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“It remains a rumor for now.”
Both Doc and Merrigan jumped when they heard the baby’s wail through the monitor sitting on the coffee table.
“I’ll get him,” offered Doc.
“Thanks, darling.” Merrigan leaned back in her chair, looking more tired than Striker remembered seeing her outside of a mission.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Striker asked once Doc was out of earshot.
“I’m fine,” she said, smiling and rubbing her belly. “I want this for you, Griff. I can’t wait to see you with a baby of your own. You’ll make an amazing father.”
Striker did his best not to react, but hiding anything from Merrigan was impossible. Not only had the woman known him for years, she was also a former MI-6 agent. She’d been one of the highest ranking operatives they had until she retired to spend her life with Doc and run K19.
“Fess up, Ellis. What makes you think you never will be?”
He should’ve known her first strike would be right at the heart of it. “I can’t.”
“That could be construed in so many ways. What makes you say you can’t?”
Merrigan would be the third person he told this story. The first had been a virtual stranger—someone he met on a plane. The second was Razor. Why he’d confided in him was still a mystery. And now, her. Out of anyone he knew, she would understand the best.
“I got a call earlier in the year. The man identified himself as a doctor, and then told me he was calling regarding Pamela Ellis, my sister.”
16
“We’re going to have a houseful for Thanksgiving dinner,” said Ava when Aine walked back in with Sam in her arms.
“Mom won’t be back from her cruise for another couple of weeks. Who else is coming?”
“Besides you, me, and Tabon? His mother and sister plus her two girls. That, of course, means Monk will be here.”
“That’s ten with Penelope and Tara.”
“Tabon said that since Quinn wanted to be here too, she and Mercer talked Doc and Merrigan into coming.”
“Sixteen, then, if you count their baby and Sam.”
“I guess I should since they’re both in high chairs. That’s too many for us to all fit at the table. It’s going to have to be more casual.”
“No one will care, Ava.”
“I know. I just wanted it to be nice.”
Aine laughed. “What would make it nicer than the Tribe of Five being together again, plus so many other friends and family?”
Since Ava hadn’t mentioned Striker, Aine didn’t either. She was sure her sister would’ve if he were planning to join them. She wondered what he’d
do instead, though. It wasn’t as if he had any family to spend it with. Maybe he was staying away intentionally because he thought she wouldn’t want him to be there.
“What about Striker?” she asked, feeling guilty.
“Right. That makes seventeen.”
“So he is coming?”
“It wouldn’t be very nice of us not to invite him.”
Aine nodded.
