Page 66 of Covert Affections (Shadow Agents/PSI-Ops #5)

“And then I asked a friend of mine who specializes in information to take a deeper look,” said Robert, still holding his phone in his hand. “Found some old records on a Jesse Culbertson. Really fucking old records. Like Old West kind of old.”

Bill narrowed his gaze on Jesse. “You that no-good son-of-a-bitch Jesse James?”

“What? Of course not.” Jesse’s dreams about Samuel instantly came to mind. His throat tightened.

“Funny thing is,” Robert continued, lowering his arms. “My buddy came across an old photo of two boys standing in front of a homestead with a woman. The names written on the bottom of the photo are Charlotte, Samuel, and Jesse. Samuel looks to be about five or so years older than Jesse. And I’m no facial recognition expert or age progression expert, but I’d bet my life on the boy in that photo named Jesse being you.

And I’ve seen photos of Charley’s father.

I think the Samuel in that old photo is him as a boy.

Not to mention Charley’s full name is Charlotte-Jane. ”

“D-do you have the photo still?” asked Jesse.

Robert thumbed through his phone and lifted it toward Jesse.

There, on the screen, was a faded old photograph of the woman from his dreams. And the boy in it was exactly how he’d dreamed of Samuel being as a boy. Jesse’s throat went dry.

It was all true?

He was really related to Samuel?

They were first cousins who had been raised as siblings?

And if that was true, was the rest of it true too? Was Jesse really a Shadow Agent with PSI and not a true believer in The Corporation?

Bill cocked his head to the side, lifted his hand, and began doing something that sort of resembled counting using his fingers before he huffed. “You saying Chuck-Wagon and this asshat are kin?”

Robert nodded. “My buddy, Gavin, also found some records that tie Jesse to PSI. They’re not complete records because those were lost in a fire, but what he found seems to have Jesse listed as being on an extended mission for the Shadow Agent side of things at PSI.”

Bill’s eyes widened. “Holy shit! You’re undercover?”

“No,” said Jesse before stiffening, the word feeling wrong in his mouth. He tensed and sweat beaded on his brow. “I… I don’t think so. Maybe. Honestly, I’m not sure of anything anymore.”

Bill eased forward marginally. “Did the government mess with your head? They give you LSD too?” He lifted his hand and moved it back and forth in front of his own face. “Whoa. Trippie.”

“No,” returned Jesse. He rubbed the back of his neck, coming away with more sweat, his mind racing with what it all meant. “I don’t think… I’m not sure. I thought it was the serum at first, years ago when I started having flashes of memories that didn’t make sense. Then…”

“Then what?” asked Robert.

Jesse’s throat constricted. “After I claimed Lindy, I’ve been having vivid dreams.”

“About?” prompted Robert, his expression patient, his stance relaxed.

Jesse wiped sweat from his brow. “About being young—about Samuel being my cousin but more like a brother to me than not.” He lowered his gaze, the words coming without thought. “Of being in clothing with PSI’s insignia on it, standing in front of a vampire, agreeing to have my memories wiped.”

“Well, slap my ass, tickle my pickle, and call me shocked and satisfied,” said Bill as he let out a low, long whistle.

“Do what and call you what?” questioned Robert.

“If I have to explain what a pickle tickle is, we got a problem.” Bill rolled his eyes like Robert was the issue, not his colorful choices of phrases.

“Hey, Gus has been moaning and groaning something fierce the last few days about Chuck-Wagon’s daddy being somewhere he shouldn’t be.

Keeps hinting that somewhere is with the bad guys. Is he working with the enemy?”

“No,” said Jesse fast, the need to defend Samuel shocking him. He cleared his throat. “We, um… I was with his detail for a while, years ago with The Corporation.”

“Then he is the enemy?” asked Bill.

Jesse shook his head. “Samuel and some others did something they shouldn’t have. They interfered in the testing that place was doing.”

“When you say ‘interfered,’ what do you mean?” questioned Bill, his gaze narrowing. “Good or bad interfering?”

A small laugh came from Jesse, but he was hardly amused.

He felt like he was going mad, defending Samuel and pleading the man’s case.

“The place was testing on kids. I didn’t know.

When I found out, Samuel and the others were already in the middle of breaking the kids loose and getting them the hell out of there. ”

Robert’s jaw twitched. “Lindy has memories of being in testing labs as a small child. Of men in white lab coats and metal cribs. So does Charley. Gavin did some digging on that for me too about a year ago. We think Lindy and Charley were in a Corporation run facility in South Dakota, around?—”

“Twenty-seven years ago?” asked Jesse, his breathing increasing.

Robert watched him closely, nodding.

Jesse squatted down quickly, feeling like he’d faint if he didn’t.

He ran his hands through his hair and took several deep breaths.

Part of him had already known on some level it was her—that Lindy was the little girl from long ago, but this was confirmation.

She was the same little girl he’d felt the fierce need to protect and the same little one who seemed more than fine with how he’d chosen to do so.

A shaky laugh came from him as he remembered her reaction to his snapping the neck of the evil scientist. “She clapped for me.”

“What?” asked Robert.

Bill leaned toward Robert. “I think the sun got to him. Cooked his brain. He’ll be speaking in tongues soon.

That or purring. Fuck if I know what cat-shifters prefer to do.

Stand back in case he barfs up a fur ball or something.

I don’t know if those wash out clothing or not.

Do cats have anal glands that need to be released or is that just a dog thing? ”

Jesse rose to his feet slowly, his gaze colliding with Robert’s. “If The Corporation finds out I claimed Lindy…if they realize who she is, that she’s one of the test subjects…they’ll never stop coming for her. I need to go. I have to get as far from her as I can!”

Robert’s expression hardened. “Do you honestly think you’ll be what makes them hunt her? They’ll hunt her if you’re around her or not. All you’ll be doing is leaving your mate vulnerable. But go ahead and run if that is what you think is best.”

Bill opened his mouth as if to comment but closed it quickly, seeming to be at a loss for words.

Robert pivoted and started walking in the other direction only to stop and spin around, pointing at Jesse. “You were handed the world with her! The fucking world, and you’re going to piss it away because you’re a coward?”

“I’m not a coward,” said Jesse through clenched teeth, his dread over bringing The Corporation down on Lindy giving way to anger at Robert.

“Actions speak a hell of a lot louder than words. And so far, you’ve proven you can claim her but not tell her the truth about it.

And you’ve proven you’d rather be here, hiding out in the middle of nowhere fixing fences, than be face-to-face with your mate.

Yes, everything about you screams not a coward.

” Robert started toward Jesse, as if to charge him but stopped quickly, his body coiled with barely restrained rage.

Flecks of amber started to show through the man’s dark eyes, a sign his wolf was rising.

“Fuck you, man. Fuck you for getting handed the perfect mate and for shitting all over that.”

Bill thumbed toward Robert. “What he said.”

Jesse ran his hands through his hair, his emotions all over the place.

He was torn between vomiting at the thought of bringing The Corporation’s wrath down on Lindy, hell, even Charley, and wanting to kick the ever-loving shit out of Robert for stating the cold, hard truth.

There was no pretty way to paint it, Jesse was taking the coward’s way out.

“I want to be with her. More than anything in the world, but I’m scared shitless that I’ll lead The Corporation right to her, and if not them, the hybrid coyotes in the area. ”

“Not worried about leading them to Charley then?” asked Robert.

“I am. I want her safe too. Hell, before I even saw Lindy here, I’d already set my mind on protecting Charley from the hybrids,” said Jesse.

“That why you’re here at the rescue and not keeping a close eye on your mate?” asked Bill. “Because you value kin over your woman?”

His words were like a jolt to Jesse’s system. “Charley is related to me?!”

Bill groaned. “You are super slow on the uptake. I was right. Two soup cans and some string.”

Robert put his phone in his pocket. “I can put extra eyes on Charley. The PSI guys will help.”

Bill nodded. “It’s true. They will help, but you don’t need to call them. They’ll come if Pony Boy needs their help. He may be stuck in horse form right now, but he’s still a badass.”

“I can have PSI keep an eye on Lindy too, but if she were my mate, I’d want to be there—I’d want to be the one she can count on. Not strangers,” said Robert, the amber still present in his eyes.

“She doesn’t even know I’m her mate,” whispered Jesse, the weight of a lifetime of failures settling on his shoulders. “She doesn’t really know me at all.”

“Who is to blame for that?” asked Robert.

Bill’s hand shot up. “Oh, pick me! I know the answer.”

Robert ignored the man. “The opening to tell her the truth is never going to present itself if you keep putting literal fences between the two of you.”

“Shit,” whispered Jesse, knowing the man was right.

“Why don’t you start by moving your trailer onto her property?

” asked Robert. “It’s big, and to be honest, Lindy doesn’t even know her own property line.

She thinks it ends on the backside of her garage.

It doesn’t. Those woods near her place are hers too.

I tried to tell her that once, but she fell asleep while I was talking. ”

Bill looked Robert up and down slowly. “Them scientists gave you a body built for lovin’ and you’re so bad at using it that women fall asleep when you’re in bed with them?”

Robert let out an annoyed breath. “I never said I was in bed with her at the time.”

“Where were you talking to her about it all?” demanded Bill with a smirk.

Robert cleared his throat, glancing briefly at Jesse. “In bed.”

“And you was talking about woods and property lines? Youth is wasted on the young,” said Bill, disbelief on his scruffy face.

Jesse was too worked up to be jealous.

Robert pinned him with a hard glare, his stance going from casual to authoritative.

“Go be close to Lindy. Park your trailer in the clearing in the woods on the east side of her property, and she’ll assume it’s the property next door.

You’ll be closer to her if something happens, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll grow a pair and talk to her if for no other reason than her asking why you’re staying out there. ”

Bill grinned, his crooked teeth on full display. “Sounds like a good plan, Deputy-Downer.”

“Moving your trailer to her property will handle the other thing I need to speak to you about,” said Robert, ignoring Bill.

“What other thing?” asked Jesse.

“Got a call about your trailer. It can’t stay where it’s at. The spot it’s at now isn’t BLM land. It belongs to the guy who owns the bakery in town. He isn’t happy with some random guy camping on his land. Can’t blame him. If you were on my land like that, I’d shoot you.”

“You’d shoot him for jaywalking,” said Bill.

Robert grinned. “True.”

Jesse grunted. “Thanks.”

Robert pointed at him, his deputy’s badge catching the morning light. “Get it moved before it’s towed.”

“I need a ride to the bar,” Bill said to Robert. “I’m cooking wings and chili tonight. I’d ask Kitty-Scat to take me, but I ain’t got time to wait for his balls to inflate.”