Chapter One

Ghost

F uck.

One blonde, one brunette, both incoming.

My two worlds were about to collide in a crowded outdoor market, and I was powerless to stop it.

The petite blonde launched herself at me with the force of a hurricane, wrapping her arms around my neck and gripping tight as her sweet voice went straight to my chest. "I missed you!"

Her lips hit my cheek, and I locked my arm around her waist as the brunette hit us, front and center.

Lifting a judgmental eyebrow, the brunette dialed up her condescending attitude. "And who is this?"

The petite blonde, now protected in both of my arms, whipped her head around but didn't let go of my neck. Then she fucking sank us both. "His wife," she answered sweetly, untangling a hand then holding it out. "I'm—"

Glaring at the brunette, I cut off the blonde. "She's none of your business."

Her feet dangling, her second arm going back around my neck, the blonde looked at me with an anxious expression. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

I took a moment to give her what she needed. Dropping my tone and one arm but still holding her tight, I gave her reassurance. "It's okay, baby girl. This is just business."

"Oh." She tucked her head against my shoulder but otherwise didn't move.

I clued her in. "I need a minute."

" Oh . Okay." She shifted to look up at me and lowered her voice again. "Are you coming home after?"

"Yes. Go wait for me in your car." Setting her down, I looked back at the brunette who was lucky she was still alive. "This won't take long."

Not letting go of my neck, the blonde whispered, "I walked."

I cursed. Silently.

The brunette looked at me with disgust. "This is the part where I call child protective services. How old is she? Sixteen? Seventeen?" She started to address the blonde. "Whatever he—"

"Finish that sentence, and it'll be your last." It wasn't a warning. It was an implicit threat. I was armed, lethal, and fast. I also didn't give a fuck about the busy Saturday morning farmer's market or witnesses. I'd sever the brunette's abdominal aortic artery before she drew her next breath. The blonde and I would be lost in the crowd before the brunette hit the ground. The only reason she was still vertical was because I wanted to know how she'd found me.

The blonde shrank back with a frightened gasp at my response, and the brunette amped up her glare.

This collision never should've happened.

I had two different worlds.

I also had protocols. Ones I followed to the letter. Nothing I did wasn't calculated, analyzed, and executed with precision— including every primary, alternate, contingency, and emergency plan I strategized before making a move. Which was why this scenario was a near impossibility.

Unless the brunette had help.

There were only a few elite resources outside the reach of USCYBERCOM's capabilities that could've attempted to pull this off, and they were well beyond the brunette's circle of influence at the Agency. All of them also would've known the consequences if they tried.

Someone had sent the brunette on a suicide mission.

Thinking she'd bested me, the brunette crossed her arms. "I knew you were a lot of things, but this?" With ignorant superiority, she tipped her chin toward my blonde. "Beyond the pale, even for you."

"What does ‘beyond the pale' mean?" my blonde asked innocently.

"She's trying to insult me." In a calculated move, I kissed the blonde's temple. "Start heading home. I'll catch up in a minute."

The blonde looked up at me again, and her voice pitched with nerves. "Are you sure?" She wasn't asking if I was sure she should leave. She wanted to know if I was coming to the house because I never did. Not unless there was a problem.

"I'm sure, baby girl." Dropping my arm from her waist before covertly palming my knife, I leaned down to her ear and spoke so only she could hear. "Exfil route. Ready status. Go."

My petite blonde took off like I'd trained her to do—purposely and without hesitation but not with enough speed to draw attention.

Making a mental note to praise her later, I leveled the brunette with the last warning she'd ever get. "You have five seconds to explain exactly how you found me."

Then I was going to eliminate her. In broad daylight.