Behind the Lies (Montgomery Justice #2)(92)

Caleb, Nick, Luke, and a bandaged Seth followed the Company rep in.

The visitor’s gaze swept the occupants, then stopped on Zach, a flash of pity showing before the businesslike demeanor slipped into place, disguising the man’s emotions. “Zachariah Montgomery?”

Zach rose and stood protectively in front of Sam and Jenna. He made his weapon visible. “Who’s asking?” he said in challenge.

The man backed off. He didn’t attack, just cocked his brow at Zach.

Interesting.

“Stand down. Gavin Sterling. I’m your new boss.”

Zach tensed and raised the weapon. “Prove it. Sir. ID?”

“He’s legit,” Seth interrupted. “We wouldn’t have let him in otherwise.”

Zach pocketed his weapon.

Sterling shoved his identification holder back into his inside jacket. “I should start with a thank-you. Taking Theresa Banyon out tonight solves a potentially embarrassing problem for us. Evidently, she’s been working her own game for the last year and a half. We just caught on to it, thanks to you.”

“That’s not why you flew from DC to Colorado, though, is it?”

Sterling studied Zach. “You’re better than I expected, to be honest. Cards on the table, I need to find out what I can do to keep this situation quiet. Whatever you and your family want, Zach. If it’s in my power, you’ve got it.”

Zach stared at Sam, then Jenna. He looked one by one at his brothers. As hard as he’d tried to push them away, now they almost thought as a unit. Even more so than when they’d been kids. No longer did Zach feel apart and different. He was the same. He was a Montgomery.

“The family doesn’t need anything,” Zach said. With that, his brothers nodded their agreement and disappeared into the hallway.

“But I want Jenna to receive all of Brad Walters’s assets and a new identity. Too many people could know about their relationship to me after tonight. I want them safe.”

Jenna stood and grabbed Zach’s arm. “What about you?”

He turned to her and toyed with the wayward hair near her temple. “This is what we planned. To make sure you’re safe. It’s the best way, honey.”

Sterling cleared his throat. “Not necessarily. Theresa lied about your cover being blown. She put together a sophisticated paper trail, but it fell apart after we tugged a few strings. You could go back to the Middle East tomorrow. If you chose to.”

Zach stilled. “Why would she do this? Why did she want me dead?”

“We don’t know yet. We’re looking into it. We can tell you she put in for my job about eighteen months ago.”

“That’s crazy. Do all of this for a promotion?”

“There’s also the several million dollars in offshore accounts. So far.”

Zach rubbed his temple. “I thought I knew her. She trained me. I trusted her.”

“We all did.”

He searched his mind for signs, or clues. He faced Sterling. “I did some unauthorized research on my father’s military career not long ago,” he admitted. “She mentioned it as a reason I was being targeted. She was smart. The more lies, the more you have to remember. Review the files. You might find something.”

“Thanks for the tip. You didn’t have to tell me that,” Sterling said, his expression contemplative. “Are you certain you don’t want to continue working for the Company?”

Jenna laced her fingers through Zach’s hand. He looked over at the woman who had changed his life. In her eyes he saw complete support, complete faith, complete trust. Sterling had just offered Zach everything he’d wanted when this entire mess began. And she stood by him.

Now, though, he simply didn’t want his old life. He wanted a new life. With her.

Sterling looked from Zach to Jenna and then at Sam. “I suspect I know your answer.”

“Not to be ungrateful, sir, but I’ve found something infinitely more interesting than taking out bad guys.” Careful of her injuries, Zach gently tucked Jenna against him.

She leaned over to him. “Are you sure?” she whispered.

He lowered his head. “I wanted to prove myself. To my father. To my family. Maybe even to you, Jenna. I don’t have to do that anymore. There are other ways to help people, and to help my country.”

She gave him a bright smile and he kissed her lips gently.

“No, sir. I think I’m done.”

“Then good luck. I envy you what you’ve found,” Sterling said, his expression strangely enigmatic. “Hold on to her.”

“I hope I can.”

Sterling cleared his throat. “Very well. I accept your resignation as an undercover operative. All trace of your identity will be expunged from the records and database. You should be able to live a normal life.” He tossed a file on the bedside table. “One last piece of business. You might want to read this over. It’s a copy of the evidence file found near Theresa’s body. I’m sorry to tell you, but Brad Walters, aka. the Chameleon, was the hired gunman in your father’s assassination. It’s on page twenty-three, at the top. Street. Time. Date. Your father’s initials. Million-dollar hit. It took me a while to confirm everything, but all the travel records and the Chameleon’s aliases match up.”