Page 9 of Justified Lies (TFH Team Bravo #3)

Five

Keeping his gun trained on El, Kap walked into the room.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

He shook his head. “I just told you, we needed to have a talk.”

“You’ve been cleared, so why are you here?”

“I wanted to touch base with you about a few things.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t be bothering your sister anymore.”

“You’ll bother her until she dies, I suspect, but I wanted to give you a little more information about the case.”

“And you couldn’t call me?”

“CIA, or was at one time. Don’t trust phones, but according to my sister and another friend, I can trust you, so I will.”

Knowing he looked like an idiot holding his gun on El, he holstered it, then crossed his arms. Holding his gun on a former CIA agent was probably stupid. “Go ahead.”

“How far have you gotten into your investigation?”

Kap rolled his eyes. “You know I can’t tell you anything. It’s an open investigation.”

“Does the name Edwin O’Malley mean anything to you?”

“Is that who you suspect?”

“No. At least not anymore. Look him up.”

Then he rose to his feet. “Gotta get home, or my sister will come looking for me, and we both know she will not be happy that I came here.”

“O’Malley?”

He stopped beside Kap. This close, there was no denying he was Eden’s twin. They shared the same eyes. Darkness clung to him, but the eyes…they would always remind Kap of Eden.

“Yeah. I figure you can follow the footprints.”

“Way not to be a creepy CIA operative.”

“You forget, ex-CIA.”

He headed to the front door and slipped out without another word. Dammit. Now, he knew he wasn’t going to rest until he started to look into whoever O’Malley was and how he fit into the entire situation.

“Where the hell have you been?” Eden demanded the moment he walked through the front door.

“Like Sam didn’t tell you,” he said, letting one eyebrow rise.

“I needed you here to talk to Ian.”

“Did you tell him?”

“I had to. He’s former MI-6. He already knew something was up.”

He grunted.

“There’s moco loco in there for you. Well, the patty and rice. The eggs were gross.”

“Thanks.” He barely looked at her as he passed by. Alarm raced through her. This felt like it did when she’d pulled him out of that hellhole, when he had almost died. Desperation gnawed at her gut. He was shutting down again, and she couldn’t have that.

“El,” she said. He paused with one foot on the first step that led upstairs and looked at her. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “It’s been a long few days with the trip back from Japan.” He always had an issue with jet lag. “And I know that Sam called you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because she’s a busybody like my sister. Don’t worry. I’m fine, Ed.”

She nodded as she watched him trudge up the stairs.

Worry in her gut. This whole thing was spiraling out of control, and she worried she would lose her brother for good.

After he physically recovered from his torture, he was a shell of himself.

Before, smiles had been easier, but even three years later, every smile he gave the world seemed to cause him pain.

Eden wasn’t sure he would ever be the same.

Her mind filtered back through the memories.

She had been dating Kap for a month and had finally gotten permission from Uncle Marv to tell him that she was a CIA asset.

While he had been an NCIS agent at the time with security clearance, her family had been different.

Decades of spying for the US government had made it hard to be honest with anyone she dated.

Even her best friends had no idea, except Sam, but then, she was CIA, too.

If she hadn’t been so wrapped up in Kap, she would have noticed the moment her brother disappeared, or she would have picked up that he was going down a bad road. Something.

Because, when she’d asked Sam if she was her brother’s keeper, they both knew the truth was that she always had been. Eden was five minutes older than her brother. She couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t looking out for him.

No, wait. It was when she was infatuated with a tall drink of water, who still got her hot whenever she saw him. Even after he turned his back on her, she’d wanted him. In her bed, in her life…but she didn’t really think she could trust him. Not now with so much at stake.

“Jesus, did you go home?” Graeme asked as he stepped into Kap’s office.

“I’m wearing a different outfit. And yes, I did, but I had a late-night visitor.”

“I don’t want to hear about any women you picked up.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, exasperated with his temporary partner.

“Then who?”

“Elwood Carlyle.”

“What kind of a name is Elwood?” Graeme asked.

“Probably an old family name. Anyway, he told me to look into another CIA agent by the name of Edwin O’Malley.”

Graeme’s eyes widened.

“I know. I was skeptical. But see, that’s the thing. O’Malley was found murdered. No suspects. They are trying to play it off like it was a robbery.”

“Anything missing?”

He shook his head. “And can you guess where he was killed?”

“Bugger me. Here?”

“Yeah, about four months ago. It was during the whole thing with Keely.”

Keely Templeton was Ryan Morrison’s fiancée. She’d been a witness to a murder, and they’d had to find her once she’d fled.

“You don’t think he was trying to divert your attention.”

“I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

He nodded.

Before he could ask Kap another question, he noticed Ian Smith walking through their common area. He shot his smile at a few people, but he had zeroed in on Kap.

“Early for you Dillon Security types, isn’t it?” Graeme asked, humor in his voice.

“I’m working on the set of Task Force Honolulu this week. They have a night shoot, so I don’t have to be in until later.” His blue gaze focused on Kap. “Do you have a moment?”

“Does this have to do with the case?” Kap asked.

“Not really. It’s personal.”

“That’s my cue to leave. I’ll head down and see if Charity found anything.”

He tossed a knowing look in Kap’s direction. Great. Now, TFH was going to start betting on his love life.

“Come on in and shut the door,” he said as he sat down behind his desk. “What’s on your mind?”

Ian settled into one of the chairs in front of Kap’s desk. “I want to make sure that your investigation into this Green character isn’t some kind of revenge. Or at least you aren’t going to use it against Eden.”

Kap didn’t respond right away. It was hard to hold onto his calm when his integrity had been questioned by a damned former agent.

“I would never do that.”

“I know you had a relationship with her a few years ago before you abandoned her, so—”

“First, I didn’t abandon her. She lied to me. I was apparently the last person to know she was CIA.”

Ian cocked his head as he studied Kap. “Hmm, interesting. So much heat still.”

Fuck. He was sick of mind games with spies.

“Is that all you wanted?”

“No. See, the reason Eden and I work well together is our backgrounds.”

“I know you were both spies.”

He shook his head. “No. We grew up in the life. Granted, I was shielded more than the Carlyles were. They lived all over the world, and knowing the two of them, they figured out at an early age that their life wasn’t normal. It’s not an easy life.”

“Yes, living in embassies and consulates is a real tough life as a kid.”

“Definitely a thorn in your side, hmm?”

“Fuck off.”

His mouth kicked up, then his smirk faded. “I usually stay out of people’s personal lives, but I’m uniquely qualified to give you advice. This childhood trained her…trained me…not to trust anyone.”

“I thought all spies were like that.”

“To a point, but multiply that by a thousand for a kid who grew up being told they were a target. She couldn’t trust a soul with her secret, and if you think back to your time together, she didn’t seem to have a lot of experience with relationships, right?”

The memories he’d always tried to keep at bay came flooding back. Sending her flowers, opening doors for her…all of it seemed like it had never happened to her before. Eden hadn’t been a virgin, but she seemed completely confused by his pursuit.

“Just know that you were probably her only relationship. And her situation was even more unique than mine. Her family’s business had been used as a front. Any crack could put them all in danger.”

He said nothing in response.

“So as long as you aren’t going to bother my partner, we’re cool.”

“What is your interest in her?” Fuck, from the knowing look Ian just gave him, Kap had shown his interest. But he wasn’t.

It was just that he hated thinking someone like Ian, with his cool attitude and expensive suits—even in Hawai’i—was involved with her.

And yes, he knew he sounded like an asshole.

“She’s my partner. I will always have her back, no matter what. And, Hanson, remember that while I can control my reaction to your interest in Eden, Elwood wouldn’t take to you breaking her heart again. And that man is living on the edge. The only thing holding him back is Eden, so be careful.”

Then he left Kap alone with his thoughts.

Another long, boring day of shooting, and Eden was happy that this was their last day.

Granted, it hadn’t started until noon, but it was after nine now.

She still had a bit of jet lag bothering her, mainly because she hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before.

Or, at least, not more than a few minutes here and there.

She was glad she had no reason to go into the office the next day.

The permanent security detail had been brought in, and they were free for other things.

How did people just sit around not doing anything all day?

There were a ton of people on the set doing just that.

She would go insane doing that every single day.

Her plans for tomorrow involved her couch and a TV, and as many calories as she could cram into her body.