“If that’s the case, why did Byrne want to get his hands on this?”
“Because he had no way of knowing whether anyone else was identified.”
Siren and I slowly went through the contents of the box. There was nothing contained within it that pointed to Byrne, Antonov, or Kim working together or with the disgraced and imprisoned former CIA director.
It would be a blow to Cope when I informed Doc Butler of such. However, I knew the guy well enough to know there was no way he’d let this matter drop, and neither would Doc. We owed it to the agents who’d lost their lives protecting ours, to avenge their deaths by holding those responsible, accountable.
“What’s that?” I asked when Siren pulled out a smaller envelope. Inside was a single folded piece of paper, and what was on it had been handwritten.
“My dearest Aileen,” Siren began. “That was my mother’s name.” As she continued reading, tears fell from her eyes. “He loved her so much.” Siren brushed away her tears and laughed. “Even though, most of the time, he wanted to wring her neck.” She looked up at me. “Where have I heard that before?”
I watched the expressions on her face change as she continued to read, in awe. Not just of her beauty, but of her bravery and resilience, her tenacity, and her strength.
“His mother’s name was Siobhan.”
“Your grandmother.”
“My grandmother.”
Epilogue Smoke
“What do you think?” I asked as I watched Siren read through the two proposals she’d received.
“I’ve never worked with Doc Butler or anyone from the K19 team,” she said.
“They’re good people.”
“Does that mean you’d rather work for them?”
I smiled and shook my head.
“I think, at the minimum, I should meet them.” Siren’s eyes opened wide, and she looked into mine. “Wait. Fatale is Doc’s wife?”
“She is.”
“I just got chills. God, she’s incredible. I mean, I don’t know of any female agent in the UK who didn’t want to follow in her footsteps. Most of the men, too.”
“She was one of MI6’s best.”
Siren turned her head and looked out the plane’s window. “And yet, she gave it all up for love.”
“MI6, yes, but she is K19’s managing partner.”
“It’s so beautiful,” Siren murmured, looking down at the mountain range I’d called home all my life. I leaned over and looked at the same view she was.
“No regrets about selling your house in Dublin?”
She turned and kissed me. “None.”
I pointed to the papers she held in her hand. “They’re both generous offers.”
“Come on, Smoke. Just tell me who you want to work for. K19 Security Solutions or the Invincibles?”
“I told you, it’s your decision.”
“That’s hardly fair.” She folded her arms and pouted.
“We could always stay independent.”
She tapped her lower lip. “We could do. But then, what if neither of them gives us any assignments?”
“I can think of plenty to fill our time.”
“At the ranch?”
“Just in our bedroom.”
“Will there be all-night vigilante rides when we get home?” she asked.
I cocked my head.
“The cattle rustlers.”
“Thankfully, no. Decker’s security system not only stopped them from getting on our ranch, but through the facial-recognition software built into it, there were enough arrests to take most of that group down.”
“Were they from the area?”
I nodded. “One of the ring leaders was a guy I had a run-in with over the way he treated his horses.”
“Ms. Wynona said that sometimes you had to do that—take them against the owner’s will.”
“I want you to understand that me forcing someone to give up animals that are being abused is completely different from someone stealing my cattle.”
“I do understand that” Siren bit her bottom lip. “I have to confess I’ve never ridden a horse.”
“That doesn’t matter to me.”
“Will you teach me?”
I ran my fingers through her hair that was still growing back.
“I don’t want you to coddle me, Smoke. It’ll drive me mad.”
“I don’t think I could stand it if anything ever happened to you.”
“Nor I, you, but we can’t live our lives with the constant worry of it.”
I leaned my head against the seat and closed my eyes. “In sickness and in health, in stubbornness and submission…”
“Submission? If that’s what’s written into your vows, Smoke, I swear I’ll—”
I grasped the back of her neck and kissed her long enough that I felt the muscles in her body go slack. She pulled back and rested her head on my shoulder.
“Do you think we’ve been unfair to Ms. Wynona and Zeke about having our wedding at the ranch? It’s so much extra work.”
“I’ve given them both free rein to hire as much help as they need.”
“If you think Ms. Wynona will admit to needing help, you’re mad.”
I laughed. Once we were home, I had no doubt my sweet Siren would respectfully take charge and ensure Ms. Wynona had all the support she needed.
“I’m so happy Uncle Gene is coming to the wedding. He’s the closest thing I have to family.”
We both agreed not to have anyone stand up with us, although Gene would be walking Siren down the aisle, and I made arrangements for Hammer to marry us.
Neither of us had parents still living, nor siblings, and yet, with all of the agents and operatives we’d worked with, our combined guest list topped one hundred.
“You know everyone from the K19 team has responded that they’ll be at our wedding. As have the Invincibles.”
“I didn’t think of that. Although I’ll hardly be in interview mode on the most important day of my life.”
I kissed her again, harder and deeper than I had a couple of minutes earlier.
“I know them all well, and there isn’t a single person from either firm who will talk about business that day.”
“Not even Rile?”
“Even if he tried, which I doubt he would, Kensington would intervene.”
“I’m so happy they’re together.”
It was protecting Kensington that had brought Siren and I together—the same mission had come close to costing her life. There was a time I wondered if Rile could let go of his past
