosed amount of time and now my secretary up and quits on me. I’m having the fucking greatest week.”

  He grabbed her phone from the drawer and pulled the contacts. She’d deleted anything personal from the device, leaving only Theta Corps contacts.

  Masters stomped back to his office, kicking the door shut behind him. My day has gone to shit and, look at that, it’s not even noon.

  Chapter Seven

  #xa0;

  “You have to forgive yourself, Anabelle Lee.”

  She tucked some hair behind her ear and sighed. “Grams, I’ve tried. Don’t you think I’ve tried to convince myself I’m forgiven?”

  Anabelle Lee sat curled up on Grams’ couch while she worked on a square for the quilt being created. Grams sat in her chair, sewing another square on. While Anabelle Lee hadn’t any idea what this one looked like all spread out, she had no doubt it would be stunning.

  “I don’t think you’ve forgiven yourself if you have to convince yourself of that fact.” She put down the quilt. “You’ve always been so hard on yourself. If you weren’t as fast as the boys, couldn’t do as many pull-ups, it didn’t matter. You’d berate yourself for days.”

  “Not a great pep talk, Grams.”

  Mrs. Maybelle Jackson laughed, her blue eyes still vibrant and sharp. “This isn’t a pep talk. This is you getting your butt kicked so you get out of this funk you’ve allowed yourself to fall into.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “So do you want to tell me about what happened in the jungle?” She turned her square over, showing off the forest image it held.

  “Not really.”

  “Very well. Hand me that square you were checking on.”

  Anabelle Lee passed it over and reached for another square. This one had magnolias on it and she smiled before she set it aside and went for another. She spent her afternoon with Grams, picking out squares from the immense collection gathered over the years.

  Then they made dinner together—chicken-fried steak with white gravy, fresh biscuits, green beans, and macaroni and cheese.

  “I have something for you in the garage before you leave, baby.”

  “What is it, Grams?” She dipped her finger in the gravy.

  “Some of your things from a while ago that I’ve been holding on to. I think they may be better off with you in your place.”

  She wasn’t sure what it was, but she didn’t mind taking it off Gram’s hands. “Okay.”

  After they ate and had chess pie for dessert, Anabelle Lee cleaned up. She felt better but had by no means healed from having taken the young boy’s life. Accompanying Grams into the garage, she waited for her to point out what was for her to take.

  “Right there,” Grams stated.

  “I’ll get it.” She moved a few boxes then withdrew the one she spoke of.

  “What’s in it?”

  “Take it home and open it. Go on, I will see you later. Thank you for cleaning up.”

  Anabelle Lee exited the garage and headed for her vehicle after kissing Grams on the cheek. Box on the passenger seat, she fought off a yawn then drove home. Once she’d changed into some sleeping attire, she opened the box and smiled.

  Her paints and brushes.

  “Thanks, Grams.”

  Perched on the edge of the couch, she pulled out each item and lined them up on the dark brown coffee table before her. She had a lot of items in the box and, quite honestly, was surprised Grams hadn’t thrown it away.

  “Not even sure any of these paints are still good.”

  No time like the present to find out. In the bottom of the box were some small pieces of old canvas and she withdrew them with a sigh. Smoothing her hands along the material, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing the scents to flow through her.

  As she held the canvas to her face, wonderful memories swamped her. Painting out on the back porch while Grams quilted or worked in her garden. Doing projects for school and seeing the joy on Grams’ face when she brought them back to her. Hell, she still had some of the later pieces she’d finished in the house she still used.

  “Grams always was smarter than any of us. Perhaps she’s right and I need to get back into painting.”

  It didn’t take her long to cover a section with newspaper and spread out the canvas. She uncapped each of the paints and separated them into two groups—keep and toss.

  Once she’d finished, she allowed herself to do a small painting. Nothing huge or extravagant. Just a small scene from her property toward the back where it met her siblings’ property lines. A waterfall fell into a nice pool before dropping underground and feeding the lakes.

  “Definitely not my best work, but it’s a start.”

  Grabbing another canvas piece, she took her time to set up and eventually did another. Four hours later, she cleaned up and went to bed. The next morning when she woke, the second her eyes opened she knew there was someone else in her house.

  Rolling from bed, Walther in hand, she snuck up the hall to find her brother sitting on the couch checking the paintings she’d completed yesterday.

  “Put that away,” he ordered. “You’re not going to shoot me.”

  “Day just started,” she quipped. “Who knows what’s to come?”

  Ethan glared at her with a shake of his head. “You’ve got a mean streak.”

  “What are you doing here, Ethan?” Anabelle Lee set the Walther on the bar and dipped into the kitchen to start some coffee.

  “Can’t a brother stop by to check on his baby sister?”

  She narrowed her gaze. He was up to something, no doubt. “I’m your only sister. So, what gives?”

  He smiled. “There is the fact that you’re my only sister.”

  She tugged up the shoulder of her sleep shirt. “Not in the mood, Ethan. What’s going on?”

  “When are you coming back to work?”

  Those blank brown eyes staring up at nothing flashed before her mind’s eye and she shook her head. “No clue.” I don’t know if I will come back at all.

  “Beau told me what happened.”

  “What does he think went on?” She forced herself to relax.

  “Please, that Mensa motherfucker knows way more than we give his redneck ass credit for. So stop playing. He told me about the boy you had to take out to keep him safe.”

  Nausea began to churn once more and she gulped a few times. How the fuck did he know about that? He never once went by the kid.

  “Not the first time it’s happened and probably won’t be the last.” Therein lies the problem. Children should at least have a chance at life.

  “So what’s the problem? Why did you walk away from work?”

  “Look, what right do you have to judge me? You don’t know what I’m going through and no, I’m not going to tell you.”

  “You’re breaking up the team.”

  She exhaled sharply and poured her coffee before adding the sugar and cream. “So I should come back to work because you don’t want to work with anyone else?”

  “We know how the other thinks. I’m going to have to learn someone else’s quirks and get familiar with them.”

  Her spoon clinked against the side of the mug as she stirred. “Basically, you want me there so you don’t have to break in a new partner?”

  “That’s not what I mean and you know it.” He shouldered her aside and grabbed a mug of java.

  “No, I don’t. That’s what you are stating. And I don’t get it. You’re the one who began breaking this up long before I did when you fell for your princess.”

  Ethan went still as death.

  “Don’t bring her into this, Anabelle Lee.”

  But she was angry and pushed. “Why not? You want me back at work after I put a bullet in a kid who wasn’t much over ten if he was at all. But you being with your princess began the largest changes of all. You’re not going on as much as you used to so I’m paired with Masters and others. I had to go with Beau right after Russia because you were with Rally and couldn’t be bothered. Wait, how was it put, you were on a ‘vacation’. Get off your fucking high horse. I could be on a well-deserved vacation. I’ve not taken one since I started working for Theta Corps. You have. Beau has. But I’ve not.”

  Ethan ground his jaw but didn’t drop her gaze or look away.

  “Which is it then, are you on a vacation or are you quitting?”

  “Fuck you, Ethan. I’ve been home for one day. One. You know what, get out and go back to your perfect little princess.”

  “Anabelle Lee,” he growled.

  “No. No! I’m not doing this. Get. Out.” Lord, she wanted to stomp her feet and point.

  Ethan shook his head but stepped away from his freshly made coffee. “Just so you know, Rally likes you. I wish you two would get along.”

  She blinked but didn’t say anything else. Ethan held up his hands then walked out. She didn’t move until she heard the click of the door. Only then, did she allow herself to crumple to the floor, mind whirling with unending images of the child.

  * * * *

  “Mino!”

  No response. Masters dropped his pen on his desk and shoved back to stomp to the door.

  “Mino.”

  The desk was empty. As it had been for the past week.

  “Damn it.” He’d forgotten she’d given him her resignation. He’d hoped this was a phase, hoped it wouldn’t have lasted. And she would have come back. He wasn’t going to chase her down. Not her, and certainly not some goddamn redhead vixen who haunted his dreams.

  Back at his desk, he pulled up a list of contacts from his address book, searching for the one he needed.

  “I survived before she came, I’ll do so again.” The pep talk did shit to make him feel better. In fact, he went from bad to worse, especially when the name he wanted wasn’t there.

  He swiped the phone she’d left behind, checked there and sighed in relief as it popped up.

  “May just take me a long while.”

  “Masters?”

  “Come in, Beau. What do you need?”

  He whistled low. “Damn, never realized how much Mino curbed your temper. Why don’t you just ask her to come back and apologize for whatever you did?”

  “What makes you think I did anything?”

  Beau sketched an eyebrow.

  Masters began typing the information into a new contact on his computer.

  “You can transfer all of that at once, you know,” Beau said, laughter in his tone.

  “Is there something you needed?”

  “Yes. I need you to get Mino back. You’re a fucking bear on a good day, but she dulled your teeth.”

  “I’m sorry, are you the boss here?” He leaned back in his chair. How the hell do I transfer this all at once?

  “I pulled the short straw to come talk to you about this. You have been worse than a honey badger with a toothache. Go talk to her.” He walked out of the door. “Ethan can help you with the transferring.” Beau drew it shut behind him.

  Masters longed to throw the phone out of the window, but he didn’t. Instead, he picked it up and called Ethan.

  Ten minutes, later he’d been coached through how to transfer the information and was getting ready to contact the man he needed to when he came across an image of Anabelle Lee on his own phone. Taken in Russia, she wore all white, her red hair spilling down from her fur cap to stop in the middle of her back in a single tight braid. The only other color was the slice of black from the rifle strap.

  Hot. Sexy. Mine.

  Masters groaned and rubbed his dick through his jeans. He’d not seen or heard from her since she’s departed his office upon her return from Chile. At least not in person. For sure as shitting, she made nightly appearances in his dreams.

  He was so close to undoing the top snap on his pants and pulling his cock out to find some relief, but he had work to do. So he picked up his phone and made a call.

  “Masters, long time no hear.”

  “Hi, Phillip. I need something.”

  “What’s up?”

  Phillip Taylor was another leader at Theta Corps, who operated on the west coast. He had a good division of agents under him and there was one particular person he wanted sent.

  “I need Paula transferred here.”

  “Paula Shone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can I ask why?”

  “I’ve got two agents down for a duration and she’s a great person to help out. Plus she’s worked with members of my team before.”

  “Did you give her a call?”

  “No. I wanted to give you the heads up first. She’s under your team and I didn’t just want to yank her without you knowing why.”

  “Thanks for that, at least. We’ll miss her. She just got back from a mission about two days ago and has been on downtime since. I’m sure she’s ready to go. Do you need her number?”

  “No, I have it, thank you. Have a good day, Phillip.”

  “Hey, is the rumor true that Anabelle Lee quit?”

  “No, she’s just taking a vacation.”

  “Good. I had the pleasure of working with her once, and damn is all I can say to that experience.”

  “Bye, Phillip.”

  Masters hung up before he could delve too much into what that ‘damn’ referred to. Had they slept together or was he impressed with how well Anabelle Lee did her job?