Page 45 of Her Wicked Hero

“She’s going to be staying with her aunt. I took down all of her contact information. I’m going to send them some funds.”

“Marcia,” Zed frowned, “you don’t have to mother the Western Hemisphere.” He held out his hand, and she reached out and took it. He made her feel less alone. How funny was that? She had more people in her life than most.

“It’s not a big deal, Zed. With their cost of living, they don’t need much, and I get interest payouts every year from my parent’s life insurance policies. That’s what paid for my college.”

He just shook his head. “So that’s why it took three days to question you, huh?”

“Not entirely. Day three was spent asking all the same questions they asked on day one. It was stupid. They really ticked me off. They were A-Holes.”

Zed’s lips twitched.

“What?”

“Has it worked? Do Brockman’s two younger daughters not swear?”

“No,” Marcia sighed, “both of them have potty mouths, sometimes. It really yanks my chain.”

“How about when grown men swear?” Zed asked carefully.

“I couldn't care less,” Marcia grinned. “I’m just about setting an example. However, I will say I would prefer the adults try to keep it clean around the kids.” Marcia waited to see how Zed would take that, and she didn’t have to wait long.

“I agree. That’s part of what we do in the military, set an example.”

She thought about it. She’d been to bars in Virginia when she’d gone out with Rick, and some of the military guys had been pretty rowdy and rude. But then again, how many times had she been out walking around campus or just seeing the sights and come across some of the politest men and women possible?

“What are you thinking?” Zed asked.

“I’m thinking people are people,” she answered. “Good, bad, and indifferent, they come in all flavors. I went to Virginia State, and not all the military I ran into were setting an example, but then again, many were. I guess I was just painting a lot of people with the same brush.”

“You live in Alexandria now, don’t you?”

“How did you know?”

“We were briefed on everybody who was on the yacht. Just the basics. But it made it sound like you were living with the Brockman family.”

“I am. Ever since Mrs. B. died, I’ve been living there. It dovetailed with when I graduated.”

“So, you’re the girl’s nanny?”

Marcia started to giggle. Zed scowled at her, and that made her really start to laugh.

“What’s so damn funny?”

“I have a B.S. in Mathematics. I’m currently working as a junior economist at JP Morgan. The C.I.A. wanted me to work as an intern.”

“Thank God, you turned them down.”

“Why?”

“Once they realized the type of woman you were, they’d have you in the field in an instant. It’d scare the hell out of me.”

“You don’t think I’m capable?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer.

“Didn’t you hear me? They’d be crazy not to have you in the field, you’d be excellent. My hair would go white overnight.”

She leaned closer. His raven black hair was cut short, but she could see just a bit of a curl on the ends. “There’s not a bit of gray,” she protested.

His black eyes turned liquid. “I hadn’t met you.”