Violet

I didn’t know if it was good or bad they now all knew about Declan.

My twin.

The brother I didn’t know. After our parents died, I had a good life. I was adopted by a loving couple that gave me everything. Declan, not so much. He was left in the foster care system for a long time, and when he was adopted I believed the couple had tried to repair the damage that’d been done but he was rebellious and always in trouble.

When he sat across from me while I was doing his final interview for Directorate of Operations or as it’s better known, Clandestine Services, he had no idea who I was. We were fraternal twins, but there was no bond like you hear about twins having; there was no recognition when he looked at me. He hadn’t felt what I had. But maybe I’d made it all up. I wondered if I hadn’t looked into his background and went through his adoption records before his interview if I would’ve felt anything towards the man that was nothing more than a stranger to me. Was my reaction to him solely because I knew? I wanted to tell him I was his sister, but I didn’t. Instead I conducted my interview, gave my approval, and sent him off to places unknown. And now, the brother I never got to know was as good as dead. Because of me. I was the weak link.

I didn’t know how Timothy had found out we were siblings, only that he had. When he came to me with names, it was Declan’s he’d pointed out. He’d exploited the familial bond, and it worked. I didn’t want to see any of the men and women on the list exposed, but most importantly I didn’t want my brother’s cover blown. Not only was it certain death but whatever group he’d infiltrated would’ve tortured Declan, made an example out of him. I couldn’t bear to think about what would’ve happened to him if I hadn’t followed Timothy Clark’s directives.

In short, I was fucked.

“Violet. Where’s Declan?” Jaxon asked again.

“I don’t know. I did his brief, expunged his records, and he went on his way. Clandestine Services is compartmentalized. I don’t know his new identity and the agent assigning it doesn’t know his past.”

“He hasn’t contacted you since he’s been under? Before he left?” Jaxon didn’t look like he believed me, not that I blamed him.

“I hadn’t seen my brother since we were separated,” I told him. “I didn’t even remember him.”

Shame washed over me. What kind of person did that make me? I couldn’t remember what my parents looked like, what they sounded like. Had my birth mother lovingly tucked me into bed at night? Did she rock me and sing to me? I had a twin one I assumed I’d been close to for the first three years of my life. When had I forgotten about him? It knotted my stomach when I tried to remember if I’d ever cried for them, if I’d cried for Declan – at the loss of my family.

“What do you mean, you didn’t remember?” Jasmin asked.

“I was only three, I don’t remember anything from that time. I don’t remember my birth parents and didn’t remember Declan. My parents, Dave and Bonnie, never said anything about him.”

“And you never looked into your past?” Jaxon asked, skepticism laced his tone.

“No.”

Thankfully, Zane had come back into the room and was done with his phone call, cutting off any further questioning about my adoption.

“There’s been a change of plans. Jasmin, you and Violet are staying here,” he announced.

“No way. I need to go with you,” I protested. “You need me in order to find Wolf’s team.”

“I don’t need you for anything. Tex sent the software I need to track the guidance system on the drone. If the team activates it, I’ll have a lock on their location. You’re staying in this room.”

“I have to go!”

“You’re not going, Violet. End of story.”

“If I don’t get the chip out of the drone, Manuel will sell the names. Hundreds of people will die. Everything I’ve done to keep them safe will be for naught. You don’t understand. I don’t have a choice. Please.” I wasn’t above begging. I’d given up everything to save my brother and the other operatives. I was so close. I never should’ve trusted Zane Lewis. I knew better. I’d learned some hard lessons over the last few months. There were no decent people left in this world. No one I could trust to help me.

“Woman, did you really think I was going to let you get your hands on the chip, and be an accomplice to treason?” Zane asked.

“What? Why did you bring me then?”

“I’d tell you, but my answer will piss you off.” He smirked.

“Since when do you care who you piss off?” I was already mad; there wasn’t much more Zane could do to me to anger me more.

“I brought you along to keep an eye on you. Did you really think I trusted you enough to leave you behind? I’m sure there is more that you’re not telling us, and until I extract every last piece of intel from you, you’ll be glued to one of my men.” Zane stopped to smile. “Or Jasmin. Though I think you’ll find after today, you wished I’d left Jaxon or Eric behind. Their patience level far exceeds Jasmin’s.”

“You’re unbelievable. I brought this to you. If I hadn’t, Wolf’s team would’ve been left to die. I’m not the enemy here.”

“You’re giving yourself too much credit. Wolf is smart; so is his team. Even if they walked into an ambush, I have no doubt they’d get themselves out. I’m here for one reason only, back up. And for the record, you are the enemy, and don’t forget it. No one else has.”

I hated that Zane was right. I had turned into the enemy. As soon as I went along with Timothy Clark’s instructions, I’d turned against the country I’d sworn to protect. My good intentions didn’t matter, I’d given into a terrorist. I’d allowed an innocent woman to be kidnapped and used as a pawn to get her father to comply. The only silver lining was a father and daughter had been reunited or brought together as it were. The Attorney General, Peter Newton, hadn’t known his ex had been hiding a pretty big secret. A child they’d conceived before family obligations had separated them. I may’ve given a Bolivian drug lord information to execute a plan to assassinate another drug lord, but I hadn’t hurt anyone. Olivia was fine, and she’d found the father she never knew. That had to count for something, didn’t it? Or was I simply trying to justify my selfishness with pretending I’d done good deeds?

“Good. You’re back.” Zane’s booming voice pulled me to the present. “Time to go hunting.” Then he turned to Jasmin and whispered something to her I couldn’t hear before he added. “Don’t let her out of your sight. If she tries anything, shoot her. She’s expendable.”

Zane, Eric, Faheem, and Jaxon were at the door when Jaxon turned and stared at me. He looked like he had something to say but remained quiet. With a shake of his head and a chin lift to Jasmin, he followed the other three men out of the hotel room. I was thankful he didn’t say anything before he left. Zane’s words of condemnation were enough.

I tried, but in the end, nothing I had done was enough to save my brother or the others from what I prayed was a quick and painless death. Zane wasn’t going to help, and the government didn’t negotiate with terrorists. I didn’t need the sexy soldier to voice

his opinion as well.

“I have a favor,” I told Jasmin after the door clicked shut. When she raised her eyebrow in question, I continued. “If by the grace of God Declan and the others live, please don’t ever tell him I’m his sister. He had a shit childhood and worked his ass off to get to where he is. He doesn’t deserve to be tied to me. He’s a good man. Please, promise me, he’ll never find out who I am to him.”