Chapter 14
Laura slipped carefully from Drew’s embrace and eased out of the bed. She paused at the desk and read the newest message on the cell phone. Wrapped in a hotel robe, she stood on the balcony above the beach, her eyes on the horizon. The morning dawned in burnished golds and hot pinks over the water, painting the peninsula of Charleston in a warm glow. The air was still and clear now, but the rising humidity would soon catch up with the sun.
She gave her mind time to drift along the hot memories of last night. He’d treated her like a queen with a rich, Italian dinner delivered to the room, a smooth red wine, and chocolate dipped strawberries. He’d loved her thoroughly, mind and body and soul last night. She knew she’d never get tired of making love with Drew.
Smart or foolish, she was drawn to him like a moth to flame. Already, she loved him completely. Who he had been, who he was now, and who he would be once he had the chance to choose. To live his life his way.
She wanted to see that man and she wondered if she had any right to ask to be part of his future.
It had been a happy surprise to wake next to him, though she wasn’t convinced he’d made a final decision about staying. His claims of standing with her through the takedown didn’t quite mesh with what she considered the most logical choice. He really should go.
Her heart cracked at the idea of never seeing him again.
He should go. They had enough evidence. Fail-safe measures were in place. Eva had the backup files. Ross had the take-down location secured.
Drew needed to go.
It was the smart decision, the only option to guarantee he didn’t wind up in a cell with Hackett. Her hands flexed and fisted in the thick terry-cloth pockets of the robe. Or instead of Hackett.
She knew Drew should make his escape, even as her heart selfishly prayed he would stay. Tears threatened again, as they had last night when she’d curled into his embrace, her palm resting over his heart.
Crying hadn’t been an option then. It wasn’t an option now. There would be time for all of this emotion and the tears that burned in her throat after Hackett was in custody.
After Drew was gone.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. “You smell sexy.”
Laughing, she turned into his arms and feathered soft kisses against his lips. He made it impossible to smother the happiness in her heart, despite the task on today’s agenda.
“Did you sleep well?”
He nodded. “I’ve discovered you’re the perfect sleep aid.”
“Gee, what a compliment.”
His hands cruised up and down her spine, bringing her flush with his strong body. “You know exactly what I meant.”
“True.” She had a brief, heated debate and once more opted not to tell him how much she felt for him. I love you. Those three little words were full of pressure and expectation, even though she didn’t mean them that way. Those words might make him feel obligated, might keep him with her when the best thing for him was to run. For now and possibly forever. She’d find a way to get through the emptiness.
“Ross sent the final confirmation,” she said, tracing his whisker-stubbled chin with her fingertips. She would miss him. Desperately. “Everything is in place.”
“Then let’s go trap a traitor.”
He didn’t move. Neither did she. Both of them understood, without words, that as soon as they left the peace of this balcony, it meant the beginning of the end. They’d taken every precaution, but there were no sureties all of the details would go their way.
She stared up into his blue eyes and for just a moment, she let him see everything brimming in her heart. His gaze soft, he lowered his lips to hers, and the sweet tenderness of the kiss nearly destroyed her resolve. Let Ross deal with Hackett while she and Drew escaped to a country with no extradition agreement. It could be done.
Her heart clamored that it should be done.
Except… that wouldn’t change anything for Drew. Running wouldn’t restore his reputation, and while it may be romantic to think of two people needing only each other, she knew reality was different.
She’d seen that longing in his eyes when he’d watched the CS team at work. Drew wanted to belong. If not to the CIA, then somewhere.
He shouldn’t have to suffer on the outskirts, shouldn’t have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life.
If she couldn’t give him the words in her heart, if things went wrong and they were parted, at least she could give him that much: a clean reputation in his home country. She’d contacted Eva, put a few things in motion on the condition that the final choice would be left to Drew.
Inside, she heard the soft chime of the ringing phone. “That’s our cue.” She took his face in her hands and pressed up on her toes for one last, hard kiss.
“Let’s catch a traitor.”
From his sheltered vantage point, Drew watched Laura manage Hackett’s initial shock at finding her there to intercept the secrets he’d wanted to sell. He marveled as she calmed him down and spelled out his options.
Soon, Drew heard her pulling one incriminating statement after another out of Hackett. She was nothing short of fantastic. The man had started exchanging money for intel. Then drugs for land, weapons, even people. Simple, ugly truths. Damning details.
He still couldn’t quite believe Hackett had shown up. Apparently, Eva was better than advertised and managed to worm so far into Hackett’s system that he believed the sale would go down without a hitch. More importantly, whatever Eva had fed Laura had Hackett believing this conversation was his only chance for leniency.
Drew peered around the windowsill and saw them sitting on opposite ends of an iron bench, looking for all the world like two friends chatting over coffee in a courtyard garden. Ross had called in a favor to get this location and wire it up before the meeting. The man had impressive connections. Maybe there were perks to playing well with others.
In his ear, Drew heard Ross confirm the microphones were picking up what they needed, confirmation of the evidence he’d compiled through the years. Though she hadn’t yet drawn out anything that would clear up Drew’s responsibility for that fateful day years ago. It didn’t matter. He’d been living off the radar this long, he could do it again. He wanted Laura out of there, far away from a nasty piece of work like Hackett.
“One more thing,” Laura said.
“You know it all,” Hackett whined. “I swear that’s all. In the emails you promised house arrest.”
Wow, Drew thought. Eva had pulled out all the stops to drive Hackett into such a tailspin. He made a note to send her an elaborate gift at the first opportunity.
“We’ll get there.” Laura smiled with zero affection. “First, tell me about Iraq. I’m curious.”
Drew tapped his mic. “Moving in. He’s about to bolt.”
“Negative,” Ross growled back. “Hold your position.”
“Where is he?” Hackett demanded, lurching to his feet. His eyes wide, he looked wildly around the garden. “Aziz! Garner!” When no one answered, he raised a gun at Laura, holding it with steady hands as he took aim at her chest.
“Put that down,” Laura said. “No one else is here. I was just curious about that day.”
Drew went cold. Not with fear, though if he thought about it too long it might lean that way. He’d let her burrow too far into his life, his heart. Let his emotions run amok through mazes of what ifs and possibilities. They could reassess their simple, physical deal when they were clear. Right now, she needed his full attention or she wouldn’t survive the take-down.
If anything happened to her, Drew would never recover.
“I held up my end. Now I want to see Garner.” Hackett used the gun to urge Laura to her feet and closer to the shelter of the carriage house. “I know he’s here somewhere. Who else would care about that day?”
Damn it. He couldn’t let Hackett alter the space or timing, but he couldn’t pursue without making matters worse. In his ear, Ross ordered him again to hold.
“He’s on his way,” Laura was saying now.
“They promised me Garner would be here.”
Another clever move, Eva. The gun was bad enough, but Hackett’s strident voice as he shouted was worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. Hackett’s gaze shifted from Laura to the garden walls, up into the trees and back again. He was sizing up potential attack points and if they gave him enough time, he’d spot the mics.
Ignoring orders, Drew stepped out. “Looking for me?”
Hackett’s mouth twisted in a feral grimace, but he kept the gun aimed at Laura. “You should’ve stayed dead.”
“Maybe,” he shrugged. “But what’s misery without company?”
“You can’t kill me.”
“I promised I wouldn’t.” Drew held up his hands. “But if she does it, it’s justified.”
“No way. She’s an Army officer, she won’t. Can’t.”
“Actually, I can.” Laura had drawn her revolver from the holster at her back. “Are you aware I’ve always earned expert on the firing range?”
“Put down the gun,” Drew suggested.
“No.” Hackett held his ground, his eyes darting between Drew and Laura, his finger hugging the trigger. “No,” he repeated. “I’m not going down like this. I can’t go to prison.”
“Lower your weapon,” she said with a deadly calm. “Kick it away.”
Hackett’s laughter bordered on hysterical. “You think you’re the only one with a few tricks?”
Drew told himself Eva was dismantling Hackett’s tricks and excuses and the team was in place. If the crazy bastard managed to escape the garden he wouldn’t make it to the corner. But Drew recognized the signs of desperation in Hackett’s gaze. The man wasn’t going down without a fight, if at all. And Drew was just the man to take him on.
Laura called out another warning, but Hackett’s aim was already changing. He had the gun to his temple, but before he could pull the trigger and steal any real hope of justice, Drew fired. With a pained scream, Hackett collapsed in a heap, the gun forgotten as he cradled his bloody hand.
In two quick strides, Drew had his boot on Hackett’s wounded hand. The man howled in outrage, hurling threats that landed on deaf ears.
Not quite as satisfying or final as a lethal shot, but if ‘alive’ was the way Laura wanted it, Drew aimed to please.
***
Laura stared at Drew as his long legs brought him closer. He hadn’t left. He’d had the option when they’d parted at the hotel this morning. They both knew she had enough support from Cypress that he could’ve walked away and watched it all shake out from the safety of a small, unmonitored corner of the world.
He hadn’t left. She couldn’t decide how to feel about seeing him right here, helping her when he had a chance to escape cleanly. Forcing her thoughts away from that potential mine field, she focused on the immediate problem.
Her gaze dropped to Hackett, writhing in pain on the ground. “You didn’t have to shoot him.”
“Didn’t I?” He used his foot to kick away the gun Hackett had been aiming at her seconds ago. “He’ll live even though he was hoping for suicide by cop. This is better.”
It had certainly felt that way. Looked that way when Hackett refused to lower his gun. “I had him.” Though she’d seen the stark hopelessness in his gaze and experienced a moment’s doubt. “I had him,” she repeated, convincing herself that her aim would’ve been true.
“I know,” Drew said. His somber gaze and the flat line of his mouth reflected the intensity and depth of feelings she’d wanted to ignore. “You weren’t in danger, I was just annoyed. Impatience can kill you.”
She cleared her throat, smothering a laugh at Drew’s joke. “Well, he’ll get his day in court instead.” It’s what she’d wanted, insisted on, despite the risks involved. Her career might not survive this, but Drew had put his freedom on the line. She hoped it wouldn’t cost him. “You were supposed to leave.”
“Only if you leave with me.”
They’d beaten this dead horse enough already. She shook her head. “Not an option.”
“All right.” He tucked his gun into the holster at his back. “Then we stay. Face it together.”
“Drew—”
“That tone won’t work, Laura.” He stepped over Hackett. “I’m done leaving. Done running.”
“There may not be enough evidence to clear you,” she whispered, her eyes stinging with tears she couldn’t shed.
“We’ll see. I’m taking a leap of faith.”
“Oh.” She pressed a hand to her belly. “That’s a low blow, using my words against me.”
“Not against. Never against, Laura.” His warm palms cruised up and down her arms, chasing away the chill of the conflict. “I’m with you or I’m nothing more than a ghost again.”
She didn’t want that. For either of them. She loved him too much and had understood too late how much she’d hurt if he had taken her advice and left her to clean up Hackett’s mess alone.
The precise way out, with Hackett griping at their feet, wasn’t exactly clear. A litany of formal reports, forms, and red tape between intelligence agencies would be the first of many hurdles. There were bound to be hearings, but she vowed to do everything in her power to see him swiftly through that process. He’d sacrificed too much already and she wouldn’t rest until Drew’s life was exactly the way he wanted it to be.