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)
Tara frowned. “They were getting married, but she’s your girlfriend?”
So he hadn’t talked about her? It was a huge surprise. Tristan was the one who never worried about what “society” thought of him or his relationships.
Zach threw his big body on the couch with a grin. “I want to see how he explains this.”
TJ had apparently had his talk with Zach and they were cool because TJ sank down beside Zach and offered him half a PB and J. “Me, too. Continue.”
“You know they’ve been explaining since they were freaking kids.” Cooper joined them. “They should be good at it by now.”
Tristan ignored their audience. “I’ve been in a relationship with Carys and Aidan for a long time. It’s a lot like my parents’ marriage. I’ve told you I have two fathers and a mom.”
Tara seemed flustered at the idea. “Well, you mentioned your parents had a third. I understand the implications of the term. I thought it was like a fun thing your mom did to spice up her marriage. I certainly didn’t think you would call your mom’s lover dad. I mean it’s obvious who your dad is.”
“His dad is Jacob Dean,” Adam said, going cold. Carys barely stifled a whistle because she’d never seen Tristan’s papa be anything but smooth and polite. Tristan’s dad was intimidating for sure, but his papa was the sweet one. Now Adam reminded her he’d once been a commando, too. “He refers to me as Papa. It was too confusing when he and his sister were kids. Jake and I rock-paper-scissored for Dad. I think he cheated. I knew the minute it happened Big Tag would give me shit about it.”
“Because it makes you sound like the dad in a Disney film set in medieval France.” Big Tag proved his hearing hadn’t gone since he was yelling it from the kitchen. “Are you going to break into song, Papa?”
Adam’s eyes rolled. “See. I knew that would happen.”
“I’m only saying, it’s clear you’re Tristan’s biological father. He looks exactly like you,” Tara attempted.
“I have two fathers.” Tristan proved he could go as cold as his papa. “Biology means nothing in my family. Now, I don’t require your approval, but I do need you to understand I’ll ask for you to be removed from this op if you can’t respect my partners. I haven’t mentioned them to you because I was trying to protect them.”
There was no way to miss the hurt in Tara’s eyes. “From me? It has to be me since you obviously told Zach.”
“I’m trying to protect them from anyone who might figure out I’ve been acting as The Jester for the last few years,” Tristan corrected. “Zach works on this team with me, and they absolutely understand my relationship situation, so it’s not the same. If I didn’t work with him on both teams, I never would have told him. I’ve been careful with who I talked to about Carys and Aidan because I was trying to keep a target off them.”
“I know you were worried about your sister and mom.” Tara looked Carys’s way and gave her a once-over. “I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend. Or a…uhm, boyfriend?”
Cooper snorted. “See, this is why I avoid the threesome. There are so many questions.”
“I’m his partner. No further explanation needed.” Aidan moved closer, sliding his arm around her waist. “Now I would love an answer to Tris’s question. Do we know anything else?”
“Spoilsport,” Zach said.
Tristan frowned his way. “You know you’re trying to get into this family. There will be payback.”
Zach’s grin kicked up. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Lou and Kala walked in, carrying a tray of sandwiches and some water bottles. They placed them on the dining table.
“Did we get all the weird explanations of why Tristan’s going to be sleeping with the bait tonight out of the way?” Kala asked. “Someone better have gotten a suite because I am not sleeping in the same room where double penetration is happening.”
“She’s serious,” Lou said, lowering herself onto TJ’s lap. “It’s why we left without the chips. Uncle Ian and Aunt Charlotte are going at it in the kitchen. Do not go in there. He was inspired by the sight of a wooden spoon. We’re going to have to replace it.”
Kala gagged as she sat on the side of the couch nearest to Cooper. “They are so gross.”
“Hush. You know it’s lovely our parents still love each other.” Tash entered the great room from outside where she’d been pacing and talking on her cell. “I think I finally got the package where it needs to be.”
From what Carys had heard, the package was Kenz, and they would be smuggling her into the safe house where she would be confined to the attic room when Tara and the CSIS agent would be around. There had been a ton of moaning about it. Tara knew the team was run by Ian Taggart and his wife and that the members all had close ties. But the CSIS dude didn’t know their familial connections, and neither of them knew Kenzie and Kala were the mysterious Ms. Magenta. Well, they knew one of them was. Not two of them were… It was confusing, but Carys knew her main job around the intelligence people was to keep her mouth shut.