Jo had not heard from her brother in years. And yet here he was, sitting on her couch with his dirty sneakers on her pristine coffee table and a laptop resting on his lap. There were a million thoughts running through Jo's head, but she knew the first thing she had to do was get Scott out of the apartment.

She turned to Scott, who looked puzzled, and ushered him out. As she shut the door closed behind them, she turned to the bartender. "I'm really sorry," Jo said.

"Why did he call you Jo?" Scott asked. "And who is he?"

"Jo is my nickname. It's short for Josephine - my middle name," she answered smoothly. She never told Scott her middle name, so she assumed he'd be none the wiser.

"And the guy on my couch is my ex-boyfriend. I guess he still has a copy of my spare key."

Scott's brow furrowed, but before he could ask another question, Jo cut in. "You should go, though. I can handle this on my own. Can I call you later?"

Jo knew she would neither call him nor explain the situation. What could she possibly even say?

My long lost brother broke into my apartment? I come from a family of spies? I tried to run away from my past but it found me?

Scott could tell she wanted him to leave, so he wasn't going to push it too much.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? Is this guy dangerous?

Jo smiled at him. "I'll be fine. Promise."

She'd be just fine, but her brother wouldn't be. She was going to kill Thomas Bennett.

* * * * * *

"What the hell are you doing here? How did you even get in?" Jo yelled at Thomas.

"Hello to you, too, baby sis," he said, amused.

Jo glared at him with daggers in her eyes.

"If looks could kill, I'd be dead right now," Thomas joked.

His merry attitude angered her even more. "Too bad they can't. Guess I'll just have to do the deed myself," she threatened as she stomped over to her idiot brother. His eyes widened, finally realizing his sister might actually murder him.

The doorbell rang.

"What in the..." Jo's voice trailed off.

Did Scott come back? Couldn't he take a hint?

"Saved by the bell!" Thomas crowed.

"This isn't over," Jo warned as she went to answer the door. She turned the handle and opened it.

"Listen, Scott-" Jo stopped mid-sentence and gasped. It wasn't the Lucky's bartender.

It was Jake Foley, her brother's best friend and her childhood love.

"Who's Scott?" Jake asked with a boyish grin. "I'll kill him!" he joked.

Jo's heart skipped a beat, and she could only stare at him in stunned silence. It was at that moment she realized why she was so drawn to the handsome bartender in the first place: he reminded her of Jake.

Jake's green eyes still had that same sparkle that she grew to love, and he was looking at her with an intensity that made her heart swell three sizes. In that moment, Jo forgot all about the earlier fiasco with Scott.

Jake looked even better than she remembered. His dark, wavy hair complemented his beautiful green eyes, and all she wanted to do was nuzzle his face.

"Ahem," Thomas cleared his throat awkwardly. Not many things could make the jokester uncomfortable, but the attraction between his sister and best friend was one of them.

The pair finally realized that they weren't the only two people in the world. Jake spoke first. "I went out to get beer. You only have liquor," he teased, holding up the six-pack he was carrying.

"That's not true. I have wine, too," she corrected. He smiled at her warmly, gazing deeply into the forbidden girl's eyes. Jake couldn't help himself.

"When did you become such a lush?" Thomas called out.

Neither of them even acknowledged him. They continued to drink each other in like lovestruck adolescents.

"Jesus, you two," Thomas complained. "Jo, move aside and let the poor man in. I need a beer."

Oh. Jo had been standing in the doorway, blocking Jake from entering. She scolded herself for being so oblivious. That always seemed to happen when Jake was around. She stepped aside and finally allowed Jake to enter the apartment. They both made their way to the living room, where her visibly annoyed brother was still sitting.

What is going on right now? Jo wondered to herself.

* * * * * *

"We need your help," Thomas said. Jo just stared at him blankly. Her brother had left home at the age of eighteen to join the Agency, and she hadn't seen or heard from since.

Even when their parents were killed in a mission gone awry, Thomas was nowhere to be found – even despite her best efforts. Unable to deal with the crushing loss of both her brother and her parents, Jo decided to run away from home.

At the age of sixteen, she had created an entirely new life and identity for herself. Jo wanted nothing to do with the institution that had taken her family from her. She had accepted that she would never see Thomas or Jake ever again, and yet here they were. She took a deep breath.

"What kind of trouble did you get into now?" Jo asked her brother.

"None," Thomas replied defensively.

"We're just trying to right a wrong," Jake reassured her. He always knew exactly what to say to her, even after all these years.

"Long story short, five million dollars have been stolen from a client and we need to get it back," Thomas explained.

"And where do I come in?" Jo asked.

Thomas and Jake exchanged glances.

"The thieves converted the money into bitcoin."

"You want me to steal five million dollars of bitcoin," Jo said flatly.

"It's not stealing if it belongs to you," Thomas countered.

Jo exhaled loudly, then closed her eyes to think. She felt dizzy, and she wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or from the shock of her unexpected guests. Probably both.

"We need you, Jo," Jake said gently. It was the truth. The Foley and Bennett families were spy royalty, but Jo was the golden child who had excelled the most in her training. The Agency had high hopes for her future, and her disappearance was considered a huge loss.

Dammit, Jo thought to herself. She was drunk, but more importantly, the two men she loved most in the world were begging for her help. So, against her better judgment, she relented.

"Fine. I can probably hack into their digital wallet. I've done similar things before."

Jo walked swiftly into her office before she could change her mind, and Thomas and Jake followed not far behind. She sank down into her leather chair and turned on all four of her computer screens.

Taking a deep breath, she started typing as her eyes darted from screen to screen. Thomas whistled, impressed by the sophisticated set-up of her office. The walls were painted a deep blue and adorned with paintings and framed photography, and her shelves were filled with textbooks and literature in various languages. She seemed to have done well for herself.

When he was done admiring her office, Thomas kneeled down beside his sister and gave her all the information he knew.

Finally, Jo spoke. "Alright. It's done. I just stole five million dollars. I'm going to bed."

Jake squeezed her shoulders as a thank you, but she couldn't even muster a smile. "You guys better cover your tracks. Whomever we did this to is going to be very unhappy," Jo warned as she stood up shakily.

Thomas wrapped his arms around his sister and gave her a reassuring hug. She sighed and hugged him back, but she couldn't help but feel anxious.

* * * * * *

Jo was tossing and turning restlessly in her bed, unable to sleep. She stared at the ceiling and hugged a pillow closer to her body. She sat up, punched another pillow in frustration, then decided to get a drink of water.

Jo tiptoed into the kitchen, not wanting to wake anyone. Her brother was sleeping on the leather futon in her office, and Jake had commandeered the living room couch. Jo gulped down a glass of water before quietly making her way back to bed.

"Jo?" Jake asked groggily.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Jo whispered.

"Mm, it's okay," Jake murmured. "Come cuddle me, JoJo."

Her heart felt so full she thought it might burst. JoJo was his nickname for her when they were young, and hearing it again gave her butterflies. Hell, just seeing him again gave her butterflies.

She joined him on the sofa, and he instantly wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her in closer. She rested her head on his muscular chest and they breathed each other in silently. Jake smelled like a mixture of warm bread and faint cologne. It was the best scent in the world.

Jake nuzzled the top of Jo's head, inhaling the vanilla and sandalwood notes of her perfume. Holding her in his arms brought back a flood of happy memories. Jake had grown up and trained with the Bennett kids, and he had loved Jo for as long as he could remember. He never really acted on his feelings out of respect for Thomas, but when he and Thomas left for the Agency, Jake couldn't get her out of his head.

He missed her more than he missed his family, really, more than he missed anything. He missed her sweet smile, her infectious laugh, the way her eyes lit up when she was happy, the way she furrowed her brow when she was deep in thought. But mainly, he missed the way he felt when he was with her. Even when he was grumpy and exhausted from a long day of training, he'd still be irrationally happy when he was around Jo.

And now, after all these years, Jake was able to hold her in his arms again. He couldn't help himself. He had to kiss her.