Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
G host watched Becca’s head fall back onto the pillow as she closed her eyes. She looked pale, the confrontation had clearly taken its toll on her.
"Shall I give you some time alone, to process everything?" He got to his feet. He didn’t want to leave, but seeing her ex-husband after all these years had been a shock, and she might need some space to wrap her head around it all.
Ghost hadn’t known what to expect when Pat had told him Damian was flying in to see Becca. The billionaire cryptocurrency developer and his fiancée, Thorn, had arrived earlier that morning, and Ghost had spent the better part of the day with them, mostly hanging out in the hospital canteen, drinking bad coffee, and talking about Alek Markov and how the man had destroyed so many lives.
Ghost had wanted to catch Markov himself, to be there when the bastard was taken down, but Becca had needed him more. So he let Blackthorn Security take that honor. Still, he’d make sure he was at the trial. He wanted to savor the moment when Markov was led away in chains.
Ghost hadn’t expected to warm up to Damian, let alone like him, but the more they talked, the more he realized Damian was the type of guy he could easily be friends with.
Straightforward, honorable, motivated, and above all, willing to do the right thing, no matter the cost to himself or his business.
It had been a surprise to learn Damian had fought on the front lines in northern Syria. Ghost had seen action there himself, serving with the Marine Corps and later in the special forces. It turned out they had more in common than he had anticipated.
Which only made it worse seeing Becca’s reaction to him.
How could she not regret leaving a guy like that? Not only was he good-looking and a great guy, but he was also a fucking billionaire.
And now he was engaged to someone else.
Becca had missed her chance.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out between you two,” he murmured, ignoring the gnawing feeling in his gut. How could he compete with that?
Her eyelids flickered open. “Why would you say that?”
He shrugged, covering his inner turmoil. “I saw how he affected you. I know it can’t be easy seeing him again. You obviously cared about him.”
Becca gave him a small smile. “I did, and I still do. He’s a good man.”
Ghost felt his heart shatter, like an IED going off inside him.
Then, something unexpected happened. Becca took his hand.
He froze, his gaze locking with hers.
“I’m glad he came to see me,” she said softly. “Because now I can let go of the guilt I’ve been carrying around for the last decade. I felt terrible leaving him the way I did. I don’t think a day has gone by where I haven’t regretted it. But now that he’s found someone else and he’s happy, I can finally move on.”
Ghost stared at her, hardly daring to hope. “You really mean that?”
“Of course. I don’t have any romantic feelings for Damian anymore. I haven’t for a long time. I don’t think I was ever really in love with him. Not the kind of love that’s real... not like...” She trailed off, her eyes flickering away from his face.
“What?” he whispered, gripping her hand tighter.
“Nothing, it’s silly,” she muttered, biting her lip.
“Tell me, Becca,” he urged, sitting back down on the bed. “What were you going to say?”
She hesitated, her eyes darting back to their entwined fingers. “I was going to say, nothing like what I feel for you.”
Ghost’s heart stopped. Had she really said that? He waited, his mind racing, barely able to process the words.
He broke into a broad grin. “It’s not silly, Becca. Shall I tell you why?”
She looked up at him, her eyes wide.
“Because I feel the same way about you.”
“You do?” she whispered.
“Yes, I do. The first time I saw you, I knew you weren’t like any other woman I’d ever met. Then, when we... well, after that first night in your apartment, I knew there was something special between us, but I couldn’t admit it to myself. I figured I’d be going my way and you’d be going yours, so there wasn’t any point in thinking about it.”
He paused, searching her face for any sign that he’d said the wrong thing. She squeezed his hand, silently urging him to continue.
“When I saw those pictures of what Carlos had done to you... I’ve never felt rage like that in my life. I knew I had to get back to the hacienda and get you out of there.”
“How did you get back?” she asked, her voice hitching. “I told Carlos about you. They knew who you were. I thought for sure they’d kill you in Colombia.”
“They used the photos to blackmail me into cooperating. They took my phone, so I had no way to contact anyone. I had to go ahead with the mission, despite the risk to you.”
She shivered. “Carlos told me my fate was in your hands. I didn’t understand what he meant, but now I do. He was going to kill me if you didn’t cooperate.”
Ghost clenched his jaw, the memory of those photos making his blood boil all over again. “He was going to kill you no matter what,” he said quietly. “But I wasn’t going to let that happen. I hijacked a plane and flew back through the night to get to you before the authorities did.”
Her eyes widened. “You hijacked a plane?”
He chuckled. “A small one, but yeah. I’d do it again if it meant saving you.”
She stifled a sob, her eyes welling with tears. “No one’s ever done anything like that for me before.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She was bruised, fragile, and smelled faintly of antiseptic, but to him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. “I’ll be there for you whenever you need me. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”
She buried her face in his neck. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I’m so tired of running.”
“You don’t have to run anymore. Becca... I know we haven’t known each other long, but...”
He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his own words pressing down on him.
Just say it.
“I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Her eyes went wide. “You have?”
Shit, what if he’d misread the situation? But no, he didn’t care. He had to say it. He’d kept enough secrets in his life. He wasn’t keeping this one.
“I don’t know when it happened, but it’s the truth.”
A slow smile spread across her lips. “I have a confession of my own.”
His heart skipped a beat. “You do?”
“You had me the first time you kissed me on the deck of your cabin. The sun was setting, and I remember thinking, what kind of man is this? A dangerous mercenary? An honorable soldier? Then you kissed me, and I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That you’re both. A delicious mixture.”
He grinned. “Even the dangerous part?”
Her eyes sparkled. “Especially the dangerous part.”
Heat curled in his stomach. It was crazy how she could affect him with just one look. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I was playing hard to get.”
He laughed, shaking his head.
“I guess it worked.”
“Yeah, it did.”
He leaned in and kissed her, gently at first, then deeper as the warmth between them grew. It felt so right, like they were finally where they were supposed to be.
“I must look a mess,” she murmured, pulling back slightly. She ran a hand through her hair, but it didn’t do much good.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, meaning every word. Not just on the outside, but inside too. Her strength, her spirit, her loyalty, everything about her made him fall harder every day.
“I’m so happy right now,” she whispered, her voice soft with emotion. “I feel like my life might finally have a happy ending. Is that crazy?”
“It will,” he promised, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I swear it.”
He kissed her again, his lips lingering on hers, savoring the moment. They were still wrapped up in each other when the nurse came in to discharge her.