The Marine Bk. 02 Ch. 13

"As much as I loved you, Hannah." Clearing my throat, I added, "And she's not the only one. I've, um..."

"Had a few lovers?" Katie asked.

"Yeah. Comes with the job sometimes. I take on a new assignment, meet a beautiful woman, one thing leads to another..."

"Wouldn't blame them for wanting to share your bed," Emma giggled, "My god, I still remember the first time we made love."

Katie then asked the big question. "Do you know, Julia? Is that your real name?"

Glancing at her, she smiles. "Yes, my name is Julia. I'm guessing you heard your brother was called Nicholas. That was his new identity. Nathan Smith was wiped from the record. My cover name was Jennifer. As for what I know, well, I know all about Hannah and Emma. I knew that before I even met Nate. As for you, Katie, I've figured it out after you met in Berlin. And if he slept with you, there's no doubting he slept with Amy. Hell, I'd have done the same if she was my sister."

"You seriously don't mind?" I had to ask.

"Why would I mind you sharing the love you feel for the three women in this room in the most intimate way possible? Trust me, Nate, some of the shit we've seen over the years, doing what we've been doing, sleeping with your sisters comes a long way down the list of things that bother me."

"Oh... I just thought..."

"You had this look on your face when you came back from Berlin after seeing Katie. I knew you'd been intimate with her and I thought it simply wasn't my place to say anything."

"You knew he was alive?" Hannah accused.

Squeezing her tightly, I replied for her. "Hannah, I swore Katie to secrecy. If it hadn't been fate, she'd never have known. But I was in Berlin on assignment. I saw Katie while I was there. I hadn't seen any of you in years. I needed to see her and make contact. I just wasn't as smart as I thought, and she figured me out rather quickly."

"You finally had sex with him?" Emma asked.

"I did and it was wonderful. Worth waiting for, Emma. Nothing beats making love with your brother."

Katie couldn't stop smiling, so did Emma. Hannah met my eyes, and I watched more tears roll down her cheek. Kissing her softly, she kissed me back immediately, quickly moving to straddle my lap. Before too long, she was sobbing again, resting her head against my chest as I stroked her back. "She always loved him the most," Katie explained to Julia, figuring I might as well think of her with that name now, "It was either her or Amy. Don't get me wrong, Emma and I love him just as much, but Amy had his heart first, and Hannah accepted it once he arrived in the UK."

"You won't leave me again?" Hannah whimpered, "I can't lose you again."

"I'm back, Hannah. I don't know what's going to happen, but I won't be leaving again."

"Promise?"

"I hate making them, Hannah. You know that."

"Please promise me, Nate. I need to know that you won't leave us again. Just having you here now, I'm feeling so many emotions I've suppressed for so long..."

Meeting Julia's eyes, she smiled and nodded. Katie moved to sit by my other side, cuddling into me with Emma on the other side. "Okay," I said softly, "I promise all of you. I'm going to get you to safety. Then I'm going to protect my family. Then we're going to figure out the future."

"I love you, Nate," Hannah whispered, "I always have. I never stopped, even after you were gone."

"I love you too," Emma added.

"And I love you," Katie stated.

Julia met my eyes, and I could see the sadness in them. I knew what she was thinking. Emma held out her hand. "Julia, we don't know you, but if Nate loves you, that makes you special. Come and join the hug!"

Hannah, Emma and Katie eventually needed to have some sleep. I survived on coffee while Julia found a desk to work at, typing away her laptop as information continued to flood in. Our townhouse in London had been ransacked as they were trying to find our location. There was a heavy police presence in Bristol though the local plod probably didn't know we were on the other side of the country. Manchester was peaceful, Julia hopeful it meant the enemy wasn't focusing on them.

"You're going to go after him, aren't you?" Julia finally asked.

"You mean the fuckwit that I replaced? I'd love to but I have no doubt he's in Russia. Not sure I want to go there again."

"But if it meant taking him out?"

I gave it some thought, looking at my two cousins and sister. "If the boss sanctioned it, and it meant they were safe again, then yeah, I wouldn't hesitate. But part of me just wants to stay with them, Jules. I can't leave again and put them through turmoil, not after they've gone so long thinking I was dead."

"I understand, Nate." She paused a moment. "What about us? Do we continue?"

"Julia, you are part of my life, no matter what. It's just things might change a little bit."

"If you mean that I might have to share you with certain people, I certainly don't mind."

"Hannah and Emma obviously enjoy the company of women too."

She smirked at me. "Good to know for the future."

The knock came around 4am in the morning, gently waking Hannah, Emma and Katie. They were given RAF jackets to take and some supplies for the long flight over the Atlantic. I surprised that it was a comfortably looking 787 instead of a military craft. The four girls walked up the stairs first, the CO of the base awake to see us off. Thanking him for the hospitality again, he wished me good luck before I climbed up into the plane.

To my amusement, the cockpit had the same two officers that had flown me from Iraq to Germany to the United States all those years ago. Greeting them with a handshake, they told me to take a seat, get some sleep, and that we'd be in Montana later that day.

"Is there a bed on board?" Julia asked.

"Not this time, Agent Muller," the captain replied, "But there is plenty of food and drinks, and all the seats fold down flat so you can get some sleep. We'll keep you informed as we go along."

We were in the air ten minutes later. I made sure Hannah, Emma and Katie were comfortable, grabbing some pillows and blankets as they made sure they slept near each other. Kissing each of them softly, they all needed a long hug. I knew the anger would likely fly once the shock of my return disappeared, but for now, it was sheer relief that I was alive.

Once they were asleep, I turned to Julia once I'd grabbed a bottle of liquor, sitting across from her, both our laptops on the table. "Time to get back to work," I stated, "By the time we land, I want to have a plan that will take into account any eventuality when it comes to protecting the rest of my family."

"Maybe I should make you a promise this time?" she wondered.

"I'll make myself one. My parents and Amy are going to be safe and sound once we're done here. And then we're going on the front foot against these fuckers. I won't have my family living in fear for the rest of their lives."

*****

A/N - We're on the home straight. Next chapter will be in Incest/Taboo.