Mark
“Kitty!” I pull her close and squeeze until she slaps my back.
“I hate that I missed you.” Catherine laughs as she extracts herself. “It’s like you’re a fungus that grows on people.”
“Nah, you’re just bored with Mr. Domestic over here.” I throw a jab at Muff. He gives me his normal you’re-an-asshole look.
“Must be it.” She laughs.
“Catherine, this is Charlie. Charlie, meet Catherine, Jackson’s fiancée.”
“Hi,” Catherine greets her. “You’re stunning! Sorry, that was a little forward, but seriously.”
“Thank you.” Charlie laughs, and just like that, the two walk off into the living room as if they’re best friends.
That’s the one thing I can say about Cat, she’s always good at this crap. Her career in public relations gives her an edge in always knowing the right thing to say.
Jackson claps my shoulder. “Let’s grab a beer.”
We walk toward the kitchen, and I know what’s coming. Our little showdown in the office isn’t going to pass without some form of commentary. He can’t help himself.
“I have a feeling I’m gonna need more than one.” I slap him on the back as we move. “You think they’ll be all right?” I nudge my head toward the living room.
“Catherine has been dying to meet the girl who took your balls from you,” he jokes.
“No one took my balls.”
“Yet.”
“At least I had balls to begin with.”
Jackson laughs and pops the top. “She’s worth it.”
“That’s what they want us to think. Then they get you where they want you, and boom!” I make a loud noise with my hands. “They mess with your head.”
Jackson takes a pull from his beer, as do I. “Yeah, well, you really fucked yourself by trying to date a CIA agent.”
“Don’t I know it.” He’s right. I picked the most complicated and difficult woman I could find. She’s a challenge, though, and I sure as hell love to win. Charlie is already caving. I can see it even if she doesn’t. She wants me, not that I can blame her—I’m a catch.
“You’ll bring her to the wedding in two weeks?” Jackson asks with a sly grin.
“I’ll trick her into it.” I laugh and take another swig. Enough bullshit, though. It’s time for Jackson to cough it up. “Now, why don’t you tell me what was in the papers that you hid from that file.”
“Caught that, huh?”
“I know you well.”
“I wanted you to see me slide them.”
I laugh while I watch his every move. He was subtle, but if I caught it, there’s no way Charlie didn’t. “You should remember she’s no amateur, either. So . . .”
Jackson drains the bottle of beer, grabs two more from the fridge, and thrusts one at me. “You’ll need this. Let’s go for a walk.”
This can’t be good. He doesn’t want there to be any chance of her overhearing. He knows something. Something I won’t like.
“Catherine, we’ll be back. We’re gonna head toward the beach so Mark can see what real waves look like,” Jackson calls out as he’s already opening the door.
“Okay, Charlie and I will just order food and spend your money on pretty things!” She chuckles as we head out.
“She’s killing me with this damn wedding,” he admits.
I can imagine. It’s his second marriage, but it’s Cat’s first. Between the loss of her father and the fact she can barely stomach her mother, the wedding is being held at a vineyard in Virginia. I’m Jackson’s best man, and Ashton, Catherine’s best friend and my former conquest, is Catherine’s maid of honor. We’ve become close friends once we realized we should never try to date. I can’t wait to see that fiery redhead again. At least I won’t have to try to score a bridesmaid if I bring Charlie.
“You should’ve just eloped. Given her less of a chance to realize what an idiot she is for saying yes.”
“Dick.”
“My offer still stands to officiate. Lee and Liam were very happy with my services.”
Jackson laughs while he shakes his head. “You’re a moron. Catherine got a legitimate minister.”
“I’m legally a minister.”
“Did you want to keep talking about how holy you are or did you want to know what I found?”
I have a feeling the news Jackson is about to deliver won’t be good. So, I decide to get the one thing I’ve been debating for a while out in the open. “Before we get into it—” I pause.
“Yes?”
“I want to make you a deal.”
Jackson stops walking and then crosses his arms. “This oughta be good.”
He has no clue where this is going. “If we figure out who’s behind all this—if there even is a real this—I’ll buy into Cole Security Forces. We’ll go half and half and I’ll become your partner.”
Jackson extends his hand, and I take it. “Deal.”
“Now, tell me what’s in that file that you didn’t want Charlie to see.”
“Just how much do you care about her?” Jackson rebuts, and his tone tells me all I need to know.
This is bad. This is going to fuck everything up.