Elaine slowly crept into the room, making her feet fall as light as she could as she approached the bed. She didn’t want the little girl to wake and scream the entire house awake. She didn’t want her presence to be known. Not just yet. Elaine got to the head of the bed and stared down at her. She was so beautiful. A perfect little angel asleep with her favorite stuffed purple elephant clutched to her chest as she lay on her back. Her vulnerability scared Elaine. Anyone could take her from her bed and she wouldn’t have a chance to scream. She probably wouldn’t stir awake when she was touched, easy for someone to slit her throat. Elaine squeezed her eyes shut, banishing the scary thoughts out of her mind. God, she couldn’t think like that anymore. Things were different now, safer for her.
Katya. Elaine wanted so much to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her in her arms and never let go. Despite everything, she would never regret having her baby girl. Katya was the only good thing to ever come from her. Elaine had been away for a very long time, but it had all been for her, for Katya’s safety. She really hoped her daughter still remembered her.
She leaned down and pressed her lips lightly to her baby’s head then whispered, “You sleep so well my heart, because you know you are loved.”
Elaine paused where she was and held very still when she felt movement behind her.
“You know, this is how people get shot—breaking and entering.”
Elaine pulled away from Katya, slowly moving backward until she was out the door and then she pulled the door closed. Only then did she turn around to face Tasha and gave her a big hug.
“Your husband know you carry that around?” Elaine whispered in her ear before pulling away.
Tasha lifted her gun, “What, this little thing? Turns out, I’m pretty good with it, so yeah, he knows. He gave it to me.”
Elaine smiled. Tasha seemed to look happier than the last time she saw her, which couldn’t be possible. Granted she had killed her positive pregnancy test happy buzz when she asked her to watch Katya when she went out hunting. When Tasha agreed without asking what she meant by hunting, Elaine got the distinct feeling her friend remembered more than any of them thought she did. The question was why wasn’t she sharing?
“Where is the husband anyway?”
“Right here,” he stepped out from the room across from Katya’s, “You’re losing your touch Elaine. Your spider senses on hiatus?”
She rolled her eyes, “Who heard me?”
“I did. My hearing has gotten better since the babies were born.” Tasha answered.
With a pointed look at Damien, she said, “It seems I’m not the only one losing her mojo.”
He shook his head, “I’ve got a good excuse. A great one. My world had just been turned upside down and I was still recovering. As expected after going three months without my sugar,” he waggled his eyebrows naughtily.
Elaine chuckled. It was hard to believe there was a genius underneath all that ridiculousness.
Tasha covered her face with her hand, “Oh my god. Don’t listen to him. Let’s go downstairs to the living room,” she led the way and Elaine and Damien followed behind her.
“How did you get in any way?” Damien asked once they were in the living room.
“The old fashion way.”
“You picked the lock! And the alarm, did you use a decoder?” his eyes brightened with excitement.
Elaine smiled sadly at him, “No, I used my key and I do know the security code.”
He sighed dramatically dropping his shoulders, “How very ordinary.”
Elaine laughed then winced, “Hold the comedy, smart ass.”
“Are you okay?” Tasha approached her, her hands free of the gun.
Elaine nodded yes gritting her teeth from the pain. With Tasha’s help, she carefully lowered onto the couch, but her ribs screamed in agony. That last target had put up quite a fight.
“You need me to look at them?”
Elaine shook her head no, “They are already wrapped. I just need to rest.” She leaned her head back on the couch’s backrest and closed her eyes.
She ached all over and she needed a hot bath, a warm bed and a brand new day. Tomorrow my new life begins. She could hardly wait to start over with a clean slate. She smiled at that. No more dodging bullets, physical combat that would leave injuries that take weeks to heal, or scars that she can never get rid of. No more espionage, no more lying, no more looking twice over her shoulder, no more being overly suspicious of strangers… no more looking in through the window at other people as they lived their lives.
From tomorrow on, I’m going to be a stay at home mom. She had enough money, if well managed and invested, would last her a lifetime. Katya too. She chuckled. The dark clouds had parted and she could see the twinkling stars in the sky. A lifetime was now more than the next twenty-four hours. She could actually see a future past the next twenty-four hours. A future with her daughter and— her smile fell and she sighed heavily. That idiot was being oversensitive. Couldn’t he see she’d done him a favor?
A heavy chuckle had her opening her eyes. Damien stood behind Tasha where she sat on the table in front of her.
“That’s a pretty intense conversation you’re having with yourself. Come up with a solution yet?”
Elaine shook her head slowly from side to side, “Nope. There are a few things I just don’t understand.”
“Why don’t I leave you two alone? I’ll try and get as much sleep as possible before the twins wake up.” He kissed the top of Tasha’s head and walked away, “Good to have you back home Elaine.”
She smiled at his retreating back, “Good to be back.”
“Thanks, babe,” Tasha’s eyes lit up as she watched him walk away and Elaine smiled sadly to herself.
That. That love on Tasha’s face was all she wanted. Was it too much to ask for?
“How is Derek?”
The light in Tasha’s eyes dulled when she faced her, “He’s struggling to get back his old life. He’s pushing everything that doesn’t involve getting back to the CIA aside, especially Katya.”
Elaine narrowed her eyes as she watched Tasha carefully. There it was again. Was the secret out or…
“Tasha?”
She smiled knowingly, “No, I don’t have my memories. But I found this diary that I apparently wrote. Everything that I need to know about Damien’s family including my sister, it’s all in there. It’s like I knew I was going to have amnesia.” Her gaze turned suspicious.
Elaine schooled her face to hide her apprehension and just stared back at her.
Tasha sighed as if realizing Elaine wasn’t going to divulge anything. “I know all about Ellsa Jabari’s life as an assassin. Funny thing, she doesn’t feel like she was me even though I know that she is me.”
“What does Damien say?”
She smiled sweetly, “As long as I stay his Victoria Secret, he’s good.”
As expected. “And Ellie?”
“I decided not to tell anyone. If she doesn’t know about my past life as an assassin, I think it should stay that way. And if she does know I don’t want to drudge up anything from the past. At least now I know why Dale sometimes gets tense around me.”
Right… Elaine shrugged wanting to seem nonchalant. “What about your muscle memory?”
She shrugged, “it’s okay. I think it’s a good thing my body remembers how to fight and handle a weapon in case a time comes when I need to. Ellie is pretty good too.” She sighed, “I can’t wait to take up capoeira and lose all this baby weight. Remember, I had to quit after the first class when I found out I had buns in the oven? Damien went nuts about me squishing his babies if I continue?”
She just nodded. The man was cool in a lot of situations, but being told he was going to be a father again had sent him into a panic attack. Surprised everyone.
“So, what are you going to do about Derek?”
Elaine was instantly annoyed, “I don’t know why he’s so adamant about going back, it’s not like he’s some superhero with the solemn duty to protect the world from evil or anything. As far as I’m concerned spooks are worse than what we used to be. We took out evil men. They bring down countries if it suits their agenda.”
Tasha laughed, “This is one weird family. But you’re right. I’ll be more comfortable when we all leave that kind of life behind us. I’m so glad you’re finally out. Now we just have to convince Derek.”
Elaine pushed herself off the couch, wincing slightly when her ribs protested the movement.
“Where are you going?” Tasha stood and held onto Elaine’s arm and helping her stand.
“I guess to shoot his other knee.”
Tasha shook her head with an indulgent look on her face, “You know he already resents you.”
Elaine shrugged. So she won’t have the complete American dream; a husband, two point five kids, a dog and a house with a white picket fence. Her daughter, a dog and a house next to two ladies she saw as sisters would do just fine.
“I’ve been away from my baby for almost a year canceling enemies we racked up in our line of work, his too. He’s not going to create new ones just because he misses the adrenaline rush of playing Russia roulette with death. So if I have to shoot him again for all our sakes, I’ll do just that.”
****