His voice was calm, almost gentle, as he emerged from the stairwell. No gun drawn. Just a faint, sad smile.
Through the rain-streaked window, she saw him. Tall, still in the charcoal suit he’d worn to the “family dinner” three nights ago, his dark hair peppered with silver. Mark Hix. Her stepfather of six years. And, according to the file Control had flashed on her screen six months ago, a deep-cover asset for a rogue intelligence collective known as The Syndicate. -MyFamilyPies- Emma Hix - Secret Agent Step Dad...
“You left your phone on the kitchen counter,” he said, taking a slow step forward. “The one with the encrypted battery. Sloppy. Your mother found it while looking for the TV remote.” His voice was calm, almost gentle, as he
Emma stared at the drive in his palm. It could be a trap. It could be the truth. In her world, they were often the same thing. Through the rain-streaked window, she saw him
“Because you’re my stepdaughter,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “And because six years ago, when I married your mother, I wasn’t assigned to watch you. I was assigned to retire. You were the first person in twenty years who made me want to keep the fake name.”
He wasn’t just early. He was looking directly up at her window.
“Gentlemen. Let’s talk about your retirement plans.”