Code Name: Ghost - Sawyer Bennett Page 0,34

life.”

I stare at her for a long moment, feeling like her words are ridiculous. Corinne’s gaze drops to her watch before returning to me. “And we’re out of time.”

“Am I released?” I ask.

Shaking her head, she puts me in my place. “Not even close.”

It’s clear what I have to do.

Either I have to take her advice, accept I did everything in my power to protect those who needed it the most urgently—or, in other words, I acted the way I should have—or I have to move on and away from Jameson.

Corinne rises, an indication our time is truly over.

As she walks me to the door, she asks, “Are you going to the party tonight?”

There’s going to be an after-work party for Bebe, who received her official pardon from the president today for the crimes she was convicted of that sent her to prison. It was part of the deal Kynan worked out on her behalf when she helped our government bring down a Russian criminal mastermind last month.

“Probably,” I say. While I very much feel a part of the Jameson team, the truth is I don’t know these people all that well yet. It seems weird to celebrate victories with them that I wasn’t a part of when they occurred.

“I think you should,” Corinne advises. “It’s part of accepting you’re truly a valued member here.”

“Not all that happy in crowds,” I say.

“This isn’t a crowd,” she points out. “This is your family. Or it could be if you open up to it.”

And damn her… now I have something else to think about.

CHAPTER 12

Anna

Being the assistant to the illustrious owner of Jameson Force Security means I do pretty much anything he needs.

Some days, I’m helping to plan a mission by organizing binders and pulling strategic topographical maps, scouting lodging accommodations or arranging meetings with military colonels.

Other days, it means buying party decorations.

I didn’t begrudge being a party planner today, because this is a well-deserved celebration.

Bebe Grimshaw got a pardon for her crimes, and her record has been officially expunged. If that’s not reason for a party, I don’t know what is.

It goes without saying Bebe is perhaps the most interesting woman I’ve ever known. She spent seven years of a thirty-five-year sentence in prison for a crime she absolutely committed. When I first came to work for Jameson, I was shocked to learn Bebe had conspired against the United States to hack our defense systems and steal nuclear launch codes, which were going to be sold to a foreign enemy.

Appalling, I know, but when I learned the story, it was totally understandable. Bebe is a brilliant tech genius. She had done some low-level black-hat hacking when she was in college to make ends meet when she’d gotten pregnant and promptly deserted by the baby daddy.

Then she got in too deep and couldn’t get out. A Russian mobster owned her—keeping the threat of killing her son, Aaron, and her mom, Gloria, hanging over her head so she’d do his dirty work. She was forced to do his bidding until he wanted her to steal the nuclear codes. It was then she knew she had a duty to not only protect her family, but her country as well.

Bebe intentionally got caught, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for the government to find her easily enough. It foiled the hacking plot, saved the country, and sent her to prison.

Of course, all’s well that ends well, because Kynan heard about her extraordinary talents and knew they could be used for good. He worked his contacts within the government to get her released from prison, and she’s been a happy and productive member of Jameson—fighting against the forces of evil—ever since.

Now, it was Bebe who earned the pardon and expungement, because, just last month, she worked with the government to bring down that same Russian mobster who was on the FBI’s most-wanted list.

Tonight… we party and celebrate her successes and heroism.

My mom is keeping Avery for the evening. I have Uber on my phone, so I’m going to drink, eat, and be merry with my Jameson teammates. It’s the first happy occasion we’ve had in a while to get most everyone here who isn’t off on an active mission together.

Kynan put me in charge of planning the party, telling me I had carte blanche to do whatever I wanted. The first thing I did was ask Bebe what she wanted, it being her party and all.

I suggested fancy restaurants in Pittsburgh or a shindig to be held