Chapter 20
CARA
Several hours after a rude awakening, followed by a death-defying snowmobile chase, topped off with the bumpiest plane ride of my life, we landed at another military base.
This one was in Maryland. Along with Lang’s team, Nick and I climbed into a large SUV.
Despite referring to each other by last names, the men had introduced themselves to me by their first names.
Thus, Lang became Logan. His colleague, Kyle, drove, Logan rode shotgun, and Ben and Ryan took up the second row.
Nick and I sat silently in the third row, feet away and a world apart from each other.
An hour later, we pulled up in front of a typical-looking, four-story office building in the suburbs.
Nick helped me step out of the vehicle and led me to the tinted-glass front doors while the rest of the team drove around to the back parking lot.
The minute Nick and I stepped inside, into a corporate-America-looking reception area, we were greeted by Kat Hartmann, a pretty woman with long, red hair pulled up into a ponytail.
Despite her unassuming outfit of jeans and a Christmas-green sweater, I knew from the way she carried herself she wasn’t the receptionist. I immediately pegged her as being in charge.
She asked me to sit in one of the plush seats in the waiting area, but I was too keyed-up to sit still another minute.
Instead, we stood at the long counter, behind which a receptionist should be sitting, while Kat explained the paperwork she’d placed in front of me.
I glazed over while she talked about NDAs and state secrets and Intelligence protocols. Nick touched my elbow.
“Care,” he said quietly, “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to sign these. The papers say you promise not to mention the details of this place or any of the earlier shitshow to anyone.”
“Ever?” I didn’t know why it mattered. Who would believe me if I did tell them? But it felt so final, like I was signing away the right to my own memories.
Kat touched my other elbow. “You’ve been through a lot, and I’m sorry for that. I take full responsibility for not protecting you and Roman better. If you do need to talk to someone, we have licensed therapists with security clearances.”
“No, it’s not that.” I didn’t know how to articulate my feelings, and I was so exhausted. Maybe if I did sit down, or if I lay down on the soft carpeting and slept for the rest of the day, I’d be able to think more clearly.
“I understand,” Nick said. “I’ve been at this for a while, and sometimes, it still scares the shit out of me. I’m so sorry you were exposed to any of it.”
“That’s the problem,” I said, finally understanding myself. “I don’t know what it is.”
“And you can’t know,” Kat said quietly. “But what I can tell you is we do very important work here, work that protects the nation. What happened today had nothing to do with you and you’ll be safe now.
Once you’ve signed the NDA, you’re welcome to stay on premises here or I can send you to a very nice hotel and assign one of our top female agents to stay with you.
Either way, tomorrow morning, you’ll be free to continue on your trip home for Christmas. ”
“You’ll be staying here?” I asked Nick.
He nodded. “I don’t have a choice. But you do, Care.”
“Then I’ll stay, too.”
Kat handed me a pen and led me through signature and initials blocks.
Minutes later, she opened a door in the wall that had seemed intact and led the way into the facility of an agency she referred to as HEAT.
We stood at one end of a huge gym full of workout equipment.
There were offices, revealed by half-walls of windows, off to each side, and what looked like a kitchen and living room along the back wall.
“I’ll get you settled into your room,” Nick said. “You look like you could use a nap.”
I nodded.
“Good,” Kat said. “Then you’ll be rested for our holiday party tonight. Happy hour begins at 1800 hours. Sorry. Six p.m.”
I glanced down at my gray sweats, white tee shirt, and blue sweater, the only clothes I had with me. “I hope the dress code is casual.”
Kat grinned. “Don’t worry. We’ll find something for you to wear. If my size doesn’t fit you, Hayes’s wife or one of the other guys’ girlfriends might have something.”
“We can figure it out later,” Nick said. He glanced at Kat. “Third floor?”
She nodded. “You’re in 307, Cara’s in 308.” She touched my shoulder. “Right across the hall from you.”
The shock of the day was doing a number on my head and my heart and all I wanted to do was crawl into Nick’s arms and stay there until I felt safe.
But tonight, we would stay in separate rooms. And tomorrow, we would go our separate ways.
I held it together for five more minutes, until he walked with me to the elevator, then to my room on the third floor.
At my door, he pointed to a black box. “Press your right-hand pointer finger here. That will unlock your door.”
I followed his instructions. A green light flashed on the box. I turned the doorknob and opened the door.
Nick pulled the door closed again and reached across me to press the box. A red light flashed. “This has been programmed for you alone. You’d be safe in this building with no locks whatsoever, but this should give you extra peace of mind that no one will disturb your privacy.”
“Thank you.” The last thing I wanted to do was put another barrier between us, but I had no choice.
I unlocked the door again, stepped into the room, and closed the door behind me.
I lurched across the open area of an efficiency-style apartment and collapsed on the couch, too tired to find the bedroom.
Then I burst into tears. I pulled a thick blanket over myself but I couldn’t stop shivering.
I cried until I gave in to exhaustion and fell into the blissful oblivion of sleep.
By the time Nick knocked on my door at five p.m., I’d been awake for nearly an hour.
I’d showered and wrapped myself in a thick white robe, dried my hair, and pressed cold washcloths over my eyes until the puffiness had subsided.
I pulled open the door to find Kat and another very beautiful, very pregnant woman standing in the hall.
“Hi Cara,” Kat said. “This is Savannah, Ben’s wife. Savvy, meet Cara, our temporary guest.”
Savannah grinned. “And the reason Nick is scowling less than usual, if I had to guess.”
I felt myself blush, which seemed to add to her misunderstanding of our relationship. Or more precisely, to her understanding of our previous one.
“We have options for you,” Savannah said, holding up dress bags. “You’re right, Kat, she’s much too tall to wear anything of Cami’s.”
“Kyle’s significant other,” Kat said. “She’s what.” she asked Savannah, “five two?”
“Maybe, if she’s wearing two-inch heels.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Kat said. “I left Lang in charge of the caterers, so I’d better make sure he hasn’t bitten any of them.”
Kat headed toward the elevator. Savannah held up the bags and raised her eyebrows in a question.
I stepped aside. “Um, you can bring those in, I guess.”
“I also brought my make-up bag if you’re interested,” Savannah said.
“I could use some good cover-up,” I admitted.
Savannah hung the dresses on a hook inside the door and turned to face me. “Ben mentioned you went through something traumatic earlier today. As someone with a similar perspective, I can sympathize, if you need to talk about it.”
I wasn’t sure I was ready for that yet. “Can I get you anything? The mini fridge is stocked.” I glanced at her bulging belly. “There’s juice, and flavored water. I can make tea. Decaf, I guess?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. And you don’t have to deflect.
No pressure. I was just offering. But I am going to pressure you to wear the royal blue dress I brought because it’s going to be stunning with your eyes.
” She unzipped the bag to reveal a beautiful, sleeveless blue gown with a plunging neckline. She handed it to me.
I carried it into the bathroom, hung my robe on a towel hook, and slid the dress over my head. I opened the door and called to Savannah. “What do you think?”
She joined me nodded approvingly in the mirror. “Wow! That’ll put a smile on Nick’s face.” She held up her make-up bag. “May I?”
I nodded and sat on the edge of the tub. “Nick’s not a fan of the holidays. He has his reasons.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Really? Huh. Could’ve fooled me. I assumed he was beating himself up over you being in danger earlier.”
“He shouldn’t. It was my fault. I accidentally blew his cover. I’ve already told him, I take full responsibility.”
“Sweetie, it doesn’t matter what you told him.
” Savannah had finished applying concealer and foundation, and now pulled eyeshadow and mascara out of her make-up bag.
“Trust me, Nick was blaming himself the second things went to shit. That’s how he is.
That’s how Ben is. It’s how all these guys are, including Kat, and Ben’s sister, Mai, who is my bestie and also a HEAT agent.
They’re protectors. It’s in their DNA. It’s why they do what they do. ”
A real-life hero. That’s what I’d called Nick, and I’d meant it. The world needed protectors like him and Logan and Kat and their team.
There was another knock at my door.
“Perfect timing.” Savannah stepped back and observed her handiwork with a smile. “That will be your date.” She pointed to shoes she’d carried into the bathroom. “Slip into those while I get the door.
“Wait, my date?”
But I was already talking to Savannah’s back as she hustled to the door. “See you down there,” she said, and then disappeared.