Page 148 of Pretty Nightmare

I think I would’ve liked to know him, actually. The man behind the father. The one who did his best to protect me, even though I never felt particularly protected.

Then I chuckle a little under my breath. Because I’m fairly certain Indie would say the same thing about me.

I will never touch Indie again. Ever. Not even a kiss on the cheek. And neither will McKay. Maybe we’re not biologically related to her, but it doesn’t matter.

We are the only fathers she ever had.

I don’t really know if Mallory Machette and Sidonia Ameci are important in the big picture. Not even sure it matters. Because I don’t think these were my father’s secrets to begin with. I think they were Nikos’s.

So I put them to rest with all the other secrets I’ve come across in my life and just let them die.

But there was that envelope with Nick Tate’s name on the front.

I read it. No way I couldn’t. And it said a lot of things make sense and yet don’t quite add up.

My phone rings on the desk. Right on time.

Nick Tate is nothing if not predictable.

I tab accept and say, “I’m glad you called.”

“You knew I would.”

“So you heard?”

“I heard.”

“We’re out.”

“You’re not out, Adam. There is no ‘out’. There is a nest of little girls—

“Yes. I know. But they’re gone.”

“Gone. How? Nathan?”

“No. Not Nathan. We went up there to check it out and the entire house is empty. One can only assume Carter had a final back-up plan and they got swept up in it.”

“Then they aren’t gone. So no one is out.”

“Well”—I sigh—“we’re gonna have to agree to disagree on this one, Nick. Carter and Donovan are dead now, so whatever was going on, it’s probably over.”

“So you say. It’s all pretty convenient.”

“Which part?”

“All of it. But especially the part about Donovan and Carter. It’s too bad they died.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because we’re a little short on PSYOPS people these days.”

“Still got you, right?”

I can hear him smile on the other end of the phone. “You are well aware that wasn’t me. It was my double. He was the one who went through that training. And he was the one I needed to kill to make my escape.”

“Sucks to be you, I guess.”

“Tell me again how Donovan died?”