I’m Yours, Baby(24)

“Who?” I roared, my grip on the phone practically crushing. I kept my other arm firm, but gentle, so I wouldn’t hurt Aspen.

“It was only accessed by one person and Martin traced the encrypted IP to another agent in D.C. It was Kat.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Something in his tone was needling me and really pissing me the fuck off. I moved Aspen gently off of my lap before jumping to my feet. I stalked across the room, wanting to be far away from her if I lost control of my tightly leashed temper.

“You knew, didn’t you?” I seethed.

He blew out a breath. “Not for sure. Kat has moved departments a few times. No one has complained on the record, but her file has some subtle notations.”

I glanced back at Aspen, who was watching me pace, her mocha eyes wide and confused. I tried to soften what I knew must be a frightening expression on my face.

“Justice, I don’t have time for bullshit games. Spell it out.” I started pacing, one hand diving into my hair and yanking on the strands.

“They are all small things that point to obsessive tendencies, adding that to a common notation about being overly-friendly...” he trailed off, his conclusion implied.

“How the hell is she still with the agency, Justice? What fucking idiot would clear her on her psych eval?”

“I’m going to look into that. But, she never crossed the line until you, Weston. Several of her transfers were by her own request or because of seemingly unrelated incidents. Until you sit down and look at the whole puzzle.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and inhaled slowly. “Why do I sense that you are going somewhere with this explanation? Because I don’t really care why it happened. She better be done with the CIA or you can be sure I’ll be out the door without another thought.”

“You’re right, I’ve got a point. When Martin dug into her life, he found some pretty disturbing things and they all had to do with you.”

I stopped pacing and stared at the ceiling. “Excuse me?”

“Every move she made was in your direction. Until finally, she was assigned as your handler. She googled you over 40,000 times in the last year. Your agency records are all stored on her hard drive. Work and personal.”

“All of them?” I croaked. Those records would contain information about all of my assignments, things that, if they were leaked, would get me and my family killed.

“Yes,” he answered gravely. “But, we’ve already sent cleaners to her apartment, confiscated all of her electronics, except her cell phone, and Martin is sure she has no backups.”

Why wouldn’t they take her—motherfucker! “You don’t have her in custody?” I bellowed. Aspen flinched, and I immediately lowered my tone. I was scaring her. Shit.

“You had better find her before I do, Justice. Because if I get there first, there is no telling what I’ll do to her.”

“I’m going to pretend I wasn’t just a witness to you threatening someone,” he griped. “And, I’m not done, so shut the fuck up and listen.”

I pressed my lips together in a ruler straight line, holding back any further comment.

“She had pictures of Aspen, Weston. From over the last year. Pictures of Carter, clippings of his birth announcement. A fake hospital ID for obstetrics at the hospital where he was born. There are even transcripts of phone calls . . . Aspen’s phone was tapped.”

Worlds could have collided causing mass destruction and I didn’t think it would have put the fear of God into me any more than knowing this psycho had been anywhere near my woman and our son.

“I think you need to watch your family like a hawk right now, Weston,” Alex warned. “You know we’ll find her, but until we do—” The doorbell started ringing incessantly, and I barely noticed until Aspen stood to answer it.

“No! Aspen, don’t!” She looked at me, completely lost as to what the hell was going on. “Just wait, beautiful. Let me see who it is.”

I stalked to the front door and looked out the peep hole. It was Jenna. She was holding Carter tight against her and shifting restlessly. I swung the door open and she shoved Carter at me, keeping his blanket and holding the bunched material to her chest. “Jenna, what is—”

Someone stepped around the corner of the house and edged slowly in our direction. The sun glinted off the round barrel of the pistol she was aiming at my sister. I felt Aspen’s presence behind me and with Kat’s focus on my sister, particularly the lump of fabric in her hands, I took a chance and quickly turned. I handed Carter to his mother, thankfully the boy was sleeping hard.