Walker (Bowen Boys, #1)(50)

He waited. She knew what he was doing. He wanted her to ask. Well, he could suck her big toe if that’s what he wanted. She looked him in the eye and waited as well. She knew she was much better at this game; she’d had a bit more practice. When Marshall sighed she knew he was going to break the silence.

“There’s a position open now in the CIA. We wanted your help in filling it.”

She looked at him then at the president.

“I’d be honored to help you interview potential directors. I can even do the background checks, as well as any other finding that you need.” She was indeed honored. And surprised. She thought they would have a person or two lined up by now.

“No, none of that will be necessary. We know all we need to know about the person we have in mind. Brilliant, and damned good at their job. Mouthy, and a lot pushy, but a by-the-books type of person. No gray area for this person.”

She was already looking forward to working with him. Caitlynne sat up higher in her chair and nodded. This was going to be better than she thought.

“So, will you do it?”

She looked at Warren, thinking she’d already answered that. “I said I’d help, but you just said you had someone picked out?” When they looked at one another then back at her she was more confused than ever. “Don’t you? I mean, you do have someone picked out, right?”

Warren nodded. “You.”

She was missing something. Looking behind her to see who they were talking about and seeing no one, she looked from man to man. It was the smiles that made her feel uncomfortable. Then it hit her.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no and f*cking hell no.” She stood so quickly that Marshall put his hand on his weapon and slid in front of Warren. “You can’t be f*cking serious. Me as director of the Central Intelligence Agency? Are you f*cking nuts? I can barely organize a f*cking grocery list much less… This isn’t funny. Tell me who you really have in mind.”

Warren, voice full of humor, told her he was not joking. “You’ll need to clean up your vocabulary if you ever need to speak in front of the public. They might not get the idea of what you’re trying to speak about if they have to bleep every other word. And I’ve had you in mind for this position since I took office.”

“Why?” She sat down now, overwhelmed with what he was saying. “I don’t understand why you’d pick me. I mean, I’m a pretty good agent, but this? What if I f*ck up?”

“You probably will. Most of us do. But that’s the wonderful thing about you; you have no problem with saying you’ve done so and give solutions on how you’ve fixed it. And another thing that I like about you is that if you need help you’ve no problem asking for it. Good traits in a leadership role.” Warren took the file that Marshall held out to him. “There are other benefits to you coming to work for me. And they’re all outlined here.”

She took the folder and stared at it. Caitlynne decided that she’d rather be staring down a large group of people trying their best to kill her than this. She felt a small touch to her mind and nearly shied away from it. But when Khan spoke, she closed her eyes.

“You said you were okay with me staying with you guys because you knew that he was offering me this job and I wouldn’t be here anyway, didn’t you? How could you do this to—”

“What job? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I felt your distress and wanted to…”

He was quiet, but she knew he was still there, a small touch of his mind to her let her know that.

“I deserve that. Your distrust of me and so much more. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for you thinking that of me. And I will never forgive myself for the way that I treated you. But I will try, Lynne. I will with all my heart to have you forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive if you really won’t hold my being with your brother against him. He missed you terribly and he would never forgive himself if he couldn’t speak to you again.”

Caitlynne leaned back in the chair and looked at the two men in front of her. They seemed to know that she was “talking” to someone else and spoke amongst themselves. She wondered if Walker could feel her terror when Khan spoke again.

“He can. He asked me to come to the house to see what the, and these are his words, not mine, what the f*cktards are doing to you now. I’m right in the kitchen if you need me.”

“They offered me a job. It will take me away a lot. I might have to stay in DC through the week.” She wanted to talk to Walker in the worst way.

“Walker is delivering a baby right now and said to tell you he loves you. He said that you two can speak, but you have to stop blocking him. We think that the only reason you can hear me is because you’re not able to block me out.”

“I have to talk to Walker. I can do that…I’m sorry, Khan, that I thought the worst of you. I really am.” She felt him hug her as if he were in the room with her. “That was f*cking weird.”





Chapter Seventeen


Walker held the new baby in his hands and took a quick inventory of her. Ten fingers and ten toes. Pink skin and a loud, healthy scream. Yes, she was fine. Handing her off to the nurse beside him he smiled at the new parents. Of course they didn’t notice because they were so wrapped up in each other to see him, the man who had brought their little bundle into the world.