Page 69 of Spy With Me

Devi sat up and scrambled off his lap. She faced her cousinand looked like a sexy goddess in her robe and nothing else. Her hair was wildand eyes slightly wicked. “Kala, you are not having Zach arrested.”

Kala was currently back on her feet, trying to land a punch.

Lucy was good at evading. “She’s not having Zach arrested.She’ll be too busy in the emergency room. Though you’ll have to find one. I’mplanning on feeding your dead body to the pigs. Wait. I wouldn’t want them toingest all that bile.”

“I’m going in.” Lou reached into her backpack and came outwith a water bottle. The spray kind.

“You’re the one who’s about to be in need of socializedmedicine,” Kala vowed.

“I’m serious.” Devi wasn’t backing down. “You are not takinghim. He has work to do. I don’t care what kind of oppy thing you’re running.”

Kala swiped out with her leg, catching Lucy’s and sendingher to the ground. “Oppy thing? I was trying to find you, damn it.” Shepounced, pinning Lucy. “I was worried about you, but here you are playing sexgames in a barn.”

“In my barn?” Lucy’s gaze turned Devi’s way. “Where theinnocent animals are? What is wrong with you? Hey, Coop. Good to see you. Sadyou have such awful taste in women.”

“Well, I was taking your dad’s advice,” Zach shot back. “Hehelped me make the spanking bench. I should have asked why the vet knew so muchabout furniture building.”

“Eww,” Lucy said, bringing her knee up to catch Kala in thecrotch.

“Way to confirm your dad’s here,” Kala shot back with awince. “The good news is he can build your coffin.”

“No. Bad Kala. No.” Lou moved in, spraying her bestie withthe water.

Kala growled but she moved off Lucy. “Lou, I told you that’srude.”

“Yeah, Lou, don’t be rude,” Lucy said in a singsong, sure tofrustrate Kala tone.

Lou turned the water bottle on her. “Bad Lucy.”

“Hey.” Lucy scrambled to her feet. “What the hell?”

Devi grinned as she turned to Lou. “Can I try it?”

“Not a good idea. Lou is trained.” Cooper moved to thecenter of the room and looked the women over. “You two need to chill the fuckout because the Canadians are on their way. We need to get ready for a meeting,and that means keeping everyone’s cover.”

Zach stood because this was news to him. “The Canadians?”

Kala seemed to sober at the thought. “Yeah, how do you thinkwe found you? Ben Parker has been looking for you. Zach, that is. Though Isuspect he used Devi being missing as another starting point.”

“The last time I saw Parker, he was still upset with MissMagenta.” Did everyone know where he was? Because it was hard to believe thatif Henry Flanders knew, Big Tag didn’t, and what was the game? It was obviousBig Tag was playing a long one.

“Miss Magenta, gag.” Lucy said.

“It’s better than Lacey Rook. You sound like some chick withan OnlyFans,” Kala shot back.

But now that he understood all the relationships, Zach gotLucy’s name. “Her dad went by John Bishop. She used Rook instead. Both chessreferences.”

“Very good, Zach. I wasn’t going to be a pawn.” Lucystraightened her shirt. “And now I need to call my dad since apparently we’rehosting the Canadians. It would have been nice if someone told me they werehere.”

“It would have been nice if you were never born,” Kala shotback and then held up her hands because Lou was serious about the water bottle.“Sorry. I can be professional.” She turned to Zach. “Miss Magenta and BenParker have made up and are working together well now. It’s why he agreed tohelp us out. We couldn’t look for you with Agency contacts because they wouldreport back and be surprised when we don’t arrest you. At least that’s what wethought. Now I wonder how much my dad isn’t telling me.”

“The Agency doesn’t know,” Lucy admitted. “I mean they knowI’m working on Disrupt Europe, but I’m hunting a terrorist with ties there.They don’t know that I found the bombmaker, and they certainly don’t know Dadand I are working with Zach. Hopefully your friend doesn’t feel the need toupdate the Agency.”

“Parker is going a little rogue on this op,” Cooperadmitted.

“Kind of like we are,” Lou said. “There’s a reason the wholeteam isn’t here. We’re doing this without Big Tag and Charlotte. I don’t thinkBen’s going to rat us out.”

“You found her? You made contact with her?” Zach felt hisheart threaten to seize. They were missing the big point.