Page 53

Stella

Siren Song, Maine

S tella stared at Twitch’s face on her phone screen. It was the face of a friend, maybe Stella’s only one. It was a face she had betrayed.

“So, I’ve been looking into the Hyperion members—is that the right word? Members?”

“That’s the term Theo uses, yes.”

“And your mission objective?”

“Hyperion monitors and identifies potential threats,” Stella replied

“And independently evaluates and eliminates them?” Twitch asked.

“Twitch, Hyperion’s only objective is the safety of the United States. The eleven senior members don’t even draw a salary.”

“Stella, you have to admit the potential for corruption is high.”

“I guess that’s true, but I promise you I have never participated in any op I felt was suspect.”

“Until now.”

“Until now,” Stella confirmed, recalling the unnerving feeling of being followed and her hotel room being searched when she posed as Sabrina Kittridge.

“What happened the last time you met with senior officials?”

“It was before this last assignment. I attended a briefing with my handler, the Vice President, and eight other high-ranking national security officials. I delivered my final status report on Project Bloodhound.”

“So, at that briefing, nothing out of the ordinary happened.”

“The only item in my report was the routine scan of computers with access to the research. There was one anomaly. A duplicate print job.” Stella explained the details of what she had discovered.

“It could be a computer error, or your spy found a clever way to access physical copies of the data.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Stella said.

She wanted to explore this issue with Twitch because she had an expertise that Stella valued, but something else was weighing on her.

“Twitch?”

“Stella, you don’t need to explain.”

“I’d like to, if you’ll let me.”

“Okay.”

“First, I want you to know those drives we passed back and forth for fun all those times—nothing was on them. It was just fun.”

For years, Stella and Twitch played a running game in which they practiced “spy skills” by secretly passing flash drives to each other.

Stella’s undercover identity, Sofria Kirk, was a CIA analyst hoping to work in the field.

She and Twitch would swap jokes and messages of friendship so Sofria could hone her covert moves.

“I know. It was the first thing I checked,” Twitch said.

“Okay, good.”

“I was relieved—not because of security. I feel like that’s one of the ways we became friends. Well, Sofria and I.”

“That’s what I’m trying to say. Yes, I was posing as Sofria Kirk, but my friendship with you, with the whole team, really, but especially you, was real, Twitch. And the things I told you about my fears and insecurities and the things I love were all true.”

“All of it?”

Stella scrunched her face. “Most of it. The backstory obviously wasn’t, and I’m not from Florida.

But what I told you about never being in love and not having friends?

All true. You were the first friend I’ve had since grade school.

I was brokenhearted about letting that go when the assignment was over. ”

“I told you a lot of stuff, too.”

“And I’ve never breathed a word. I value those secrets, Twitch. I had never kept a secret for a friend before. Anything we shared about our lives is in the vault.”

Twitch bit into a granola bar and sipped what looked like apple juice. “I need some time to process, okay?”

Stella blew out a breath. “Of course.”

“We’ll work it out. I’m looking forward to getting to know Stella. You know, one time, a year or so ago, I was putting Auggie to bed, and I showed him the video clip you dropped in my pocket that day. It was that crazy wiener dog race. Do you remember?”

Stella laughed. “I remember. The one little guy kept running over to his owner.”

“Auggie said, ‘She’s a good egg.’ I believe that, Stella.”

“Thank you for everything.”

“Stella, you know Finn was a NOC officer with the CIA. He was undercover for five years. I know you’re worried about our reaction, but make sure you take care of you. That kind of work takes a toll.”

“Twitch, you amaze me. I confess this huge lie, and you’re concerned about me?”

“I think I’m a pretty good judge of people despite what they show the world. I wouldn’t be with Finn if I weren’t.”

“If only your coworker were so easy to convince.”

Twitch tilted her head back and forth. “In Ren’s defense, I wasn’t in love with you.”

Her words hit Stella like a knife in the heart.

Ren had been in love with Sofria Kirk. Despite Twitch’s reassuring words, in her heart, she knew if Ren wanted a girl like Sofria, he could never have feelings for Stella.

She wasn’t sure why that saddened her. The inverse was equally true.

Stella Keen would never be attracted to a reserved, bookish man like Ren.

Twitch must have sensed her mood shift. “Give it some time, Stella. As much as Ren doesn’t know the real you, I’m pretty sure you don’t know the real Ren either.”

Stella forced a smile. “I’ll check in with you in a few days.”

“Copy that.” With an exaggerated salute and a wink, Twitch ended the call.

Stella heard movement in the living room, and Newton’s tail swatted the tops of her sneakers.

A moment later, Ren walked through the room and into the kitchen to make coffee.

He was only wearing boxers, and his dark hair was tousled from sleep.

Stella took a moment to examine the tapestry of injuries on his muscled torso.

There was a small scar from where she had stabbed him at the hotel.

Below that, a long, thin scar ran across his side, and a thicker, uglier one marred his right bicep below the tattoo.

She thought about Twitch’s parting words about not knowing the real Ren. She was right. This man had drugged her and kidnapped her. The Ren she had gotten to know when she posed as Sofria Kirk wasn’t capable of those actions—at least, she thought not.

He turned the corner and lumbered into the kitchen without acknowledging her. She peered over the laptop screen at the injuries caused by the shotgun. He had killed her attackers and hadn’t batted an eye when Stella incinerated the crime scene.

Sofria Kirk made a lot of assumptions about Leo Jameson. Her eyes wandered down Ren’s back to his firm ass and strong legs. Stella Keen was enjoying proving them wrong. She loved this complicated, fucked up man. It was a realization that sent a tear down her cheek.