Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
“Yes.” Her face went a careful blank. “It looks nice.”
“It’s yours for as long as you want it,” Tag offered. “I know you don’t need the paycheck, but you do need the work. This isn’t some sympathy offer. I’m not trying to placate your ex-husband. I think you’ve got excellent instincts, and I can’t buy your experience. I want you to take the next couple of months and think about staying here with us.”
“I appreciate it.” The smile was back on her face. “I especially appreciate having a safe place for Roman for the rest of the summer.”
“We’re going to make sure you’re all safe,” Tag promised. “Now this seems to be getting emotional and that is icky. Do y’all need to sort this out and then Beck can write up a report?”
“I think that would be best,” Eve said quietly. “I wasn’t aware they hadn’t talked. This is not the place for family history to be revealed. Why don’t we leave you the conference room?”
“No,” Kim said. “It’s all right. It’s better to get it out here and now so I can answer your questions. The truth of the matter is Ezra didn’t understand the whys behind the missions he was sent on. We’ve all read the report Levi wrote?”
He should have taken Ezra up on his chance to make this private because it was obvious that his offer of coffee hadn’t made a dent in Kim’s walls. He wasn’t sure why, but they were all up again this morning. She was sitting feet away but further than ever.
“The one that he never actually turned in? Yes.” Charlotte sat back. “In it he accuses Ezra Fain of being the ringleader in delivering several packages of contraband materials to rebel groups in Southeast Asia. These materials include guns and other weapons of war. And they could go in under the radar because recon is what MARSOC does.”
“Yes, I got the feeling it was Levi’s version of Iran-Contra,” Alex said. “So this was his way of covering his tracks. How did Solo get involved?”
“He wasn’t just covering his tracks.” The enormity of what Levi had done hit Beck forcibly. “He set Kim up to take the fall. Who handed the op over to you?”
“The director came into my office the day before it was going down and said he needed me to oversee a recon op because the original handler was dealing with something else. I asked who it was. I was told that was classified and all I had to do was give them a go and make sure I watched for anything that might halt the op. I didn’t even know it was my brother-in-law’s unit until Beck asked me to call it off.”
“I talked to him the night before.” Ezra stared at the conference table. “I called him because our mom was in bad shape and I wanted him to look in on her.”
Beck shook his head. “That wasn’t what it sounded like to me.” He remembered how scared he’d been. His brother had been on another continent, walking into a dangerous mission, and he’d sounded suicidal. “You were upset that night.”
“I was high that night,” Ezra said quietly. “I was upset and high, and I don’t even remember what I said to you, but I remember that you told me I better get my shit together or you would have me pulled from my unit.”
“Because I didn’t think you should be going on dangerous ops when you were that emotional. I wasn’t trying to fuck up your career.” How could he think that? Except apparently he sounded like a judgmental asshole a lot of the time.
“See, this is the family dynamic stuff that probably should be dealt with in therapy,” Alex said.
Ezra shook his head. “I want to get this over with so I can head back to Sanctum. I’m still tired.”
Weary. His brother looked weary. “That night I went to my wife and told her how upset I was and that I was going to talk to whoever was handling the op. Ezra was talking about a classified op to a person who didn’t have clearance on it. Namely me. That meant I could likely get him pulled.”
“And wreck his military career,” Tag added. “Though I’ll be honest, I can’t think of anything worse than going into a dangerous op with an unstable team member. I don’t think it was unfair of Beck to try to pull you.”
“I wish he had. An addict doesn’t care about right or wrong. That particular demon is selfish. He doesn’t care who gets hurt. All that matters is his own comfort.” Ezra’s eyes found Beck’s. “I’m so sorry for putting you in that position. And for everything that came after.”
Yes, he definitely should have done this in private because he was going to look like such an asshole. He felt frozen. He didn’t want to let go of this anger he had. He shouldn’t have to. Years. Ezra cost him years with her. Still, Kim was sitting next to him. “I appreciate that. So as to that day, what were you there to do? I know what you were supposed to be doing. According to the records, you were supposed to do recon for a rescue mission. What was your true mission?”