31. Savior

I groaned, stood, and let the three in.

“Where’s Tag?” Typhon asked.

“No idea. He left some time ago.”

Typhon shook his head. “Check your messages; he asked me to meet him here about something urgent.”

Seconds later, came another knock.

“What’s going on?” I asked, ushering him, Con, and Gus inside. “Tag?” I said when his eyes met mine. I’d rarely seen him so agitated.

“I received a secure message from Nightingale. All hell is breaking loose in Damascus.” He turned to Typhon. “We need to get her out of there.”

“On it.” He stepped a few paces away, spoke to someone, then returned. “The team on the ground in Syria received an agent-in-peril alert a few minutes ago. They know where she is, and they’re on their way to get her.”

“Thank God,” Tag muttered. “Her cover is blown, or at least she thinks it is.”

“Why? What’s happened?” I pressed.

“There’s been a coup. The president has fled to Russia, and the rebel forces have taken control of the government.”

This wasn’t bad news as far as I was concerned, as long as we were able to get our people out. The president was a brutal dictator, whose family had ruled with an iron fist for half a century.

“There’s more. Fearing she might not be rescued in time, she sent an encrypted file, saying it contained critical information about Weber.”

“I’m opening it now,” said Con, and Tag rushed over.

“Bloody hell,” he muttered, looking up at me. “Con, show them.”

He turned the computer around, and on the screen was a photo of Fallon Wallace, code name Chimera. Beneath the image, there was a list of aliases. The first was Eric Weber.

Sullivan gasped, and her eyes met mine. “Wait. Weber is a woman? How can that be?”

“As far as we know, no one has seen a photo before now. Right, Con?” asked Gus.

“Affirmative. And if anyone has, it was obviously not her .”

“So who is Janus?” I asked.

Con glared up at me. “One thing at a time, Ash.”

It was difficult to tell who was reeling more, him or Sullivan. Although the former made more sense since Viper and Dr. Sterling were in the room, both standing with their arms crossed.

“Typhon, a word?”

He nodded and followed me down the hallway.

“Why isn’t Viper throwing a fit about Sullivan’s lack of clearance?”

“Because I ran it.”

“When?”

“What do you think I’ve been doing since you and your crew walked out?”

“Right. So, is she still considering offering Sullivan a job with MI6?”

“Nah, I shut that down.”

I’d ask how, but I truly didn’t want to know.

“What about you? Are you planning to bring her into the unit?”

“Of course, I’ll make her an offer. Not that I expect her to accept. The job, that is. I doubt we’d be able to pry her loose from this investigation.”

I took several steps until I could see her from where I stood. She was head-to-head with Con. “It appears she’s already back at work.”

Typhon squeezed my shoulder. “Congratulations, Savior.”

“For?”

“Come on, you didn’t think I’d notice the rock on her finger?”

“About that. As I told Sullivan, I’m done with the assassination game.”

He smirked. “You were done the moment you didn’t take the second shot. Come on, let’s get back in there. We have a lot of work left to do.”

“Wait. Are you really going to force Con to work with Lex?”

This time, Typhon smiled. “After all the shit he’s put me through over the years? Hell, yeah. Payback is a bitch.”

The following day, when we arrived at the castle, the first thing Sullivan and I did was find Mairi. Her eyes lit up when we walked into the kitchen.

“Ah, let me see!” she squealed, rushing over to take Sullivan’s hand. “It fits as if it was made for you.” The two women embraced, and I saw tears in both their eyes.

“I have something I want to ask you,” said Sullivan, taking a step back but clasping both her hands.

“Anything, luv, you should know that.”

“While we haven’t had time to talk about when we’ll marry or the details of the ceremony, whenever and wherever it is, would you do me the honor of standing up with me?”

Mairi wriggled her hands from Sullivan’s and brought them to her tear-filled cheeks. “Aye. Nothing would make me happier, lass. You’ve filled my heart with joy.” She looked from my beautiful fiancée to me. “As you’ve done too, David. I never dreamed I’d live to see the day when you and my Angus knew you were cousins.”

“And that you’re my aunt.”

“Yes, and after the new year, I plan to inform the rest of the staff. Although, if they’re anything like those who have come before them, they’ve already figured it out.”

“I have another question. You said you saw Ambrose speaking with Fallon. Are you certain it was him?”

“Aye. I’d not mistake the man.” The venom in her voice was thick.

“Do you know where he is? I’ve not seen him since Christmas Day.”

“I am not in the practice of keeping track of your uncle’s whereabouts. ’Tis bad enough he shows up here unannounced, then leaves in the same manner, locking up his suite so the staff is unable to go in and clean after he’s gone.”

“Surely, there’s another key.”

“Not that I’ve been given.”

“I’ll see that is taken care of.”

“He won’t be likin’ that.”

I shook my head. “As the castle and property were entailed to me, I don’t care whether he likes it or not.”

“It’s about time,” said Gus, joining us in the kitchen. “Brose has had the run of the place for far too long.” He turned to Sullivan and motioned both of us into the dining room. “I’ve a request from the team.”

Her eyes opened wide. “Of me?”

“They’d like to set the library up as one of two situation rooms. The other would be Ash’s office.”

“I don’t know why I’d have a say, but I don’t have a problem with it.”

“Great, we’ll get started.”

“Wait, how is Con this morning?”

He chuckled. “Demanding Typhon run another background check on Dr. Sterling. One complete with DNA profiling.”

“Speaking of DNA, are we certain Fallon Wallace was, in fact, Weber?” Sullivan asked.

“Her body was taken to the morgue in London, where collecting samples is standard procedure. The next step would be to see if there’s a match in the system. Even someone who might be a close relative.”

“And the deceased man found in the tunnels?”

Gus glared at me. “Rather than holding an advance briefing, how about we join the others and get to work?”

“What do you say, duchess?”

Sullivan nudged me with her shoulder. “I’m not officially yet.”

“Wait. What did I miss?” Gus asked.

Sullivan lifted her left hand.

“Ah, that’s very happy news. Was that your mum’s ring?” he asked me.

“It was, and I love it,” Sullivan responded before I could.

“Since none of the three of you noticed last night, I’d say I’m not the only member of the crew lacking in observation and investigative skills.”

Gus chuckled. “Maybe not the only, but you’re definitely the worst.”

“Sod off, cousin,” I teased.

His expression softened, but the smile didn’t leave his face.

“Considering Sullivan has already taken care of this, I should too. Would you do me the honor of standing up with me when we’re married?”

“It would mean the world to me, Ash.”

“Good and thanks. Now, we just have to determine when and where.”

“Too bad Scottish marriage laws have changed. Our ancestors would’ve turned up at Gretna Green and wedded the same day. I suppose you’ll have to settle for the castle.”

“What’s this?” Mairi asked, coming out of the kitchen.

“I suggested Ash and Sullivan get married here at Ashcroft.”

She clapped her hands. “Aye, it’s perfect…”

I looked down at Sullivan, who beamed up at me.

“What say you?” I asked while Mairi rattled off all the plans she was already forming for decorating the various rooms, along with what food she’d serve.

She leaned up and kissed my cheek. “I love the idea, but even if I didn’t, I couldn’t take this away from your aunt.”

As we walked to the library, I couldn’t help but marvel at how much my life had changed. I’d gone from being a solitary man lost in a world where I didn’t feel I fit in anywhere, who rarely visited the estate handed down for several generations, and who killed people for a living, to one who held the hand of the love of my life in mine. They may call me Savior, but it was Sullivan Rivers who’d saved me.