The Dom Identity (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 2)

“Of course. You know I adore her.”

“I meant for everything. And I mean everything. I love you very much, and I don’t say it enough.”

His mom went teary and hugged him. “And I love you. I always knew, Michael. Even when you were far away, I knew you loved me. You simply needed time to find yourself. Your father knew, too. And your brother.”

It felt good to hug her without worry between them. “Liar. JT did not, but thank you for giving me the space to figure out who I am.”

There was a sigh from his left. “You’re an asshole liar.”

He turned and Vanessa was standing there, looking at him with an oddly soft expression on her face.

“Vanessa, we should get you to bed.” They would talk again in the morning.

She moved into his space, putting her arms around him and his mother. “But you’re my asshole liar, and you’re not going to investigate me again, are you?”

“Never,” he promised.

She smiled. “Good, then after a reasonable amount of time I will likely accept a proposal from you.”

“Don’t forget some groveling, darling.” His mother gave Vanessa a squeeze and stepped back. “He should do some serious groveling. And I’ll start working on the wedding. You can never start too early.”

She walked away.

Michael stared down at her. “I will give you all the groveling you need. And I won’t ever lie to you again.”

She frowned. “Not about anything important. Now if I ask you if my butt looks big…”

“Your butt is always perfect.” He smoothed back her hair. “I hope you still feel this way tomorrow when you’re off the drugs. Know I won’t hold you to anything.”

She went on her toes and kissed him. “I’d already decided to stay with you. I love you. That won’t change. I forgive you and you forgive me because that’s what people in love do.”

He kissed her back. “I promise I will never betray you again. I love you so much.”

“Then take me to bed. I’m tired. In the morning we’ll have to face the press again.” She let him pick her up, her arms going around his neck.

“I’ll be right beside you.”

He carried her to their bed. He would be beside her for the rest of his life.

* * * *

Julia Ennis sat in the parking lot and watched the front of Michael Malone’s building and considered how pathetic her fall had been.

At one point in time she’d been the CIA’s It Girl, the one everyone wanted to know and have on their side. She wouldn’t have been stuck in a car watching and waiting for the man she loved to show up. She would have been in a comfy office surrounded by technology most people didn’t even dream of because they didn’t know it existed. She would have control of all the cameras. She wouldn’t have to use something as sad as her own eyes to verify the target was on the move.

There was a soft knock and then the passenger door opened, and her partner in this endeavor slid in beside her.

Partner? He was really more of a professional lackey looking to make his way in the world. In their world.

Of course she used to have a foot in both worlds until she’d let her stupid heart rule her head.

“I brought you some coffee.” He slipped the cup into the holder beside her. “I didn’t know how long we were going to be here…watching.”

“I told you this is a personal job. You don’t have to hang out,” she murmured. “You can head back to LA. I’m worried about one of his employees. She’s got connections I don’t like.”

Her new job took her across the world, but all roads seemed to lead her back here. She’d heard that McKay-Taggart no longer did work with the Agency, but the firm seemed to have their fingers in every pie. Even when the connection wasn’t direct.

Maybe it was fate. Maybe destiny was bringing them back together again.

Maybe she was going to kill MaeBe Vaughn. She watched as the doors opened and her rival strode out, laughing at something the hacker kid said.

What the fuck did Kyle see in her? She wasn’t his type at all. Kyle liked his women elegant and beautiful. Mae Beatrice Vaughn was neither.

“Hey, she looks pretty good,” her partner said, nodding toward MaeBe. “I did that up right. Missed all the vital organs and still managed to get away with it. I heard they think I was going for the actress chick. Did I overplay that? From what I knew about her, I thought going after the other chick would be the only way to get MaeBe in the alley.”

John was annoying. John also wasn’t his real name, but even she wasn’t sure what it was. He had a Colorado driver’s license, but that could change in a heartbeat. The ID she was carrying proclaimed she was Anna Sinclair. His name didn’t matter. He was an employee like her now. She wasn’t sure how he’d gotten here, but he’d likely fucked up somewhere along the way, and now he had no connections to the world beyond the group she worked with.