often.”
“What does he do?”
“He works for the government.”
“That’s vague.”
She bit her bottom lip, looking uncertain. “Well, if I’m being honest, I’m not a hundred percent clear on what he actually does. He’s a consultant. I know that much. He works with the CIA and NSA and some other defense agencies, but I’m not really sure what he does for them. I think it has something to do with defense strategies. My dad was in the military, and he’s a genius, so of course all those agencies would want his help.”
Her naïveté made him stifle a sigh, but at the same time, he wasn’t surprised that Douglas Phillips hadn’t told his daughter what he actually did for a living. Phillips was a CIA spy. Legendary in the espionage community, possessing one of the highest levels of security clearance an agent could reach. With all the secrets he knew, he could destroy every politician and intelligence agent in the country, topple foreign governments, blow apart a hundred conspiracies, and start World War Three if he chose to.
And that made him a threat. A very dangerous threat, and one that Morgan needed to neutralize.
“When was the last time you saw him?” he said lightly.
Noelle had to think about it. “About six months ago. He came to Paris to visit me.”
Six months...Phillips had still been a patriotic member of the intelligence community back then; he hadn’t gone AWOL until three months ago.
The powers that be had been certain the man would want to see his daughter before he permanently went off the grid. Maybe they were wrong, though. He’d had three months to contact Noelle, yet he hadn’t tried to arrange a single meeting, so chances were he’d already skipped town and—
“But he called me last month.” Noelle’s admission interrupted his thoughts.
Morgan instantly masked his eagerness. “What did he say?”
“Not much. He told me he’s finishing up a job and that he’s going to try and visit before he starts his next assignment.”
Jackpot
.
So Morgan’s superiors were right, after all. Douglas Phillips
would
attempt to say good-bye to his kid before he disappeared.
“Well, that tells me he misses you as much as you miss him,” Morgan said, forcing a smile.
“I guess.” Noelle put down her coffee cup and glanced around the deserted park. “I like this place. It’s so pretty.”
Her blue eyes had focused on the huge circular fountain, which remained illuminated even though it was nearly midnight. Morgan knew the fountain would be drained for winter soon, but at the moment, the two feet of water in its base bubbled away, and the graceful arches shooting from all around the circle shimmered in the darkness.
He was startled to realize how late it was—time flew by when he was with Noelle. They’d already spent the whole day strolling along the Champs-Élysées, and the evening having dinner in Montmartre. Afterward, he hadn’t been ready to say good-bye to her, and somehow they’d wound up in this beautiful park two blocks from his hotel.
He liked this place too. It was quiet. Peaceful. And the air was surprisingly warm for autumn. Neither one of them was even wearing a coat tonight.
“What do you want to do after you leave the army?” Noelle’s gaze left the fountain and focused on his face.
“I haven’t given it much thought,” he admitted.
“Okay. Well, what do you like to do in your spare time?”
“I don’t know.”
She laughed. “You don’t know what you like to do?” Now she rolled her eyes. “What are you good at?”
“Following orders. Shooting things. Saving lives. Protecting my country.” He paused. “I’ll probably just end up being career army.”
“And if that wasn’t an option?”
“I don’t know. Maybe start a security company?”
Noelle heaved out an exaggerated sigh. “How boring. You lack vision.”
“What would
you
have me do?” He arched a brow in challenge.
“Anything. Everything.” She shrugged. “You
“What does he do?”
“He works for the government.”
“That’s vague.”
She bit her bottom lip, looking uncertain. “Well, if I’m being honest, I’m not a hundred percent clear on what he actually does. He’s a consultant. I know that much. He works with the CIA and NSA and some other defense agencies, but I’m not really sure what he does for them. I think it has something to do with defense strategies. My dad was in the military, and he’s a genius, so of course all those agencies would want his help.”
Her naïveté made him stifle a sigh, but at the same time, he wasn’t surprised that Douglas Phillips hadn’t told his daughter what he actually did for a living. Phillips was a CIA spy. Legendary in the espionage community, possessing one of the highest levels of security clearance an agent could reach. With all the secrets he knew, he could destroy every politician and intelligence agent in the country, topple foreign governments, blow apart a hundred conspiracies, and start World War Three if he chose to.
And that made him a threat. A very dangerous threat, and one that Morgan needed to neutralize.
“When was the last time you saw him?” he said lightly.
Noelle had to think about it. “About six months ago. He came to Paris to visit me.”
Six months...Phillips had still been a patriotic member of the intelligence community back then; he hadn’t gone AWOL until three months ago.
The powers that be had been certain the man would want to see his daughter before he permanently went off the grid. Maybe they were wrong, though. He’d had three months to contact Noelle, yet he hadn’t tried to arrange a single meeting, so chances were he’d already skipped town and—
“But he called me last month.” Noelle’s admission interrupted his thoughts.
Morgan instantly masked his eagerness. “What did he say?”
“Not much. He told me he’s finishing up a job and that he’s going to try and visit before he starts his next assignment.”
Jackpot
.
So Morgan’s superiors were right, after all. Douglas Phillips
would
attempt to say good-bye to his kid before he disappeared.
“Well, that tells me he misses you as much as you miss him,” Morgan said, forcing a smile.
“I guess.” Noelle put down her coffee cup and glanced around the deserted park. “I like this place. It’s so pretty.”
Her blue eyes had focused on the huge circular fountain, which remained illuminated even though it was nearly midnight. Morgan knew the fountain would be drained for winter soon, but at the moment, the two feet of water in its base bubbled away, and the graceful arches shooting from all around the circle shimmered in the darkness.
He was startled to realize how late it was—time flew by when he was with Noelle. They’d already spent the whole day strolling along the Champs-Élysées, and the evening having dinner in Montmartre. Afterward, he hadn’t been ready to say good-bye to her, and somehow they’d wound up in this beautiful park two blocks from his hotel.
He liked this place too. It was quiet. Peaceful. And the air was surprisingly warm for autumn. Neither one of them was even wearing a coat tonight.
“What do you want to do after you leave the army?” Noelle’s gaze left the fountain and focused on his face.
“I haven’t given it much thought,” he admitted.
“Okay. Well, what do you like to do in your spare time?”
“I don’t know.”
She laughed. “You don’t know what you like to do?” Now she rolled her eyes. “What are you good at?”
“Following orders. Shooting things. Saving lives. Protecting my country.” He paused. “I’ll probably just end up being career army.”
“And if that wasn’t an option?”
“I don’t know. Maybe start a security company?”
Noelle heaved out an exaggerated sigh. “How boring. You lack vision.”
“What would
you
have me do?” He arched a brow in challenge.
“Anything. Everything.” She shrugged. “You
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