Fields of Clover - THE SPECTER SERIES [book two]

Chapter TWENTY TWO

Patrick O'connor

I have to admit I'm more than a little blindsided by her confession..

I had been expecting her to tell me she had some kind of affair she was ashamed of.. Or share some of her father's torrid political skeletons, but this.. This is fucking monumental..

Human trafficking, slavery, torture, forced marriage.. I hate to think what else.. The things she's been through are comparable to the most horrific things I ever saw during my deployment in the special forces, or my time in the IRA ..
And believe me, I saw some fucked up shit..
Things that I still have flashbacks to and nightmares over to this day.. But through all that I had my boys, the Marines.. Yevie got to where she is all by herself, fuck, I don't know how she survived..

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Yevie. You need me.." She lifts her watery gaze to me and shakes her head, sending her waves whipping and tumbling over her shoulders..

"I know I do.. But I'm poisoned now.. I can't stop it.. Maybe I never could.. They are going to make me suffer for my disobedience.. There was no point in dragging you into this, Patrick .. God, I'm so sorry.." She sobs again, this time her shoulders jerk from the force of it..

I pull her from her seat into my lap, cradling her head to my chest as she cries against my bare skin.. I can feel her warm tears as the fall from her cheeks to streak down my abdomen.. "Shhh princess.. I've got you.." She sniffles and pulls back to look up at me. Even with puffy, red-rimmed eyes she is still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen..

"Why aren't you freaking out right now?" Her voice trembles and her delicate features scrunch up critically..

I huff out a long breath.. She said she didn't care about my secrets, and I hope she was telling the truth because right now my secrets are her only chance of getting out of this..

I can't fix this by myself.. I'm going to need Specter and Alpha Team's assistance on this one.. "Yevette.. When I told ya I was a sniper in the Marines that was the truth.. But, I also shoulda' told ya that I was a Devil Dog.." She stares at me blankly.. The terminology clearly lost on her.. "Special forces, princess.." I explain..

Her pretty amber eyes widen as she follows my meaning.. Generally speaking, special forces officers are known for being one thing..
Deadly..

Probably why Spectre employs so many of them..

"Archer, Jackson and me, we served together.. N' Once we got out, a woman  - Ah, Iris Santiago, recruited us to the private security firm we all work for now, Spectre. When I met you, our task force - Alpha Team - was working a job at Carrington Corp.."

She shakes her head, disbelieving.. "Wait.. You're saying you're like in some kind of secret agent.. private investigation squad..Team, thingy.. Along with Honey's boyfriend and Ellerie's ex?"

I can't help it, I let out a small chuckle at her phrasing and the fact that she already knows about Devereux and Ford knockin' boots.. "Ah, Ellerie Devereux is a member of Alpha team, too.. Heh.. 'Secret agent private investigation squad team thingy'.. That's catchy, we should put it on our t-shirts.."

"Sure..You could.." She replies as though she is not really listening, instead she is far off in her mind, trying to process the information I'm throwing at her.. Suddenly her eyes clear and her head snaps up in my direction.. "So.. Honey knows about this?"

I nod.. Making a mental note to text Honey a heads up that her BFF knows she's been keeping secrets.. She will be happy.. After all, she's been busting my balls about coming clean for weeks.. "She does. After she found out about Archer n' Alpha Team, she actually asked me to keep you safe.." I tuck a loose cocoa lock of her hair back behind her ear.. "You n' me, we had already become friendly by that point.. I figured there wasn' any harm in keeping an eye out.."