Haring

I’m happy to be here, celebrating Brayden and Darcy, but I wish Natasha was here with me. I’m no closer to figuring out what I need to do, because I haven’t seen her. I don’t know where to look, and I didn’t want to ask Matisse yet. I know I’ll ask her eventually, if I can’t find the information myself. I may be proud, but I’m not always stupid.

There’s a bit of a commotion at the door to the outside, and then James Kanta is strolling out, with guards at his side. The first thing I notice is that Natasha isn’t with them. Why is he here?

Reina asks my question out loud for me. “Why are you here, James?”

“I can’t visit my favorite secret spy organization while I’m in town?”

“A call would be preferred. We’re in the middle of a private celebration at the moment.”

“Am I not a friend?”

“No.”

James seems to notice me for the first time. “Hello, Haring. It’s a lovely day to be alive, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’m sure you see that as a failure in my case.”

“Yes, actually, and failure is not an option.”

The gun is in his hand, and pointed at me, before I can register what is happening. His team also has guns out, but they aren’t pointing them anywhere specific. Until they are.

Natasha comes swooping down from the top of the building, on a rope. She knocks James over, and has her own gun pointed at his head as she stands over him.

“You didn’t really think I’d let you kill him, did you?”

“Letting your emotions get in the way is what started this downward spiral you’re enjoying.”

“I’m the one with the gun on you, so I’d say you’re the one whose down right now.”

“Am I though?” he asks, as all of his men point their guns towards her, and he gets to his feet with a smile that’s pure evil.

I wish there was something I could do, but I’m frozen to the spot I’m standing in. Even if I had a gun in my hand, could I shoot it, and save her? Save myself? No, I couldn’t. I’m not trained like she and Matisse are. All I can do is stand here—or jump in front of her. Yeah, I can do that.

As I’m making my move, Jake makes his first. He moves like a ninja, stepping behind James, with a gun to his head. I see Natasha visibly relax, until a new man goes right behind Jake, his own gun in play.

“We anticipated your lover, Natasha.”

“You didn’t anticipate her prom date,” Aiden says, gun in his hand, as he takes down every enemy man with a rapid-fire precision that’s pretty damn scary.

Jake and Natasha still have their guns on James, and he’s gone pale. I’m not sure how even I’m standing at this point, because this is some crazy shit. I don’t know how my sister does this on the regular.

“Your call, Tasha,” Aiden tells her. I’m still in shock about the prom reveal, but that’s probably the least of what’s happening now.

She nods, and pulls the trigger. “Bye, James.”

I’ve never seen a bullet hit a brain before, and definitely not at close-range. There’s nothing glamorous, or pretty, about it. Nothing at all.

Natasha starts to fall, but Aiden pulls her into his arms. “It’s over now. All of it is over.”

“This mission is over, yes, but ‘all’ is too encompassing for what’s going on here,” Elizabeth Mason says, entering the backyard.

Natasha stands straight up, and glares at her. “No! You promised me I could leave if I took him down. I’ve done all you asked.”

“You are too much of an asset to us. I cannot allow you to leave my service. I’m sorry, but it’s just not logistically sound to let you go.”

“Regardless, a promise is a promise,” Vice-President Jones tells her. “Natasha fulfilled her promise to us. More than fulfilled it, actually.”

“You are too soft,” Mason scoffs at him.

“I’m human, and I can look myself in the mirror every night. That’s not something I’m ashamed of.”

“Humanity is over-rated.”

“Really, Mom?” Jakes asks, shaking his head.

She actually looks remorseful. From what I’ve learned, their relationship has been strained since he met Isa, but I hadn’t seen it live and in person before now. Without being told, I know Jake is her weakness, and she’ll do anything she can to stay on his good side.

“Maybe only sometimes. I’ll be sorry to lose you, Natasha, but I will honor our agreement.”

Natasha doesn’t respond, and she’s still clinging to Aiden when General Mason leaves with her entourage. There’s talk of a clean-up crew, and other things I’ll never pretend to understand, but I ignore it all. My focus is all on the woman I love.

“Nat, I’m so sorry,” Aiden’s dad tells her. “If I’d known how far, and long, this was going to go on for, I would’ve never asked you to do it.”

“Someone had to do it, Tim. It might as well have been me.”

“Yes, well, your service to our country is appreciated, and I’m personally thankful to you for keeping Haring alive. Equally important is that you’ve kept yourself alive. I don’t know that I’d have been able to forgive myself if anything had happened to you.”

“Thank you for that, but lots of things did happen to me. A lot of bad, and also some good. In the end, I didn’t keep him safe for you,” she admits, although it looks as though it pains her to say the words.

“I know, and that makes it even better.”

“For who?”

Tim looks at her like a father looking at a child he doesn’t know whether he should hug, or scold. “You and Haring are both family, and what more could I want than for two people I love to love each other? I know you can get past all of this if you just remember the love you share.”

“Let her be, Dad,” Aiden says.

“It’s okay, Aid. Your dad doesn’t ever have to pull any punches with me.”

“Aiden’s right, though. Right now, I expect your love life is not the top priority.”

“No. I need to go home. I need to see my parents. If they even want to see me at this point.”

“Would you like me to go with you?”

“Yes, but having your entourage show up will bring attention, and this is something I need to do quietly. You don’t need the press for this, either, because so much more would come out, as well.”

“Then I’ll go,” Aiden tells her.

“Please,” she says, then turns to Ellie. “If that’s okay with you.”

“My husband has a lot to explain to me, but this seems to be something important.”

“It is. My parents were told I died overseas, because we didn’t want them in any danger while I was undercover with the mob. I couldn’t have anyone attached to me who could be used against me. The worst day of my life was attending my own funeral, but it had to be done.”

Natasha

There are many gasps throughout the assembled group, as I drop yet another bombshell on this group. I didn’t add that there was a very real chance I would die during my mission, because we all know the danger I was in. From the mobsters, and also, from their boss.

Yes, James Kanta was secretly running the group he purportedly sent me undercover to take down. Tim and Elizabeth knew what he was up to, but they couldn’t tie him to any of it legally. After the first couple of years, we all stopped caring about legalities. He ordered his men to do so many things—to others, and to me—and we knew he needed to be taken down in any way possible. It was then that the question of evidence became more for permission to kill him than for his possible arrest. His reach was too far, and too wide, for us to take chance on arresting him.

“They have no idea you’re alive?” Haring asks, and I look at him for the first time since I stepped in front of him.

“No. Like I said, it had to be done, but now I need to tell them I’m alive.”

“Are we going to go the wrong identity route, or something else?” Aiden asks.

“I don’t know. I’ll figure it out on the plane.”

“You’re welcome to one of our jets,” Reina tells me.

“Even if I don’t take you up on your job offer?”

“Even then.”

“Thanks.”

“Let me just grab a bag, and I’ll meet you back down here,” Aiden tells me.

He’s been holding my hand this whole time, and I give his a squeeze, before letting go. “Thanks.”

“No thanks needed.”

I watch him and Ellie walk away, and know there’s going to be some talking before he comes back down. I can’t complain about it, because I’d have questions if my husband suddenly announced he knew a woman he’d pretended not to know. She’s a spy, so I think she’ll get it, but I know she’ll give him at least a little bit of shit for it. Aiden and I were never romantically involved—he went to prom as a favor to me, and he’ll explain that to her—but I know it’s still a shock. We were neighbors, and friends, nothing more.

Everyone disperses, except Haring, who approaches me. “Can we talk?”

“Not right now. I can’t right now.”

“When you get back?”

“Do we have anything to talk about?”

“Yes.”

“Nothing’s changed since D.C.”

“I’m sorry about that. Really, and truly, I am so sorry. You are not what I called you. That word should’ve never left my mouth.”

“No. It shouldn’t have. I accept your apology.”

“And?”

“And, that’s all I’ve got right now. I really can’t do this.”

“I’ll be here when you get back.”

“If I come back.”

“Reina offered you a job.”

“Just because someone offers me something, it doesn’t mean I’ll take it.”

“Okay, well, I’m here. If you need something—anything—I’ll be here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I have to walk away. I told him we couldn’t talk now, and yet I stood there and talked to him. Because I’m weak. I have never in my life wanted to look weak, but I talked to Haring when I said I wouldn’t. What is wrong with me? Love, that’s what. I love that man too damn much.

I don’t have time to dwell on that, since Aiden’s back. He has his bag, and after I grab mine from my car, we’re on our way. I know he wants to talk, and strategize, but he also knows me well enough to know I don’t want to talk right now. I can’t. I need to be alone with everything going on in my head. Not just Haring, but my parents, too.

How do you tell the people who grieved for you that you’re suddenly alive? How do I explain that I was at my own funeral, in disguise? Will they believe it was as hard for me as it was for them? Their grief was my grief as I watched them fall apart before a closed casket. Some of their friends consoled them, but Aiden and Tim couldn’t be there, because of the attention they’d draw.

They were there for me after I watched it all go down. When I collapsed, Aiden’s arms caught me, much like they did today. It was only for a few minutes, because it was all Tim could arrange, but at least I had them. I consider myself lucky, despite everything. Or maybe, because of it, because, yeah—Haring.