Agent T3: d'Artagnan (Superhero Romance) (The D.I.R.E. Agency) (10 page)

Nodd
ing, she gave him an innocent,wide-eyed stare. “I understand.”

They watched him leave the room. As soon as the door shut, Jocelyn rushed over to the bed and gave him a hard kiss on the mouth. They shared a smile
.

“Who is your father?” Jocelyn pulled the blanket closer
.

This was it. When he told her about his family and what he had done before D.I.R.E., she’d either hit the door running or, more in character, go after Robert herself. He didn’t know if he could stomach the sight of her walking out on him. Just thinking about it made him want to puke
.

Wouldn’t Tristan like to hear that?

“My father is Robert Naylor, a former friend of Mitchell Jacobs’, Rachel and Cass’s father, and The D.I.R.E. Agency’s greatest foe – or, he
was
its greatest foe, until they captured him.”

Stepping close to the bed, she searched his eyes. “Why? What did he do?”

Dar filled her in on his father’s history and all that had transpired in the last few weeks. He told her of his part in the business, of the money laundering, weapon sales, and all of the other degenerate things he’d done.

Her eyes rounded with surprise, but she didn’t run. It shocked him when she took his hand
.

“My father is a criminal, too. I’ve tried to buy weapons myself, Dar, and would gladly buy German government secrets if the opportunity arose.” She laid a hand on his cheek. “I could never judge you, d’Artagnan, because frankly, I’m just as guilty.”

Dar couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Jocelyn was guilty of no more than a caring, compassionate heart. Her actions were based in her goodness, his in the hatred he’d been raised to embrace.

But, no more
.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “There’s more, baby.”

“What else?”

He took her small hand in his and stared down at it. “Your stepmother, Angela?”

“Yes. What about her?”

He raised his head to meet her gaze. “She’s my mother.”

Two nights later, Jocelyn sat in the roof lounge of the D.I.R.E. compound, staring at the fire in the round pit. The future had so many convenient devices, some of which seemed like magic. The idea of a phone that could track someone anywhere in the world still confused her. However, this internet mechanism fascinated her to no end. It held infinite information.

She’d found photographs and history of the war. The allies
had
won, if you could call it that.

Photos of concentration camp prisoners who were no more than skin over bones, had physically sickened her. The Invasion of Normandy had taken several thousand lives alone
.

What more did Mitchell Jacobs need to justify those weapons?

And Angela. Jocelyn now knew why she’d been drawn to Dar from the beginning. Her stepmother had birthed him. Her basic goodness shown in his eyes, though he couldn’t see it himself. To think she and her father worked for the Nazis still perplexed her. Angela had been nothing but loving.

“Jocelyn, will you tell us about Angela?”

Cassandra stared at her, beer bottle in hand and a million questions in her beautiful violet eyes. She looked so much like her mother, they could be twins.

d-Artagnan, sitting quiet and still beside her on the bench, had asked no questions, had not even inquired to Angela’s health. Then again, why should he? Angela had left them.

“I can tell you the Angela I know but, to be honest, I don’t know what’s real anymore.”

“We’re used to the lies, Jocelyn.” Tristan stretched his arm around Rachel, where they sat on an adjacent bench. “Just tell us what you saw growing up.”

Looking at Dar, she took his hand in hers and set it on her lap. For some reason, he’d shut down after his meeting with Mitchell late this afternoon.

“In all honesty, she was a wonderful mother and treated me like her own. She dolled me up every day, clothing me in fine dresses no matter if I attended school or a party. Before bed every night, I’d select a book from my shelf and she’d read it to me.” She chuckled. “She’d groan every time I handed her Cinderella because, even though I was a bit old for the story, I’d ask her to read it at least once a week. On Fridays, we’d walk the Institute grounds, studying nature. That’s how I developed my love of flowers.”

“She’s a freaking Mother of the Year,” Dar said, in a snide tone.

Robinson had warned her that Dar would experience moodiness for the next day or two. However, add that on top of the subject of his mother, and he practically radiated hostility
.

Jocelyn squeezed his hand. “It’s so hard for me to see her the way you do.” She looked at Aidan sitting beside Cass. “Until Aidan warned me about their traitorous activity, I adored her.” She softened her voice. “I see her goodness in all of you.”

Dar dropped her hand. An immediate sense of loss washed over her.

“Did she tell you about the future?” Cassandra said. “Did she ever talk about her life before she met your father?”

Jocelyn shook her head. “Never. But, I noticed she always became very sad around babies and young children. I asked her about it once and it upset her greatly. She broke out in tears and ran from the room. It terrified me so that I never asked again.”

The group fell silent. The only sound to be heard was the summer breeze wafting across the desert. Jocelyn knew they’d expected to hear that she’d been a horrible mother
.

She was glad she could disappoint them.

Sitting forward, Dar rested his arms on his thighs. “Mitchell is sending me back.”

His announcement startled her. Why hadn’t he told her? Had Mitchell reconsidered her plea?

“When do you go?” Aidan said.

“Tomorrow.”

Jocelyn gasped. “Tomorrow?”

That meant she’d be here alone. Why did that worry her? Angela and Nathan had taught her to be an independent woman. She’d always strived to take care of herself. Why had she become so dependent on Dar?

“He wants me to take our information to an Admiral Smith at the Department of the Navy.”

His leg shook in a nervous gesture. She touched it to calm him
.

“Are you taking the weapons technology?” she asked.

He gave her a guarded stare. “No, Joce.”

Jumping up from the bench, she walked away from the group to stand in total darkness. Why did she care? Why did she have such compassion for the lives of those suffering back home? Why couldn’t she be more like Mitchell and look the other way?

“Once I do that,” Dar continued, “I’m supposed to bring back the time machine.”

Jocelyn turned to stare at him
.

“Good move,” Tristan said. “That would prevent them from returning.”

“For a while, anyway,” Rachel said. “Until they build another one.”

That meant her father would be arrested. Angela, too. They certainly deserved it. However, that knowledge didn’t make it any easier to swallow
.

“Hopefully, by that point, the war will have ended.” Cassandra said
.

Dar took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ll go back one more time.”

“Once more?” Rachel wrinkled her brow. “Why?”

“To take back Jocelyn.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Dar saw Joce walk past him to the elevator, her head held high.

It took everything he had not to jump up and go after her. His knee shook wildly as he tried like hell to block her out of his mind.

Rachel sat up in her seat. “Mitchell can’t make you take her back.”

“Dar, aren’t you going after her?” Cassandra looked back at the elevator.

He would not watch those doors shut. “Rachel, yes he can. Cassandra, nope.” He ended the word with a pop
.

He shot out of his seat and started to pace.

Aidan gave him a wild-eyed glare. “You need to tell Mitchell to go to hell.”

“I would,” Tristan said, in his calm, rational voice.

“I’ve known from the beginning that she had to go back. I should’ve never allowed this, this…
thing
between us to happen. I knew it was unfair to her when I started it but, the asshole that I am, I did it anyway.”

He cursed under his breath. “Look at us. She’s risked her life, how many times, to try to save lives back home? And, she hasn’t asked for anything for herself.
Nothing
. Hell, she’s wearing my freaking clothes, for cripes sake.”

He pointed at his chest. “Me? I have to arrange for her family’s arrest, then take her back to an empty home.” He sliced his hand through the air. “She doesn’t freaking deserve any of it.”

When his time travel test runs had worked without a hitch, Mitchell told Dar he wanted to act. Each hour they waited, VonFussenhoffer moved. Dar wanted to stop him more than anyone but, once he did, Jocelyn would leave.

“You’ve got to choose your battle, Dar.” Rachel’s voice held a note of wisdom.

He couldn’t contain his sarcasm. “Oh yeah? I thought I’d done that.”

“You still have a choice to make.”

Dammit. Those choices he thought he wanted were a pain in the ass. He didn’t want to decide Jocelyn’s fate, or that of thousands of people.

He was more adept at dealing with decisions other people made. How could he decide for anything but her?

“You can battle Mitchell to keep her here,” Rachel said. “Or, you can battle time and history to stay with her in the past. Either way, Dar, your heart’s going with her.”

#####

Jocelyn sat in the deserted cafeteria and sipped on a cola. What did she do now? Dar left tomorrow. Not that it mattered really, since he’d already deserted her.

Sitting up in her chair, she lifted her chin. If she left the compound, she’d most likely get lost in the desert. Considering her wardrobe consisted of two dresses and Dar’s shirt, and she had no money to her name, it would be difficult to make it… where? Where would she go? The truth was, she had nowhere to go. Not in the year twenty thirteen.

Jocelyn wouldn’t stay with Dar now. Not anymore. Knowing he could return her so easily cut deep.

Their relationship had to end. She’d already changed the past just by coming here. The sooner she got back to nineteen forty-four, the better for them all. Either way, she’d be alone
.

“Would you like some company?”

A lovely, middle-aged woman stood at her table. She had delicate, fair features and gorgeous red hair. A friendly smile covered her face.

Pointing at the seat across from her, Jocelyn smiled. “Sure. I’m Jocelyn.”

“I’m Kate.”

Jocelyn’s heart jolted to a stop, while she continued to smile. This had to be the woman that Brewster person talked about at the hospital. Robert Naylor’s girlfriend. Aidan looked a lot like her
.

Did she know Jocelyn’s identity? Had she come around fishing for information?

Sitting down in the chair, she held a cup of coffee and blew on it. “I haven’t seen you here before. Are you a new agent?”

Jocelyn gave a feigned laugh. Kate knew who she was all right.

“No. I’m just… visiting.”

“Visiting? Kate cocked her head. “Yet, you’re sitting in here alone?”

Very astute of Kate to notice. “Yes, the discussion became too… intense, I’m afraid.” She stared at the label on her plastic bottle. “What do you do here?”

“I’ve been working in the medical wing. A thankless job, changing sheets and bedpans.” She grinned over her coffee cup
.

Jocelyn smiled at her. If Kate could shovel it out like this, she could clean it up
.

“Yes, I’m sure it is thankless when you’re dealing with type-A personalities.”

Kate’s eyes crinkled. “Exactly.” Laying her hand flat on the table, she said, “So, a pretty girl like you has to be visiting one of the hot agents. Who is he?”

She knew about Dar and Jocelyn’s relationship with him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered to approach her.

“Hot? I’m sorry, I don’t know what that means.”

Staring at her with round eyes, Kate said, “You’re not from here, are you?”

Joce glanced down at the bottle again. These days, she felt like she was from another planet
.

“No, I’m afraid not.”

Kate leaned across the table and spoke in confidence. “Hot means handsome, or sexy. We have plenty of those around here.”

An image of Dar making love to her on the sofa popped into her head. The man was
strikingly
hot
. As a matter of fact, just thinking about him made her body heat.

She needed to put an end to this conversation and get away from this woman. Why did they allow her to roam free?

Kate watched as she rose from her chair. “Well Kate, it was nice mee-“