Blood and Bone: (Royal Blood #6) by Amity Cross Read Free Book Online

Mercy had set up for the boys. They had some toys and books, but it was a far cry from being safe in their own room at home.
    “She’ll be okay,” Mercy said, laying a hand on my shoulder. “She’s had a nasty shock today. You can’t really blame her for spinning out.”
    “She found out her entire world was a lie,” I said, staring at the empty doorway where Amanda had disappeared. “And the boys… They’re too little to understand. It’s all my fault. Mr. Moltke—”
    “ Will pay ,” she snarled. “None of this is your fault, Jackson. It’s his . You’re still here, so what are you going to do about it?”
    I squared my jaw and puffed out my chest. I was just a desk guy. Science, technology, and tinkering were my things, not running around the world chasing an evil mass murderer. Miss Reid had saved my life just that morning. I would be forgiven for making rash decisions under the duress of an increased level of adrenaline. What was I meant to do?
    “He came after my family,” I said softly. “He came after my Amanda, and he came after my boys. They’re just children, Miss Reid. They don’t understand what’s happening.”
    She smiled and glanced toward the door. “X is here,” she said. “He didn’t catch the shooter, but we’re going after Moltke. We’re going to need support in the field.”
    My eyes widened. “You want me to go with you?”
    “Think about it,” she threw at me, walking toward the door. “We’re going to Berlin first thing in the morning.”
    I watched her disappear down the narrow hallway to the living room where muffled voices were probably discussing the events of the day.
    Me? Go into the field with Miss Reid and Mr. Blood? I enjoyed the pressure of a high-level security hack from the comfort of my own desk, not out there where the bad guys could shoot at me while I did it. Thinking about Amanda and the boys down the hall, I wasn’t sure I should leave them…but they wouldn’t be safe until Mr. Moltke was brought to justice and tried for the crimes he’d committed. They wouldn’t be able to go home until he was behind bars.
    If only I’d died in that explosion this morning , I thought and instantly shook my head. What was wrong with me? Mr. Moltke had come after them because I was meant to be inside that building, but Mercy had saved me. They weren’t safe either, but they weren’t thinking about hiding away in a safe house until all the work had been done.
    This was my chance to make Amanda see I was a man of my word. I’d protect them. I’d make their lives safe again, and once I’d done that, I’d leave MI6, and we’d start again someplace else. No more spy work, no more secrets, just bland old day-to-day normalcy.
    Striding down the hall, I burst into the living room where Mr. Blood and Miss Reid sat talking earnestly. They glanced up at my appearance and waited.
    “I’ll do it,” I declared.
    “Will you be able to work on the fly?” Mr. Blood asked, and I nodded.
    “I was pulling apart radios and building short wave receivers at five years old,” I said proudly “I can handle it.”
    “We’ve got your back, Jackson,” Mercy said. “And Folsom will make sure your family is protected until we can get Moltke.”
    “I know. It’s just I’ve never been in the field before.” I glanced at Mr. Blood, who was playing with a mean looking knife. That guy was like James Bond on an acid trip.
    “There’s nothing to it,” Mercy declared. “We’ve got all the heavy lifting. You just need to supply tech support.”
    I moaned, sinking down onto the couch. “You make it sound easy.”
    Mr. Blood shifted, placing the knife on the table. “Have you fired a gun before?”
    “All agents, desk and field, are required to go through basic training,” I rattled off, my palms beginning to dampen.
    Mr. Blood raised an eyebrow. “I gather that means yes.”
    I shrugged. “I did a refresher course five years ago.”
    “Crash course.” He picked up