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Spendingevery day withLedgeris one thing.Meetingthe family is something else, and it feels huge.Ipride myself on not being afraid of anything, but this feels… scary.It’sa little thing, though.Ishould not be afraid of something as small as meeting someone’s family.

Evenif they are a family of operatives, and even if one of them is my idol and the personI’vefashioned my career after.

Youcan do this,Zoe.

Irepeat it untilIsomewhat believe it.AndbecauseIwant to hold on to every bit of this thing withLedger,Inod and say, “Okay,I’lljoin you.”

CHAPTER 25

BBQ, BONDING, AND A BIT OF SPYCRAFT

LEDGER

Ihave wanted to kissZoeso many times over the past week and a half.Rightnow, for instance.We’restopped at a stop light, andI’dlove to reach over, cup her cheek in my hand, and press a kiss on her lips.

ButIwas the one to initiate our first kiss back inMoldova.Ididn’t know it, but things hadn’t even been real forZoethen.Thistime, it feels like everything is different.Andthis time,I’mgoing to let her make the first move when it comes to kissing.I’mnot going to make the same mistakes as last time.Ionly want this relationship to move forward if she wants it to move forward, too.

AndIthink she does.Butuntil she’s ready,Iwill patiently wait for her, no matter how long it takes, and no matter how muchIjust want to grab her and kiss her.

Zoewas looking out her window, and then she turns her focus to me. “Itfeels weird to be out doing normal stuff while we have an active mission.”

Iflex my jaw.Thereare plenty of moments as an intelligence operative that are spent waiting.Butthis does feel different.Probablybecause we’ve got so many resources dedicated to finding the men who’ve been stealing theTrustpieces, yet so far, we’ve come up with nothing.Noleads at all to where they might be or where they are headed next.It’salmost as if they’ve disappeared.

Allwe know is that they haven’t attempted to get theTrustpieces in eitherDublinorBelgrade.Andthat theTrustpiece we placed a tracker on inBelgradeis still inSavovic’smansion, so it either didn’t sell in the auction or wasn’t put up for sale.

Andbecause we know so little, it’s worrying me and everyone else at theCSA.Enoughthat we’ve started to come up with alternate plans.

Noneof that needs to taint tonight, though.Ipaste on a smile, which helps me to feel it, and say, “Agreed.Butsince we don’t have any actionable intel…”Ishrug.

Whenwe get out of the car at my mom’s house,Itry to not walk next toZoeas ifI’mconstantly ready to reach out and help if she stumbles.She’sgotten so much stronger over the past week since her injury so she needs it so much less.AndIknow she won’t appreciate me acting as though she’s weak or incapable.She’llwant to walk like everything is normal and she isn’t struggling, andIrespect that.

EvenifIdidn’t already know that everyone is out back,Iwould know it from the sounds of something fun going on.SoIleadZoearound to the side of the house.BeforeIopen the gate that leads into the backyard,Istop and look atZoe. “Areyou sure you’re feelingup to this?”

“Ledger,” she says, “don’t baby me.I’mgood.Fastesthealer in the, well, east.”

Herhealing has gone remarkably fast, just likeNehir, the nurse inAnkara, guessed it would.Butshe’s still human, andIknow she still hurts.AndIknow the boot is still awkward and that she hates it.ButIgrin, nod, and say, “Okay, then, let’s do this.”Then,Iopen the gate and lead her into the backyardIplayed in for most of my childhood.

Jace,Mackenzie,Miles, andCharlieare throwing a football on the grassy area, andJaceyells, “Head’sup!” as he tosses it to me.

Icatch the ball and tuck it under one arm.Ipoint atJaceand say toZoe, “I’mpretty sure you’ve run into my older brother,Jace, a time or two in the field.That’shis fiancée,Mackenzie, over there.”Igesture up at the deck. “That’smy oldest brother,Blake, at the grill, and, of course, my second oldest brother,Emerson, and my mom at the table with my two-year-old niece,Heidi.”

Frommy blind spot,I’msuddenly tackled.Aboutthe time my backside hits the grass,Irealize it’sMiles.Ican’t believe he caught me so off guard.Enoughoff-guard thatI’mnot only on the ground, but he also stole the football from my arm.

Hebounces right up, football tucked under one arm, and shakesZoe’shand with the other. “Hi.Idon’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.I’mLedger’solder brother,Miles.Iwas born the year before him.”

Iget up and steal the football right back.ThenIclaphim on the shoulder enough that it nearly knocks him off balance, too. “Hewas born twelve minutes before me.”

“Yes, but in the previous year.”

Zoe’seyebrows raise. “Decemberthirty-first baby?”

“Iwas,”Milessays, putting a hand on his chest before putting the hand on my shoulder. “Littlebrother here was aJanuaryfirst baby.”

“Andguess who can beat who in a race?”

Milesis saved from having to admit thatIcan sail past him in a race any time any day whenCharlie,Mackenzie, andJacereach us.

“Hi,I’mCharlie,” my sister says, skipping the hand shaking and going straight for a hug that she, thankfully, remembers to give a little more gently than her normal. “It’sso great to meet you in person!Especiallyafter talking to you over comms.Plus,I’vebeen hearing so much about you for, what?”Sheglances at me. “Ayear and a half?”