“Then I’ll do it,” I say with resounding excitement. I’m not sure why I didn’t just take charge and do this already.

  Ethan leans over in his chair, claps a hand on my shoulder, and looks at me solemnly. “I’m so proud of you.”

  I shrug his hand off with a faux look of creeped out disgust. “Stop it. You’re weirding me out again.”

  And then my son breaks into laughter, and I join him.

  CHAPTER 24

  Greer

  The blue vase shot through with undulating strands of cream-colored glass was a gift I’d bought my mother for the birthday before she died. She had turned sixty and declared it her most favorite gift ever from me, although she said that every birthday.

  It’s a sad smile that plays upon my lips as I roll it up in newspaper and place it in the box labeled Storage. This will be saved alongside all the other precious memories I have of my parents.

  I pack extra crumpled newspaper around the vase and seal up the box with two strips of packing tape. I carry it to the edge of the living room and set it down with the other four boxes also bound for storage. Across the room sit eleven more boxes. They’re going to charity.

  The living room is now empty, except for the furniture—which will also be donated—but I’m keeping the azure-and-saffron silk rug my father bought my mother when they traveled to Turkey. If I ever have my own house, it will go in my living room.

  Putting my hands against my lower back, I stretch backward to alleviate some of the tightness there. I’ve been packing up my parents’ house for the past six days, and this is the last room. My body is feeling it, but so is my heart. The decision to sell didn’t come lightly.

  In fact, I’m still struggling with whether I’ve made the right call. It’s hard to cut ties with my past in this way, but I remind myself I have their memories and some precious mementos that maybe I’ll hand down to my children one day.

  What really fueled my desire to sell was knowing that I have to set my life on a new course, and if I keep this house, it will be my excuse to not make changes. I’ve held on to it the last four years as a crutch to stay in a life that really held no true joy.

  Now… I have to decide what to do with this new, unencumbered life.

  The clear and obvious choice is Ladd. But within that choice, there are other choices to make. He wants me to come to Pittsburgh, and I have a job offer with Jameson.

  Yet Director Rasmussen was so impressed with how I went after Mejia and brought to light treason within his own agency, he’s offered me Gayla Newman’s position as the director of operations for Central and South America. This would be the ultimate career move for me, and while some travel would be necessary, it would mostly be a desk job in Langley.

  Best of all, Langley is but a four-hour drive from Pittsburgh and a mere one-hour flight. Ladd and I could manage a relationship in two different cities. We did just fine when we were together before and both working for the CIA.

  But is that really the life I want? Would Ladd be satisfied with it?

  I won’t know until I have the talk with Ladd that he’s been pushing me to have for the last week. I know he thinks I’m putting him off because I don’t want to talk about these things, and he may even think I’m too scared to commit, but that’s not the truth at all.

  I want to talk in the same room—sitting on a couch and maybe drinking a glass of wine. Or naked in a bed. Or walking along a beach. It has to be together where we can look each other in the eye and be forever without doubt that we want the same thing.

  Getting my parents’ house ready for sale has given me the opportunity to have some time alone, to find clarity in my wants and needs, and to make provisional decisions. It’s also my last tie to my old life, and as much as I’m going to miss this place, the memories of it will never die. I want a clean break, and I want to start the next chapter of my life.

  With the last of the boxes packed up, and the real estate agent coming tomorrow for me to sign a representation agreement, I’ll be free to figure out all the other things that need my attention.

  I’ll get on a plane, fly to Pittsburgh, and I’ll look Ladd in the eye. Then I’ll make a decision.

  It will be him—meaning, I choose him.

  It’s just how we’re going to make it work that needs some ironing. I have a few needs of my own, and I need to make sure he can meet them. I need to make sure I can give him what he deserves.

  My stomach rumbles, and I glance at my watch. It’s well past lunchtime, and I didn’t eat breakfast. There’s nothing in the fridge or the cupboards, and if I eat delivery pizza one more time, I’ll puke.

  Resolved to grab a sandwich from a local deli, I pop into the restroom to wash my hands. I tighten my ponytail and scrutinize myself in the mirror. I don’t need makeup for a local deli run, but I decide a little lip gloss is never a bad idea.

  Lips properly shiny, I nab my purse from the foyer table and open the door. My head is down as I try to pull my keys out when I run straight into a mountain of a person.

  My first instinct is it’s an intruder—despite it being broad daylight and the hit by Vecindario 18 called off—and I go into self-defense mode.

  Rather, attack mode.

  Dropping my purse, I let a back-fist fly without thought or hesitation for there is no reason for a man to be at my door. But it’s caught in a hard grip just inches from his nose.

  Ladd’s nose.

  My eyes widen as I take him in—lips curved in an amused smirk that I would try to hit him without provocation—but more so because he’s faster than I am.

  His blue eyes darken from humor to desire, and he uses the grip on my wrist to jerk me into him. He kisses me hard, and I kiss him right back.

  A sigh that sounds a lot like relief expels from him, and I pull back, guessing that he, too, had doubts up until this very moment.

  Pulling my wrist free, I put both my hands to his face and stretch on tiptoes. “I was getting on a plane tomorrow to come see you.”

  “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow,” he replies, and kisses me again.

  And this time, it’s not a kiss of relief but of desire. He pulls my entire body to him and on the front porch of my home, in full view of the neighbors, proceeds to kiss me passionately and without reservation.

  I’m breathless when his lips lift from mine, calculating how quickly we can make it to my bedroom.

  But he says the words that are like a bucket of cold water. “We need to talk.”

  And he’s right. We do. “Want to go sit out back by the koi pond?”

  He shakes his head. “This conversation shouldn’t be long enough to warrant a trip out there.”

  “Because we simply need to make a decision,” I say.

  “Right,” he agrees, taking my hands in his. “I mean… we already love each other.”

  “We do.” I chuckle because that was about the most unromantic way for us to reaffirm our feelings, but honestly, the fact he came to save me in El Salvador clued me in.

  Taking a deep breath, Ladd says, “I want to support you in whatever you want to do. If you want to stay with the CIA, I’ll go wherever you go. I know it’s your dream.”

  His words touch me so deeply because I know what he’d be giving up. He’d be giving up important time with his son, and that thought is unbearable to me, so it must be excruciating for him.

  I shake my head. “You’re my dream, Ladd. Not the CIA. You were my dream all those years ago, but I didn’t realize it. I was young and stupid and had no understanding of how life works. I screwed up, and I’m not about to let that happen again. The CIA is nothing but a job. It plays no part in the things I truly need in my life.”

  “But they’ve offered you the director position,” he points out. “That’s a huge move and big money.”

  I shrug. “I heard Jameson is a pretty great place to work.”

  “You’re considering that?” he asks, and for someone trained to be secretive, his expression tells me he’s hopeful that Pittsburgh is my main consideration. It all revolves around Ethan.

  “I want my dream to come true, and I think Pittsburgh is the place,” I concede vaguely.

  “What will it take to make it come true?” he asks, hands slipping to my waist, and then he pulls me into him. His face is filled with love and tenderness as he peers down at me.

  “A house with a white-picket fence, a dog because I am not allergic to them,” I say. He grins, clearly liking the direction of my thoughts. “Maybe a brother or sister for Ethan?”

  Ladd’s smile slides, but not in a way that says he’s dismayed by that proclamation. He stares at me so intently, I feel like I might implode under the weight of it.

  “Are you serious?” he asks in such a low voice, I barely hear him. But I can tell by his demeanor, the answer to his question will mean everything.

  “I’m very serious. That is… if you think Ethan would be okay with it.”

  Ladd chuckles. “Nothing would please Ethan more. In fact, he’s the one who pushed me to come out here and get this resolved so I’d stop pining.”

  “Smart kid,” I murmur, knowing I’m going to adore him as much as I do his father.

  I expect Ladd to hug me or at least lean in for a delicious kiss. Instead, he releases me suddenly and steps back a few feet to the porch’s edge. His eyes are wide, disbelieving. “You really want to have a child with me?”

  “Maybe two,” I reply candidly.

  There’s a very long moment where he studies me, and then it seems a wave of comprehension slams into him. He turns away, lifts his fists in the air in an exclamation of victory, and shouts out to the entire neighborhood, “She wants to have my baby!”

  “Oh Jesus,” I mutter in horror as Mr. Sneed across the street watering his flowers looks over at us. He waves politely, and I wave back as I grab Ladd by the waistband of his jeans and tug him backward. “Get your ass inside and stop making a spectacle of yourself.”

  He whirls on me, drops to one knee, and I stagger at the implication. His hand snatches mine. Bringing my fingers to his mouth, he kisses my knuckles. His eyes glitter with happiness. “I don’t have a ring. This is me being spontaneous, but I’ll get you one as soon as you say yes. Will you marry me, Greer?”

  “This should feel like déjà vu,” I whisper, my emotions overwhelming me. I give a tiny shake of my head. “But it’s not. This is totally different. We’re different.”

  “Is that a yes?” he prods.

  I nod my head effusively. “I’m so ready. Yes!”

  Then he’s standing, and I’m in his arms, and he’s swinging me around in a circle as his face presses into my neck.

  “I love you so much,” I say. “I’m never going to let you down again.”

  “Stop,” he exclaims, lifting his head and glaring at me. “No recriminations. Not against yourself, not against me. Our past is the past. We start new from right now, okay?”

  I needed to hear that. I didn’t realize how much until tears spring to my eyes and I can do nothing but nod my agreement.

  “I love you, Greer.” Ladd’s tone is solemn as he wipes the tears from my face, and it makes me listen intently. “Our time is now. Let’s not waste one single second.”

  Letting out a shaky breath, I whisper, “Okay.”

  “Okay?” he asks, to make sure.

  “Okay,” I say, this time confidently.

  “Good,” he says, bending down to grab my purse. “Then let’s go find a ring.”

  “Then lunch,” I suggest, because I’m hungry. “We can plan the wedding.”

  “Sounds like the best second first date ever,” he says with a grin, and I couldn’t agree more.

  He’ll drop everything to save her. Dozer Burney is the brains behind the brawn of Jameson Force Security, working to provide the highest level of technology and surveillance to the team out in the field. When Dozer finds out someone from his past is in danger, he’ll stop at nothing to make sure she’s safe. Click here for details on Code Name: Revenge.

  Want to get to know sexy Kynan McGrath a little better? Read how he explored the kinkier side of Sin City at The Wicked Horse Vegas. Click here to read Wicked Favor.

  CHAPTER 1

  Dozer

  No one thought it strange, least of all me, that Greer and Ladd wasted no time in getting married. They were on the verge of doing just such a thing twelve years ago when mutual stupidity drove them apart. I feel I can say that in a judgmental tone because I, too, have done such a thing. But we all have regrets in life, many of which aren’t fixable.

  Luckily for the new Mr. and Mrs. McDermott, theirs was easy enough to repair.

  Since neither Greer nor Ladd are overly religious, they chose to have the ceremony in a community hall in Upper St. Clair, which is where Ladd lives. From the time he went out to California to retrieve the one who got away until the exchange of vows, a mere four days passed. Greer had no family to worry about in terms of schedule and ability to fly in for the wedding, and Ladd’s parents live in Ohio. They own a flooring company and had no problem taking a few days off to come see their son get married for the second time, but to the woman he should’ve been wed to all along.

  Many people were deeply touched that Greer asked Ladd’s ex-wife, Britney, to be her matron of honor. Weird? Yes, but also just very right. I’ve always admired Ladd and Britney’s ability to maintain a steadfast friendship even after their divorce, and Britney has become fast friends with Greer.

  Completely weird. Completely right.

  The actual ceremony was short but heartfelt, and what followed was an immense party filled with good food, even better liquor, and a really crappy-looking wedding cake from the local grocery store since there was no time to have a decent one made. Ladd wore a tailored suit, just one of many he has to have for our line of work when formal attire is needed. Greer went about as nontraditional as one could get and opted for a bloodred cocktail dress that she happened to have in her array of clothing. They made a striking couple, not only because of their near-perfect good looks but because they looked like two halves of a whole coming together.

  I normally don’t wax poetic about this sort of shit, given that I’ve been unsuccessful in love, but it doesn’t mean I can’t take joy in my friend’s happiness.

  My gaze sweeps across the room of mostly Jameson employees and a few outside friends. Groups of two, three, four, and five people talk and laugh. There was no time to get a DJ, so music spins from an iPhone hooked to Bluetooth speakers. Cage and Jaime are the only ones dancing, looking like quite the fools. But I suppose the fact that they can be silly together is a testament to how right they are for each other. After all, Cage married her under false pretenses, telling her he was a used car salesman rather than a secret security agent. It took Jaime getting kidnapped—and Cage saving her—for the truth to come out. Luckily, she’s a forgiving soul.

  My eyes land on Kynan, the man who started this company, who’s considered the patriarch of the Jameson family. He served as Ladd’s best man.

  Kynan stands with his hand wound around his wife Joslyn as they talk with Camille and Jackson. Kynan and Joslyn are very much like Greer and Ladd, having been in love long ago and with that common theme of stupidity tearing them apart. Their second chance is working out nicely. Camille and Jackson are newly in love. He was assigned as her bodyguard and fell in love with the royal princess who stands to inherit not only a country but the world’s largest and wealthiest ruby mine. Many would call him a lucky son of a bitch for those reasons alone, but he scored big time by the mere fact that Camille is an incredibly genuine and down-to-earth woman. She doesn’t give a rat’s ass about her wealth and only wants to help people. I suspect we’ll all be in Bretaria in about a year’s time for their wedding, but no official word on that yet.

  Saint Bellinger and Cruce Britton are elbow to elbow talking about something. They’re thick as thieves, which is quite funny since Saint used to be a professional thief. Their wives, Sin and Barrett, are also close friends, but they couldn’t be more different. Sin was also a professional thief, and Barrett is a world-renowned physicist whose IQ actually rivals mine; she’s also the president’s niece.

  And yet, when we have Jameson functions, those two are joined at the hip. I expect it’s because their husbands were involved in early missions when Jameson started under Kynan’s control, so they’ve been around the longest.

  Sin is pregnant, due in July, I believe, and I notice a lot of low whispering between the women. The fact that Barrett is not drinking alcohol leads me to believe we might have another Jameson baby on the horizon.

  My eyes land on my best friend at Jameson, Bebe Grimshaw. She’s standing with her son Aaron and our resident psychiatrist, Corinne Ellery Brandeis, newly married herself to another love from the past, Clay.

  There is so much love, honor, and commitment among the couples in this room, but probably none as profoundly well-deserved as my best friend Bebe. She pulls her son Aaron out onto the dance floor and boogies to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop This Feeling” with absolutely no embarrassment. This, coming from a woman who spent years in prison for a crime she actually committed, stealing nuclear codes to sell to another country. That’s shocking to most people within our organization when they learn her backstory, but then they’re told the circumstances—that someone forced her to steal the codes or they would kill her son. While the court system didn’t care about her reasons, Kynan McGrath did, and he used his very significant power with Congress to spring her from prison. He later followed through after she provided a great service to our country in outing and capturing the hacker who forced her to steal the codes and was given a presidential pardon.

  Her fiancé, Griff, watches from the edge of the makeshift dance floor, his eyes possessive as he watches her and his soon-to-be stepson. He’s one of my favorite people in this room, and if there’s anybody here who deserves happiness, it’s those two.