Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Owen practically tackled Emily when he saw her outside the plane at the base in Dover, pulling her in for a bear-hug. “Sam and I have been so damn worried about you!”
“I’m fine, I promise,” she said into his chest before he let her go.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m so relieved you got drunk and married one of my best friends.” He gripped her shoulder and gently squeezed, his hazel eyes trained on her face as if in pursuit of an answer to a question he didn’t ask. “If Liam hadn’t been there that night with you—”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She held up a palm. “I’ve already promised Sam I’ll be a godparent whenever you guys have kids, so no way can I skip out on that duty.”
Owen’s attention skirted off to the side as Liam approached them. “Hey.” He pulled him in for a quick one-arm hug. “I guess I owe you congratulations.”
Liam toyed with the brim of his black ball cap, a silver trident stitched above the bill off to the side. “Not everyone knows yet.”
“I assume you’re planning on signing some papers when this mission is over?” Owen rocked back in his black boots.
“Uh, yeah,” Liam said and his response had goose bumps fluttering across her skin.
“NORAD, huh? I’ve never been a big fan of too much artificial intelligence.
” Owen grabbed the aviator sunglasses hanging on his white tee and slipped them on.
“I think we ought to stop where we’re at with technology and call it a day.
I’d prefer to drive my own car and make my meals, thank you very much. ”
“Yeah, I hear that, brother.”
“The military guys we’re flying with don’t know who you really are, right?” Emily asked when a group of Air Force guys left the hangar and headed for the massive plane.
Liam and Owen exchanged a quick look. “Private contractors,” Owen said.
“You think anyone suspects differently?” She couldn’t help but worry about the risks they were taking being seen operating by so many outside their team.
“Nah, but the day too many people know the truth is the day I retire,” Owen commented. “Anyway, see you on the bird.” He patted her shoulder and headed for the plane.
“Same for you?” Would Liam ever give up the life?
“Yeah, but let’s hope that’s not anytime soon.”
“Not ready to give up this world of danger and intrigue yet?”
“Not ready to stop helping people.”
She glanced over at one of those people he was helping. Elaina sat atop some stacked boxes in front of Knox near the open cargo door to the plane. They were playing rock-paper-scissors.
She took a second to appreciate the fact Elaina had a chance to do something normal—something kid-like.
“I think I’ll hang out with Elaina until we’re ready to go.
” She reached into her pocket and procured a locket Maria had given to Emily before they parted ways in Chile.
It’d been Elaina’s, a picture of Talia and her inside the locket.
Maria had found it on the kitchen floor the day Elaina had been taken.
She started to turn, but Liam caught her arm. “About the it-never-happened—”
“You don’t have to explain,” she said, ensuring she kept her eyes steady on his face, so she didn’t give away the fact the idea of an annulment gutted her, which was insane. “We’ll talk later.”
She left before he could say more because, honestly, she couldn’t handle hearing anymore right now.
“Emily!” Elaina hopped off the box and skipped her way over to Emily, then wrapped her arms around her waist.
“Can we have a minute?” Emily asked Knox.
“Of course.”
She crouched in front of Elaina and opened her palm to showcase the necklace. “Maria said you lost this.”
Elaina stared with wide eyes at the locket and then slowly reached for it. “The clasp is broken.” She smoothed her fingers over the chain. “Can we get it fixed when we go home?”
Home. And where would that be for her when this all ended?
Asher, Jessica, and a few others from the teams slept in hammocks on the plane, which she’d learned normally did transport equipment like tanks or other vehicles. But today it was mostly Air Force guys, who were strapped into the seats lining the walls on the far end of the plane.
Liam was directly across from where Elaina and Emily sat, chatting with Knox. Knox had Liam cracking up almost every other minute, and Liam would attempt to stifle his laugh by covering his mouth so as not to wake anyone up.
It was a nice sight to see. Him in his element. And happy.
And wow, he was handsome. Plus funny. And smart. Caring. Basically, all of the things.
“Do you love him?” Elaina asked, her voice so small and innocent.
“Oh, um.” Shit.
“He loves you, but I don’t think he knows it yet.”
Emily’s stomach did a full-on free fall. Were there parachutes on board? Hell, she needed something to catch her. “What?”
“I see things.” Elaina lightly shrugged as if it were no big deal. “And I see that.”
Her words became trapped inside her mouth, just like at the wedding when the DJ had urged her to dance with Liam. Seeing him in his tux, and then having his eyes and hands on her while they danced had been her undoing long before the tequila.
“We’re friends,” she forced out.
“I read somewhere that the best relationships start out that way.” She squeezed one eye closed. “Cosmo, maybe? Or Vogue.”
She chuckled. “Well, you’re even more well-read than I realized.” She waved a finger her way. “Just promise me you don’t always follow the advice in those magazines, especially about how to win a guy over or something like that.”
She grinned. “Well, like I said, Liam loves you.” She crinkled her nose this time. “He’ll figure it out soon enough.” She stood. “I’m going to go talk to him now.”
And like that, she was off.
Emily leaned back in the uncomfortable seat, completely speechless.
Liam peered her way, and their eyes locked in one of those heart-stopping moments where the world fell away, and silence cocooned them as if they were alone together.
He rested his head against the wall—there were no luxuries in military transport—and he kept his focus on her until Elaina stole his attention.
“Hey,” Knox said.
“Swapping places with Elaina?”
“That girl is one of a kind, isn’t she?”
She glanced over to see Elaina chatting away, and she was beaming. How could she not? He’d won her over, too, but she was pretty sure Elaina was winning him over even more.
It was hard to believe Maria didn’t want to take care of such an incredible child.
“Kids . . . they’re stressful,” he said. “Having a small life in your hands.”
“You have lives in your hands all the time,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, but kids, it’s a whole other ball game.”
True.
“You ever want some little ones?”
A warm whisper of hope touched her chest. “Yeah. You?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t want to turn out like my old man.”
“That bad, huh? Maybe I shouldn’t vote for him,” she teased and looked back his way. “He a strict guy?”
“He’s a politician,” he said in a glib tone. “Need I say more?”
She held an index finger between them and closed one eye. “Got it.”
“But he has good intentions, just not when it comes to me.”
“He didn’t want you joining the teams, did he?” She’d met his dad a few times, and he seemed like a nice guy even though he was uber wealthy. But she’d also experienced how hard it was when her dad and brother were deployed. The worry and stress.
“He hoped I’d become a politician or doctor.” His palms went to his thighs atop his khaki cargo pants, and he set his focus toward the plane ceiling as if wrestling with something—some sort of internal struggle, maybe.
“Sounds to me like he should be proud of you.”
“He doesn’t like how little money we make. Says we shouldn’t be putting our lives on the line for pennies. His exact words.” A hiss left his parted lips. “We don’t do this for the money, though.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t say I don’t agree with the fact our military should be better paid—and treated much better as veterans.”
“Maybe he’ll do something about it if he becomes president. Or maybe he’s all talk.” Knox shrugged and looked at her. “We’ll see.”
“Will he keep you guys around if he takes office?”
“He doesn’t know about us, so if he becomes POTUS, I honestly have no idea what he’ll do.”
“He never served, did he?” she asked.
“Actually, he did. Served in the Iran-Iraq War in the eighties, and I guess his time made him worry—”
“You might get hurt?” she finished.
He scratched his clean-shaven chin and nodded. “Well, I should let you get some rest, girl. Liam set a hammock up for you if you’re interested.”
She smiled. “I doubt I can sleep in one of those things.”
“Ah, you get used to it. Sometimes they’re more comfortable than an empty bed back home,” he said, his voice dropping, making her think there was a bit more to his words than that.
“Anyway. Goodnight.” He left her side, and her attention wandered back to Liam and Elaina.
She couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but Elaina had his undivided attention, and he was grinning from ear to ear.
He’d make a great father.
Maybe he was busy saving the world, but she hoped he realized he could have it all. He deserved it all.
She thought back to what Elaina said. How could she possibly know what Liam felt for her?
Maybe she’d picked up on the lust. The flirting and charm.
But love? She wasn’t sure if either of them were capable of that—were they?