Manipulative Attraction

E P I L O G U E

Jeannie hugged her last diploma to her chest. She lifted the vellum in the air before Thorne enveloped her with his strong arms. He pulled back to kiss her deeply, his lips searing hers.

When the baby kicked, Thorne jumped back. He laughed and patted her stomach. "This one will be a terror just like your son, Dr. Gable."

Jeannie giggled at her new title. She'd worked hard to complete her doctorate in just under five years. Taking care of a precocious son, now four-and-a-half-years-old and being pregnant with his sister took a toll on her sometimes, but she wouldn't change a thing. She loved her family.

"My son?" Jeannie said, tapping him on the chest. "Our son, you mean. You had a hand in his creation just as much as I did."

Thorne moved his gaze from his beloved's face to watch Hawthorne Gable II scamper around on the grass with Carmen and Sean's son, Andréas. Almost a year older, Hawthorne had the upper hand in their play, but Andréas was coming into his own.

Tatiana and Drake watched the children, their eyes following their grandchild's movements. Thorne had put aside his differences with Drake for his mother's sake. She loved the man. What could he do? Nothing besides slap Drake a little harder than necessary when they played against each other during touch football.

It was enough.

He had everything he needed including—

"Rachel!" Jeannie screamed. She tore from Thorne's arms to hug her sister-in-law.

"Sorry, we missed the ceremony, Jeannie." She gave her husband a glower worse than Thorne could ever produce. "Quentin got off on the wrong exit and then we got stuck in traffic because of an accident."

Quentin nodded sheepishly. "Yo, it's my fault, man. I take full responsibility."

Jeannie giggled at Quentin's contrite look. "Don't worry about it, Rachel. I'm glad you both made it."

Rachel nodded in agreement. She had made it. In more ways than one.

After her brother and mother had kidnapped her and Darren...Demetri and disposed of the latter, they took her to The Source. Rachel was given the choice of leaving or taking part in a training program.

She'd joined The Source, in the process learning espionage support was her calling. She loved navigating agents out of sticky situations and soon; she rose to the top of the agency's ranks.

Her social life was less than stellar. She wanted nothing to do with her newfound family. Where were they all these years? Why hadn't they contacted her before now? She didn't want to hear her mother's and brother's excuses. For three years she refused to have any contact with them.

Two years ago, she helped on a mission that ultimately cost an agent his life due to bad intel. She was helpless at her console, watching as an agent was shot. His body crumpling to the ground had smashed the camera, but the sound still worked. She listened as the agent's partner and friend picked him up, telling him it would be all right. Then the same agent crying over his friend's body when the life ran out of him.

Her mother had found her crying in an empty conference room. They'd consoled each other as her mother had been close to the agent. Along with Drake, they attended the agent's funeral together.

When Thorne had shown up with Jeannie and little Thorne, Rachel's heart melted, but even more so when she'd met Quentin, the best friend of the agent who'd been killed. After the service, she and Quentin had gone to get a cup of coffee. In over several cappuccinos and iced latte's Quentin talked about Dalton, and what a good friend he was. Rachel also learned a lot about Thorne and how he had protected his two friends time and time again. Rachel vowed from then on to get to know her family.

And she did.

***

THE END

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