Keeping Me (Spy Chronicles Book 2)(20)

I nod. “With Sebastian, too.”

“I don’t know. Sebastian doesn’t exactly get along well with others,” he says. “I always thought he would be solo in his career.”

“I thought everybody had to be on a team,” I say.

“Nah, that’s just us. You can do more as a team. Everybody contributes something. But if you want to be solo, you can.”

“And what do you contribute?” I ask.

He pauses before answering. “Well, I am really good with languages. I learn them really fast. I actually learned how to speak French in less than a month.”

“Wow,” I say. “And Jax?”

“Driving. And flying. And boats,” Hunter answers. “Jax is a great driver.”

“And Sander?”

“Sander does everything. But, he’s the best distraction,” he says.

“Distraction?”

“The... majority of the female population thinks he’s good looking,” Hunter explains. “I don’t see it. But one time, he distracted a terrorist long enough for us to disarm her bomb and arrest her. She didn’t even know the handcuffs were on until she was halfway to the car.”

Huh. I could totally see that. It’s his blue eyes.

Sebastian’s eyes are the same color as Sanders.

I really like blue eyes.

“And Brett is the computer guy, right?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“What about Gage?”

“Gage is who keeps us all together,” Hunter says. “I mean, he’s good at a lot of things. But our team wouldn’t be together if it wasn’t for him. He’s just good at talking to us. And he is the one guy everybody on our team never gets mad at.”

I can’t wait to see Gage again.

Only a few more hours and we’ll be back in Switzerland.

“What will I add to the team?” I ask. “I can’t do anything.”

“You haven’t been trained yet,” he says. “But, I have a feeling you’ll be a lot like Sander... good at everything. And I for sure think you’d be able to distract a terrorist. Also, I think you’ll be like Gage. You’ll be the glue. I mean, because of you we are on a plane with Sebastian. I never thought I’d see the day. He has hated us for so long. You changed us all.”

“I love you guys,” I tell him. “You really are my family now.”

“Well, I haven’t seen or talked to my mom and dad since I graduated from Spy School,” he says. “So I definitely think of you as more of my family than they are.”

“Why haven’t you talked to them?”

“They’re on assignment in Russia,” he answers. “Sometimes they get so into their job that they forget they have sons. I think Jax takes it harder than I do, but he won’t let it show. He thinks because he’s older he has to be the strong one.”

“I’m sorry,” I say. “That sucks.”

He shrugs. “It’s this life. We were raised this way and we’re used to it. Our parents are too busy out saving the world to spend time with us. And how could we ask them to stay home when they are doing so much good?”

“Family should come first.”

“It does,” Hunter says. “You’re my family now. You’re coming first.”

His words warm my heart.

What would I do without these guys?





Sunday, August 27





Vacation.





“Serenity, get up.”

I open one eye and see that I am in my bedroom. The last I remember, I was on the plane, sitting beside Hunter. Now I am in my own bed in my room in Switzerland. Outside, it is pitch black. I roll over and look at the clock on my nightstand.

It’s 2:37 a.m.

“Dad, why are you waking me up in the middle of the night?” I ask, then quickly sit up, my heart pounding fast. “Did something bad happen?”

“No. I just need you to hurry up. Pack a bag. Just the basics. We can go shopping for whatever you need when we get there,” Dad says.

“Get where?” I ask, relieved that nothing is wrong. But then again, would my dad tell me if anything was wrong? He’s left me in the dark so many times. He doesn’t respond to my question. “Dad, where are we going?”

“Vacation,” he answers.

“Vacation?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“What about school?”

“I own this place. You’re not going to get in trouble for missing a couple of weeks of school,” he says.

“A couple of weeks?”

“Yeah.”

“What about my training?” I ask. “I mean, I want to train. The guys already said I could be on their team...”

“Hold up,” Dad says, holding up a hand. “Who said anything about you being on a team?”

“Well, I want to be on a team with Sander and Gage and all of them. Even Sebastian,” I say. “Hunter said I could really help out their team.”

He lets out an exasperated sigh. “What is it with you and those boys?”

“They’re my friends,” I answer. “The only friends I’ve ever had.”