the trees. It was a bit of a hike to the lake from the house, but it was worth it for the view.
Tasha turned her way and her mouth firmed. “Yes, I think we should. I want to know why you hated my dad so much.”
She hadn’t expected that. “I don’t hate your dad. He’s sarcastic, but I actually think he’s pretty funny. I owe Ian a lot. Why would you think I hate your father?”
“I’m talking about Oleg Federov.”
Kim went still. “I didn’t hate him either. I didn’t know him very well. I only met him a couple of times. Who told you I hated him?”
“A friend of mine.”
“A friend from school? How long have you known this person?” She glanced around because she was starting to get the feeling that this was a setup.
This was starting to feel like something Levi would do.
But he was in custody. He wouldn’t survive long if Big Tag found out he’d catfished his daughter. It explained why Tasha had a problem with her. If Levi had been feeding Tasha a line of crap about how Kim had hurt her father, of course Tasha would hate her.
The teen’s shoulders straightened, and Kim wondered if Tasha knew where she’d gotten that stubborn stance. That stance was pure Ian Taggart going into general mode. “His name is Lev. He’s Russian. He’s the son of a man who used to work with my dad. He reached out to me online last year.”
Well, at least Levi remembered their training. Try to pick a name that’s easy to answer to when going undercover. “Sweetie, I know this is going to be hard for you to believe, but the kid you think you’re talking to is actually a CIA operative. His name is Levi Green.”
She shook her head. “No. He’s a kid. I’ve seen a picture of him, and I’ve talked to him on the phone. He speaks Russian. He’s not American.”
“He’s good at his job. He can fake a lot, and he does speak Russian. He speaks Russian and Mandarin. Most of the top operatives speak a couple of different languages.” This would also explain how Levi seemed to know the things he did. Tasha had been working at McKay-Taggart during the early weeks of summer. She was an observant kid, and she likely would have known something was going on with Beck. “Did he ask you to tell him if they found me?”
Tasha frowned. “He showed me documentation that you handed over Oleg Federov to Dr. Hope McDonald. He got it from his dad.”
“I never met Hope McDonald,” Kim said, trying to keep her tone calm. “But Levi Green once faked evidence that I did. I would never have turned anyone over to that monster. I’m so sorry he’s made you think I would. Let’s go talk to your dad—to Ian.”
She shook her head. “Ian is my dad. That’s why I didn’t take this to him. I don’t talk about my bio parents because I don’t want my dad to think I don’t love him. He would feel betrayed if he knew.”
“He’ll understand.” Tag would understand that Levi was a monster who used a little girl’s insecurity against her. She also couldn’t see Ian keeping knowledge about Oleg Federov away from Tasha. “If there’s one thing I know it’s that your dad loves you. So does your mom. Did you ever ask Beck or Rob about the man they knew as Sasha?”
Her dark eyes had gone watery. “I told you. I didn’t want my parents to think I didn’t love them.”
Sympathy welled for the baby standing in front of her. She’d been through so much, and all she wanted were some answers. “Wanting to know your roots doesn’t mean you don’t love them. The drugs that McDonald gave to your dad, they took his memory.”
“I know that.”
“Yes, but did you know that sometimes a memory would be so precious that it still got through? Like your Uncle Theo would remember your Aunt Erin.”
“Yes,” Tasha replied. “I read that. He would get punished for remembering.”
Oh, she was going to have a talk with Tag about locking his files down. She shouldn’t have to process that as a child. But Kim could give her one bit of peace. “Yes. Sasha only ever remembered one thing.”
Tears made Tasha’s eyes shine, and she looked so young and vulnerable. “What was that? Did he remember my mom?”
“You. He remembered holding you right after you were born.” Ariel had told her the story