Page 21 of Unleash Hades (Ungoverned Spaces #5)

Hugo

“ W e’ll make second contact with the asset in Edinburgh,” Philippa said, scraping her tines against the plate as she pushed around her food. “Are you sure you gave her the tracker?”

I did not speak, but instead grunted an affirmation.

I had answered this question so many times before, the words had lost all meaning. So I would no longer be putting it to words.

“She knew what it was?” Philippa’s voice was irritated, and irritating in equal measure. It was a wonder how her husband managed to cope with her.

I shrugged.

“For fuck’s sake,” Philippa pinched the bridge of her nose. “Is this the quality of Caledonia Security?”

“Watch it,” Alastair reprimanded, his lips tilted up in a smile.

Philippa was a force, and a great professional among spies. But she was prone to childish condescension - a habit she got from her cover. Though, I wasn’t thoroughly convinced that I knew where her cover ended, and the real woman began.

“You said you had an agent at the fight,” Rose said, leaning forward. She had not touched her food at all. I did not blame her. It was some strange meatloaf concoction, with a tangy, overly sweet sauce that made my taste buds sore. “We didn’t see him.”

“He saw you, though,” Philippa said before she looked back at me. “He said you fought well, but that the She-Bear had you on the backfoot the whole time. And there was a complication we had to handle.” Philippa sighed. “The matter of the journalist–”

My head popped up. “What journalist?”

Philippa made a circle with her fork, as if she was using it to stimulate her thoughts. “You know the one… Chloe’s pompous sister.”

She was doing this to annoy me. She knew about Cali. They all did. We, as a loose assortment that we called “family” might be able to keep secrets from the outside world, but from one another? We were a fucking mess.

“I thought you were Chloe’s pompous sister,” Alastair said with a smirk.

His wife kicked him under the table and glared at him.

“I mean Chloe’s literal sister. Calissandra.” Philippa leaned forward in her seat, looking at me with a knowing, sarcastic glint in her eye. Alastair might tease her, but she was too busy teasing me to care. “ Married to that Davenport fellow.”

I clenched my fist.

“I don’t know her,” I said. “The Calissandra I know is not married, by any means.”

“I beg to differ,” Alastair said with a scoff.

“Richard himself came up to me at Pippa’s wedding asking about some of our proprietary tech.

He said he wanted to track his sons while they were in uni.

You know, the kids they’ve adopted together .

” That Englishman was about to get a fist to the throat. “Because they’re married .”

Everyone chuckled at my expense, even though each was a dagger to my heart. But they didn’t know. How could they? None of them knew the full extent of it. Hell, they probably thought I was delusional until she kissed me in front of everyone, making me promise to protect her sister.

I was beginning to think I was delusional myself, until her hands grabbed my cheeks and she put her mouth on mine. No apology, no preamble. Just her tongue seeking solace in my mouth, as I felt the beauty of her familiar warmth.

She had whispered a “thank you” then ordered me to protect her sister - a task that was quite easy to accept, since she was now partnered with one of Caledonia’s assassins.

I looked at Pippa, and said again with precision, “She isn’t married.”

“Delusional Frenchman,” Pippa said. “Well, either way, my agent will handle her…”

“What do you mean, handle her?” I snapped.

I knew what the MI6 Sideshow freaks did. I knew what their idea of “handling” someone was. It usually involved a white van, and a tragic boating accident, involving a body that would never be found.

“Calm your tits,” Pippa said with a laugh. “I mean that we think we can convert her. Our agent…”

“Who?” I knew what means of conversion they had as well. Honeypots, or sexual and romantic manipulation, being the most popular. “Who is the agent?”

So who was I going to kill for touching what was mine?

“That’s classified,” Pippa said, leaning back in her seat, her fingers on the table. “But we think that she will be able to help us build our case against Richard Davenport.”

“She doesn’t know anything. She’s trying to investigate him on her own, but whatever he’s involved with, she knows nothing.” I leaned forward in my seat. “What do you have, exactly, on the man?”

“That’s also classified.”

“Then send your own fighter in to make contact.” I took a bite of food, placed it in my mouth with the intent of chewing and swallowing with a smug look on my face, but I was horrified by the taste and almost choked on it.

Why did I keep eating with these bastards? I might as well just drink a protein shake in my room.

“I swear, watching you eat is one of my favorite pastimes.” Pippa put her cheek against her palm.

“Watching me puke, more like.” I wrinkled my nose. “Must you English make all your food stale?”

“Yes, it’s part of the appeal,” Alastair deadpanned.

“Leave him alone,” Rose said, wrinkling her nose. She wasn’t a fan of the food before her either, and I was growing more fond of her over time.

“Don’t stick up for him,” Alastair said with a chuckle, grabbing his wife’s hand. “Our stoic Frenchman brings it on himself.”

I stared at them, noticing that Rose retracted her arm, just a little, when he touched her. It was a small movement, and he did not notice. But I did.

“If you want me to keep getting my face beaten,” I finally said, lowering the fork. “Then I will need more information.”

I would not eat whatever this was. I only came out to break the monotony of work, and force myself into the company of my closest friends.

Close friends, but still not close enough.

Pippa looked at me, her blue eyes serious, as she pursed her lips.

“What you need to know is that Richard needs to be put away, and…” Her eyes darted to the side, and her lips pursed as she thought about her next words. “And he has some things to take responsibility for.”

She placed her hands on the table, opening them palm towards me in a surrendering gesture.

“I chose you of all the Caledonia agents because I think that you have more skin in the game. That you and I are on the same side, and want the same results.” Then she became somber.

Deadly serious. “It would make me very happy to see him away from the Laurent family. Both the ones born to it, and the ones adopted.”

The Laurent family, not the Davenport one.

Both Cali and Chloe had adopted their sons… surely she meant Cali’s twin brats too.

I took a deep breath, and nodded.

I had promised to keep them all safe. There was nothing left for us to say.