Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
“What?” Tris’s gut turned. “Why the hell would he want to hurt Carys?”
“Because her last name is Taggart.”
The whole room seemed to go still. Ben Parker wasn’t supposed to know he was sitting in a room full of Taggarts. Ian had never told the Canadian operative his real name, and no one else would have. He had a cover in place should anyone go looking for him. So did Charlotte, the twins, and Tasha. Tris himself had worked with Lou to make sure they were solid, and his papa had checked their work.
But they couldn’t do the same for Carys.
And the trouble was while Ben Parker didn’t know Ian Taggart’s real identity, there was someone who did.
Emmanuel Huisman. The doctor had shown up at their Agency safe house in the middle of the Australian op that brought him into their sphere. He’d explained himself and been incredibly helpful.
How much more did he know? If he knew about Ian, did he know about the twins? Ian had told them Huisman had figured out Tasha was his daughter.
Of course at the time he’d had a perfectly reasonable explanation for knowing what only the Agency should know.
“You’re going to have to explain,” Aidan said, his voice tight. He threaded his fingers through Carys’s, offering her support.
“I believe Mr. Parker is referring to the incident leading up to Huisman’s father’s death,” Ian said bluntly. “I’ve already considered the scenario. Mr. Parker, why don’t you give me your assessment.”
“Manny’s father was killed by a CIA operative,” Parker explained as though this was something he’d thought about for a long time. “You have to understand Manny was a kid at the time and he was on the upstairs landing when his father was murdered. He watched it all.”
“I’ve talked to him about the incident.” Big Tag’s hands steepled in front of him, a gesture he used when considering a situation. “In Australia when he figured out where my safe house was.”
Tasha nodded. “We asked him about it. He knows his father was in the wrong. His father had kidnapped Dr. Rebecca Walsh and a man who worked with the McKay-Taggart firm. Neither killed Huisman’s father. It was a rogue CIA operative the elder Dr. Huisman had been working with.”
“And Manny never lies,” Parker argued.
“I don’t see it. Why take your anger out on a family that wasn’t really involved?” Kala asked. “It’s been over twenty years. And why not go after the company? From her dossier, Carys Taggart isn’t even related to the asshole who runs McKay-Taggart. The Taggart one. I’ve heard McKay is lovely. The point being she’s that dude’s niece, not his daughter, and her father is a freaking chef. They have nothing to do with any of what happened way back when.”
“Nicely said,” Adam offered.
Big Tag sighed. “She does have a point.”
“And I’m telling you Manny lied,” Parker insisted.
“It doesn’t make sense,” TJ replied.
“Does chaos ever make sense?” Carys asked. “Mr. Parker said this doctor loves chaos. Watching his father die at a young age was traumatizing. Sometimes our brains make odd connections. Trauma can do funny things to a person. Especially a child. Sometimes revenge doesn’t make sense. Especially if you’re dealing with a sociopath. Throw in some narcissism, and it’s kind of a recipe for fucked-up motivations. The brain can make connections that wouldn’t look rational to the outside person.”
“I’ve read his book,” Aidan added. “He wrote about how his father saw Dr. Walsh as a rival. As the woman who took his job from him. It was precisely why Huisman’s father got involved with the CIA operative. He was jealous of her.”
“And now he works with her from time to time,” his papa pointed out.
“If he’s as screwed up as Mr. Parker says, it could all be a front,” Carys continued. “Or a way to get what he wants. He was a child. I’m sure he believed a lot of what his father said around him. Even though he seems to know what to say, there could be a deep-seated hatred he’s hiding for all the people involved in taking his father from him. He could come after me simply for my name, and before everyone says then I should go to a safe house, shouldn’t we figure it out?”
Cooper leaned forward. “I still think it was TJ if Huisman was behind the helo attack. It makes the most sense, and don’t they have a saying in your profession, Ms. Taggart?”
“Yes. When you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras,” she replied. “And it’s good advice for the most part.”
“But sometimes we do get zebras,” Aidan added. “And if you stubbornly refuse to see it for what it is, you can lose the patient.”
“I was going to argue against bringing in civilians Manny might have something against, but now I think they might be ready to do this.” Parker sat back, obviously impressed. “You’re sending them in with bodyguards? I can’t imagine Manny invited them for any other reason than their close ties to that firm.”