-myfamilypies- Emma Hix - Secret Agent Step Dad... -

“Because, Emma,” he said, pressing the drive into her hand and closing her fingers around it, “I’ve been a liar, a thief, and a ghost for three decades. But I have never, not once, been late for your mother’s book club. That has to count for something.”

“Then I have a counter-offer.” His eyes flicked to the stairwell behind her, then back. “The Syndicate is going to kill Control tonight. They already flipped his assistant. The ‘abort’ order wasn’t to save you. It was to strand you here. With me.” -MyFamilyPies- Emma Hix - Secret Agent Step Dad...

“No,” Mark agreed. “And she never will. That’s the only reason I’m not using the tranquilizer dart in my coat pocket. You walk away from this, Emma. You leave the drive, you tell Control you never found me here, and we go back to pretending I’m just the boring stepdad who over-grills the steaks.” “Because, Emma,” he said, pressing the drive into

But the lobby doors downstairs clattered open. “The Syndicate is going to kill Control tonight

“Go,” he said softly. “I’ll tell them you went left. You go right. And Emma?”

He reached into his jacket. Emma tensed, but he withdrew not a weapon—but a second USB drive. Identical to the one in her boot.

He took another step. Now he was close enough that she could smell his cologne—the same one he wore to her college graduation.