Page 105 of Jonesing for a Spy

“Hey. I have skills.” I sound like I’m quoting Liam Neeson when we both know my skills aren’t in any way applicable to these situations.

“Don’t take it like that. I like your skills. Your skills do it for me. Big time. I’m just saying that you empower me in a way that my brothers won’t be able to overlook. I’m stronger with you around.” Her voice drops, and she sucks in a deep breath. “And I get to be more vulnerable when I’m with you. My take-no-shit crunchy exterior melts like an M&M on a summer day when I’m with you.”

“I’ve never heard a greater compliment in my whole life.”

“Something in you lets me drop the walls. And that’s more terrifying than insurgents in the Middle East. So you’re going to need to bear with me. I’m not used to not needing to protect myself. Even from myself.”

“Baby”—my voice drops to a growling whisper—“I told you I’ve got you. You don’t need to protect yourself. That’s my job.”

“Terrifying.” The word is so quiet I strain to hear her, but I wouldn’t dare ask her to repeat it.

“You can be scared, Mirren. I’ll still have your back. On this one, I’m going to insist. Do it scared. Until you know down to your toes that you’re not just safe with me. But safe from everything because I’ll make sure of it.”

Her breath hitches, and her voice drops. “I love you, Strider. We’ll find a way.”

That goes without saying. We’ll find a way. We’ll make a way. We’ll be the way. With Mirren by my side, I’m invincible. And nothing will ever harm her.

“Love you, Freckles. I get to see you tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, we get to start figuring out where we’re going together. Not individually, but as a unit.

“Finally,” she breathes.

And I feel it down to my dick.

44

freeze-frame

Strider

Another three-thirty wake up call, another walk through the brisk, though not cold, December air with Charlie and Jamie. Mikey’s affable nature is missing. I didn’t realize yesterday how light he made the air around him.

Jamie is serious. And his serious is serious. I wait for the jokes. I wait to see the Jones in him. They all have some quirk, but his is masked for sure.

Mirren is right. He could bare-hand karate chop me to death, and I’d never see it coming.

Yet, he’s here. Before sunrise, wandering a wooded area. Maybe this is my never-saw-it-coming moment, and Charlie will haul my body back to his pig stye where I’ll be eaten and shit out by swine, never to be seen again.

I push the glasses up my face and square my shoulders. I’m tall, just over six feet. But Charlie has two inches on me and Jamie has at least three.

The eldest in the lead, Charlie lifts his hand in a closed fist and points straight ahead. Sure enough, two bucks are in the clearing.

I thought they were supposed to run at the sound of footsteps and the smell of humans. I don’t know. I eat meat, but I’m not the guy who revels in the kill.

Jamie never moves. He stands stock-still, peering at the animals as Charlie lifts his rifle and fires.

Both scatter. Hell, two we didn’t see sprint off in different directions as well.

“Man, you suck at this, Skipper,” Jamie grouses over my head. He never lifted his rifle, never peered through the scope. If I had to guess, he never misses. So he’s not out here to hunt.

“Yeah, well, I’m good at other things.” Charlie spins and flicks his tongue at Jamie.

“Ugh,” the younger, dark-haired one replies. “I never want to hear you discuss oral skills or allude to them again in my life. I’d hate to lose my only older brother.”

“You won’t lose me, Ham.”

“Don’t be so sure.” Jamie turns more precisely than I’d expect and begins the walk back toward the clearing and the truck. “Let’s go to Mona’s.”