Page 8 of Kyle (Gold Team #3)

“Smith,” I answered.

“Kyle?”

“Yep. Everything okay, Violet? ”

“How is he?”

I should’ve expected this call. Violet Cain loved her twin brother, and from what I’d heard, she’d been worried about his state of mind for a long time. After the clusterfuck I’d just witnessed, she had a reason to worry.

“Listen—”

“Please, Kyle. I’m not asking you to betray his trust, but I read the mission brief. I know where you guys are going, and I know it’s gotta be fucking with my brother’s head. I have to know how he’s handling it.”

Of course she’d read the mission details.

After she’d married Jaxon, Zane had hired her.

Partly because Zane was a freak about keeping family close where he could keep a watchful eye on everyone, but also because her experience with the CIA brought value to the Red Team and Z Corps as a whole.

She was wicked smart and a damn good intel analyst.

She also had a bullshit meter that was second to only Zane’s—she’d sniff out a lie in two-point-five seconds.

“Not well.”

“I figured,” she sighed.

“He just slammed Anaya and ground her into the dirt. You have any idea what happened to him? I’m gonna need something if I want to run interference between these two.”

“No. I’ve never looked into his past, beyond what I did when I okayed his clearance for the CIA. But, admittedly, the dossier I had was complete bullshit, or I would’ve found our connection.”

I couldn’t imagine how Violet had felt when she found out the brother she didn’t remember having sat across from her as she interviewed him for a long-term undercover mission with the CIA.

Talk about a kick in the teeth. And what was worse, Declan had remembered her.

He had known Violet was his twin sister and had chosen not to disclose the information to her.

“And since Zane hired him?”

“Zane may have a real file on him, but I’ve never asked, and I’ve never looked into him. It feels like a violation of trust. When my brother’s ready, he’ll tell me.”

“Maybe it’s time—”

“No,” Violet snapped. “He’ll bolt. He’ll never forgive that kind of betrayal and we’ll all lose him.”

Fuck it all to hell, she was right. But I was desperate. I hated seeing the pain in my friend’s eyes and I didn’t think Anaya could handle another blow. And she certainly didn’t deserve it.

Back to square one.

“I’ll keep my eye on him.”

“I’d appreciate that. Zane said he’d fly over if you need him. He’s worried, too.”

“We’re fine. How’s the investigation going into Omni?”

“Good. Tex and Garrett hit pay dirt. Ashaki Maloof got to Emilio Ruiz and convinced him she’s his best way out of Omni. Emilio is still seething his daughter was targeted for a kidnapping attempt. I think he’s feeling vulnerable and that’s why he wants to extradite his family from Omni ties.”

Ashaki Maloof was an undercover CIA agent.

The team was still on the fence about her, on the outside she looked way too cozy with the bad guys.

Which was the point of undercover work, but even to the trained eye it had looked like she turned.

Then there was the fact she’d disappeared and had failed to check in.

Now she’d resurfaced and had dumped intel.

Emilio Ruiz was also worrisome. He was up to his ass in Omni business.

And he may’ve been disgruntled that someone in the organization had arranged for his daughter to be kidnapped, but the man was far from stupid.

He was the second wealthiest man in his home country of Mexico, he didn’t find success by making off-the-cuff decisions based on emotion.

Then there was Omni. There was no way the group would allow dissension in their ranks.

The secret group was comprised of the richest men in the world.

They’d infiltrated the government and made behind the scenes plays that would further ensure their businesses and power would grow.

It was doubtful Emilio would seriously try to leave the organization.

If he felt vulnerable now, if he left, he’d be feeling something else entirely.

Or typically, he wouldn’t be feeling much of anything considering he’d be dead.

“And Tex and Garrett verified Maloof’s intel? Ruiz isn’t dumb, he’ll understand if he tries to fuck over Omni, he and his family won’t be breathin’ for very long.”

“Tex verified but no one’s running headfirst into this blind. Ashaki’s intel is good, but Harry Landry screwed up and we hit gold.”

Harry Landry was a dirtbag of the highest order. He peddled in drug and flesh. Thad’s wife Emerson had dealt with him in the past but unfortunately she’d left him alive when she was done with him.

“What’d he do?” I asked.

“Arranged a shipment of girls on an unsecured line. You’ll never guess where from.”

“If you tell me Timor-Leste, I’m going to tell you it’s a setup.”

“Nope. Cambodia. Don’t be surprised if Zane reroutes your flight home. You and Dec are the closest.”

“No goddamn way. We’ll have Anaya with us.”

“She’ll catch a flight back to the States first.”

There was zero chance I was leaving Anaya to fly home on her own after this was over.

Not only would the rescue dredge up painful memories for her, it would be dangerous.

Even if we took Amisha out, there would be a lot of people who would be unhappy about their steady stream of income and girls getting cut off.

“Not happening. I won’t leave her unprotected.”

“Kyle—”

“No. You can tell Zane that Anaya stays with us. Period.”

“I’ll tell him, but you know Z, he’s gonna have a shit hemorrhage.”

My boss likely would have a few choice words for me.

“Never mind. Don’t mention it to him. I’ll tell him when he calls.”

“I’d appreciate that,” she sighed in relief. “Is there a reason why you’re acting so weird?”

“Weird?”

“Yeah, about this woman. She lived in Timor-Leste for six months, she knows the area. And from what I read about her, she’s used to flying around the world on her own. She doesn’t seem like the type of woman who needs to be taken care of.”

Anaya wasn’t that type of woman, and she’d likely not be happy I was treating her like she was, yet I still wasn’t going to let her out of my sight until I knew she was safe and sound back in the United States.

At least that was the story I was telling myself and it was far easier to go with that than admit I simply wanted to be around her.

“Is there something more going on?” Violet asked when I didn’t answer her fast enough.

“Nope. Everything’s gravy. I just don’t feel comfortable with her flying back alone.”

And I didn’t want to think about why the thought of her leaving and me never seeing her again had my gut twisting.

“Right,” Violet muttered, her tone full of unasked questions. “You’ll let me know about my brother? ”

“No, I won’t babysit him and check in with you, but I will take his back if he needs it.”

“But—”

“I know you’re worried. But he’s a big boy and you know he’d be pissed if I was keeping tabs on him and checking in with you.”

“Fine. You’re right,” she huffed.

“We’ll call in after we hit the city tonight.”

I disconnected and shoved my phone in my back pocket.

“My sister?” Declan asked from behind me.

It was disturbing how quiet he could be for such a large man.

“She’s concerned about your mental health.” I smirked. “I assured her you’re the asshole you always are, and your disposition is that of a starved crocodile. She seemed to be satisfied with my description.”

“Fuck. She’s pregnant, she doesn’t need to be worried about me.” Dec scrubbed his hands over his face.

Without warning Dec did something he’d never done, he shared.

“When I was a kid, about seven, I lived in a foster home that was so wicked, I swear at seven I could feel it. I just knew. There were two of us boys sharing a room, next to us there was another bedroom, four girls lived in there. Every weekend my foster father would leave with one of the girls and be gone from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. No one talked about it, no one questioned where they went, no one asked why he chose the girl he did. It was business as usual. But one day the other boy who was older than me asked one of the girls where they went. Natalie refused to tell him. But not only that, even at my age I could feel the fear rollin’ off her.

“I’d been there almost six months when I came home from school and she’d hanged herself in my bedroom.

First time I ever saw a dead person.” Declan stopped and shook his head, disgust clear as day.

“I’ll never forget her hanging there. The cops came, the ME, the house was swarmin’.

None of the other girls would talk, until a week later when the social worker and the police came back.

Natalie was pregnant. She was thirteen when she killed herself.

The five of us were removed that day and the Petersons were arrested. ”

Declan paused and blew out a long, tortured breath. “Anaya reminds me of Natalie. Same color hair, same soft eyes even though they’ve seen more than they should. It doesn’t help that Anaya was thirteen when she was kidnapped and trafficked. All of this is dredging up shit I long ago buried.”

“Do you think it might be time to stop burying it and start dealing with it?”

“Fuck no. Once you break the seal on the vault all sorts of ghosts start making their way to the surface.”

“And Violet? You ever gonna open up to her?”

“That’s a hell no. She had a good family who adopted her, she doesn’t need to dwell on my shit. She has Jaxon, they live a good life, and they’re working on giving me nieces and nephews.”

“But—”

“Serious as shit, Kyle, I don’t want her knowing anything. I didn’t live through shit to dirty my sister up. I’ll talk to Anaya and I’ll keep my issues to myself.”

Ugly jealousy reared its head. I had no claim on Anaya, but I’d seen it once before when Declan was talking about her and I just saw it again—he admired her.

“If you need someone to talk to about all that shit, I’m here to listen,” I told him.

“’Preciate it. But I’m straight.”

No he was not straight, he wasn’t even bent, he was fuckin’ broken and refused to ask for help.

Declan took off back toward the house and I stood on the beach a little while longer staring out at the water.

Dec’s childhood had been hellacious, I didn’t think his time in the CIA had been any better.

Some of my earlier anger toward him waned, and I hoped to God he’d reach out instead of bottling it up.

Declan Crenshaw was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and I wanted Anaya clear of the blast.