Agent T3: d'Artagnan (Superhero Romance) (The D.I.R.E. Agency) by Joni Hahn Page B

knew why she’d been drawn to Dar from the beginning. Her stepmother had birthed him. Her basic goodness shown in his eyes, though he couldn’t see it himself. To think she and her father worked for the Nazis still perplexed her. Angela had been nothing but loving.
    “Jocelyn, will you tell us about Angela?”
    Cassandra stared at her, beer bottle in hand and a million questions in her beautiful violet eyes. She looked so much like her mother, they could be twins.
    d-Artagnan, sitting quiet and still beside her on the bench, had asked no questions, had not even inquired to Angela’s health. Then again, why should he? Angela had left them.
    “I can tell you the Angela I know but, to be honest, I don’t know what’s real anymore.”
    “We’re used to the lies, Jocelyn.” Tristan stretched his arm around Rachel, where they sat on an adjacent bench. “Just tell us what you saw growing up.”
    Looking at Dar, she took his hand in hers and set it on her lap. For some reason, he’d shut down after his meeting with Mitchell late this afternoon.
    “In all honesty, she was a wonderful mother and treated me like her own. She dolled me up every day, clothing me in fine dresses no matter if I attended school or a party. Before bed every night, I’d select a book from my shelf and she’d read it to me.” She chuckled. “She’d groan every time I handed her Cinderella because, even though I was a bit old for the story, I’d ask her to read it at least once a week. On Fridays, we’d walk the Institute grounds, studying nature. That’s how I developed my love of flowers.”
    “She’s a freaking Mother of the Year,” Dar said, in a snide tone.
    Robinson had warned her that Dar would experience moodiness for the next day or two. However, add that on top of the subject of his mother, and he practically radiated hostility .
    Jocelyn squeezed his hand. “It’s so hard for me to see her the way you do.” She looked at Aidan sitting beside Cass. “Until Aidan warned me about their traitorous activity, I adored her.” She softened her voice. “I see her goodness in all of you.”
    Dar dropped her hand. An immediate sense of loss washed over her.
    “Did she tell you about the future?” Cassandra said. “Did she ever talk about her life before she met your father?”
    Jocelyn shook her head. “Never. But, I noticed she always became very sad around babies and young children. I asked her about it once and it upset her greatly. She broke out in tears and ran from the room. It terrified me so that I never asked again.”
    The group fell silent. The only sound to be heard was the summer breeze wafting across the desert. Jocelyn knew they’d expected to hear that she’d been a horrible mother .
    She was glad she could disappoint them.
    Sitting forward, Dar rested his arms on his thighs. “Mitchell is sending me back.”
    His announcement startled her. Why hadn’t he told her? Had Mitchell reconsidered her plea?
    “When do you go?” Aidan said.
    “Tomorrow.”
    Jocelyn gasped. “Tomorrow?”
    That meant she’d be here alone. Why did that worry her? Angela and Nathan had taught her to be an independent woman. She’d always strived to take care of herself. Why had she become so dependent on Dar?
    “He wants me to take our information to an Admiral Smith at the Department of the Navy.”
    His leg shook in a nervous gesture. She touched it to calm him .
    “Are you taking the weapons technology?” she asked.
    He gave her a guarded stare. “No, Joce.”
    Jumping up from the bench, she walked away from the group to stand in total darkness. Why did she care? Why did she have such compassion for the lives of those suffering back home? Why couldn’t she be more like Mitchell and look the other way?
    “Once I do that,” Dar continued, “I’m supposed to bring back the time machine.”
    Jocelyn turned to stare at him .
    “Good move,” Tristan said. “That would prevent them from returning.”
    “For a while,