31. Come Back To Me
Come Back To Me
Stand.Walk to the window.Come back.Pretend to listen to Sloan.Check the hallway.Touch the pregnancy tests hidden inside Chris’s sweatshirt.Repeat.Every set of footsteps made her look up.Every radio transmission made her heart stop.Every time an agent walked through the secure doors who wasn’t Chris, the fear got worse.Mateo had been taken into federal custody.That part was confirmed.Her brother was alive.Handcuffed.Arrested.
But alive.Camila didn’t know what to do with the relief she felt about that.She didn’t know what to do with any of it.Mateo had spent years protecting her from the truth.
Chris had spent months lying his way toward it.And now those two realities had collided in a warehouse full of federal agents, drugs, weapons and men she’d known most of her life.
She should have been thinking about Mateo.Instead she kept looking at the elevator.
Waiting for Chris.That came with its own guilt.“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor.”
Camila turned.Sloan stood near the conference-room doorway holding two cups of coffee.“I don’t want coffee.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you bring me one?”
“For me.”Camila frowned.Sloan held up the second.“This one’s also for me.”Despite herself, Camila laughed.Barely.Sloan sat.Camila didn’t.“Has anyone heard from him?”
“Yes.”
“How long ago?”
“Four minutes.”
“What did he say?”
“That Diego escaped.”Camila’s stomach tightened.“I know that.”
“And that he was returning.”Her eyes snapped toward Sloan.“Here?”
“Yes.”
“When?”Sloan took a drink.“Soon.”
“What does soon mean to the FBI?”
“Usually something between five minutes and three years.”Camila stared.
Sloan smiled faintly.“Bad joke.”
“Terrible.”
“You’re hanging around Walker too much.”That hurt in a strangely comforting way.
Camila looked down at the oversized sweatshirt she was wearing.His sweatshirt.
His real sweatshirt.Chris Walker’s.Not Roman’s.She slid one hand into the pocket.
Plastic.Two tests.Both positive.Her thumb moved over one.Sloan’s eyes dropped toward the pocket.She didn’t say anything.Good.Camila wasn’t ready.Not until she saw him.
Not until she touched him.Not until she knew he was actually standing in front of her.
She’d spent the last hour hearing phrases like:shots fired.pursuit.major collision.
target lost.There were words you never wanted attached to the man carrying your child.
Camila closed her eyes.His child.Jesus Christ.The thought still didn’t feel real.“Camila.”
She opened them.Sloan had noticed her expression.“You okay?”
“No.”
“Fair.”
“I think that’s the first honest answer I’ve given all night.”
“Walker is rubbing off on you.”
“Chris lies all the time.”
“Not about being okay.”Camila stared.Sloan smiled.“He lies terribly about being okay.”
“That is true.”A sound came from the hallway.Elevator.Camila turned before the doors even opened.Two agents came out.Not him.Her shoulders dropped.Then another elevator sounded.“Camila—”The doors opened.Chris stepped out.Everything inside her stopped.
He looked like hell.His FBI vest was gone.The black tactical shirt beneath it was dirty and torn near one shoulder.There was blood across his left sleeve.A bruise was forming along his jaw.A shallow cut sat near his hairline.His short blond hair was a mess.He moved like every part of his body hurt.And he was alive.Camila ran.
“Camila—”Sloan’s voice disappeared behind her.Chris looked up.Saw her.His entire face changed.He barely had time to open his arms before Camila hit him.Hard.Chris grunted as she crashed against his chest.
Pain shot through his ribs.Didn’t matter.His arms closed around her immediately.
Tight.Almost desperate.Camila buried her face against him.“Chris.”
“I’ve got you.”That voice.That fucking voice.The same one he’d used during the attack.
Except there was no danger now.Just them.Camila clutched his shirt.Chris buried his face against her hair.For several seconds, neither spoke.Then Camila whispered:“You came back to me.”Chris closed his eyes.The words hit him exactly where they always did.You came back to me.Hotel.Warehouse.Attack.Her.Always her.His arms tightened.
“Always.”Camila started crying.Not the quiet tears she’d been fighting all night.Real tears.They soaked into his shirt.Chris pulled back just enough to see her. “Hey.”She shook her head.“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re fine.”Chris almost smiled.“I wasn’t.”
“Exactly.”She touched his face.Then noticed the blood.Her eyes widened.“Oh my God.”
Chris looked toward his sleeve.“This?”
“Whose blood is that?”He glanced down.“Not mine.”Camila froze.Chris immediately realized that hadn’t been reassuring.“Mostly.”
“Mostly?”
“Bad answer.”
“Chris!”
“I’m okay.”Her eyes filled with fury.“You are never allowed to say that sentence again.”
“Pretty sure that’s unconstitutional.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”She stared at him.Then slapped his chest lightly.Chris winced.Camila caught it.
Her expression changed.“You’re hurt.”
“Bruised.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
“Chris.”
“Nothing serious.”She looked toward Sloan.“Is there a medic?”Chris gave Sloan a warning look.Sloan ignored it.“Yes.”
“Traitor.”
“You need evaluation.”
“I’ve been evaluated.”
“When?”
“In the field.”Camila stared.“That sounds like FBI language for somebody looked at you for six seconds and asked if you were bleeding.”Chris paused.“That’s unfair.”
“So I’m wrong?”He didn’t answer.Camila pointed.“See?”Chris sighed.“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“I’ll let them check me.”
“Thank you.”He smiled faintly.“Bossy.”
“You like it.”
“Unfortunately.”For one tiny second—they were back.The garage.The SUV.The guesthouse.The kitchen at two in the morning.And Camila laughed.Actually laughed.
Chris stared at her.God, he’d missed that sound.Even though he’d only been gone a few hours.Then he noticed something.Her hands.They were shaking.Not the way she’d shaken after the attack.Different.Smaller.Persistent.Chris’s expression changed.“Are you okay?”
Camila froze.“What?”
“You’re shaking.”
“I’ve had a pretty terrible day.”
“No.”He took her hands.“Something happened.”
“Chris—”
“Camila.”His eyes searched her face.She looked pale.Too pale.And there were shadows beneath her eyes.“Did somebody say something to you?”
“No.”
“Mateo?”
“No.”
“Sloan?”Sloan lifted her eyebrows from across the room.Camila almost smiled.“No.”
“Then what?”Her fingers instinctively moved toward the sweatshirt pocket.Chris noticed.Of course he did.His eyes dropped.“What is that?”Camila’s heart stopped.
“Whats?”
“In your pocket.”
“Nothing.”Chris slowly looked back at her.
“Don’t use my word.”Despite everything, she laughed.A tear slid down her cheek.Chris brushed it away.
“Camila.”This was it.She could tell him.Right here.She could pull out the tests.Show him the two lines.Tell him that sometime during the beautiful, reckless mess they’d made together, they’d created something neither of them had planned.She imagined his face.Would he smile?
Panic?Go silent?Probably all three.Camila swallowed. “Chris, I—”
“Walker.”Mercer.Chris closed his eyes.Camila nearly screamed.Mercer approached from the hallway, face serious.Chris turned.“What?”
“Diego.”One word.Everything changed.Camila watched it happen.Chris Walker returned instantly.Shoulders straight.Eyes sharp.The softness disappeared beneath training.“What about him?”
“We have a problem.”Chris glanced at Camila.Then back.“What kind?”
“The bad kind.”
“That narrows it down.”
“His Suburban was abandoned twenty miles south of the crash site.”Chris’s jaw tightened.“Blood?”
“Some.”
“Enough to suggest injury?”
“Not enough.”
“Vehicle cold?”
“No.”
“So he switched.”
“That’s our assumption.”
“Cameras?”
“Working it.”Chris released Camila’s hands.The absence of his touch was immediate.She hated that she noticed.Mercer continued.“Two of Diego’s known associates vanished before warehouse containment was completed.”Chris went still.“Names?”
“Ramirez and Costa.”Chris knew both.His expression hardened.“Security.”
“Yes.”
“Both know the mansion.”
“Yes.”Camila’s stomach dropped.Chris looked toward her.Mercer’s voice lowered.“We’re increasing protective detail.”
“For Camila?”
“Yes.”Chris stepped closer to Mercer.“She doesn’t leave this building.”
“That was already the plan.”
“No external windows. No predictable routes if we move her. Nobody from Vargas security comes anywhere near her.”Mercer nodded.“Agreed.”Camila stared.“Can both of you stop talking about me like I’m luggage?”Chris looked over.“Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“No.”His honesty almost made her smile.Chris took her hand again.This time unconsciously.Mercer noticed.Sloan noticed.Camila definitely noticed.“What does Diego want?” she asked.Nobody answered.“Chris.”He looked at her.She already knew.
Revenge.He didn’t want to say it.“Me.”Camila’s face changed.Chris squeezed her hand.
“He blames me for the raid.”
“You were the FBI agent inside.”
“Yeah.”
“And he knows about us.”Chris said nothing.That was answer enough.Camila swallowed.
“So I’m what?”
“No.”Chris’s voice sharpened instantly.“Don’t.”
“What?”
“Don’t call yourself leverage.”
“But that’s what he thinks.”
“I don’t care what he thinks.”
“Chris.”His eyes hardened.“You’re not a weakness.
”The words came out fierce.Almost angry.Camila stared.Chris lowered his voice.
“You’re someone I love.”Her throat tightened.
“And if Diego thinks that gives him something to use against me…”Chris’s face became colder than she’d ever seen it.
“He’s going to find out exactly how badly he’s miscalculated.
”Mercer watched him.“Walker.”Chris looked over. “Professional.”
“I am.”
“You’re threatening a fugitive inside an FBI building.”
“Privately.”Mercer stared.Logan’s voice came from behind them.“That’s growth.”
Chris turned.Logan entered carrying two coffees and looking only marginally better than Chris.Chris stared.“Why are you here?”
“I work here.”
“I was happier without you.”
“No, you weren’t.”Logan looked toward Camila.“Hi.”Camila looked him up and down.“You’re Logan.”He stopped.“How do you know?”
“Chris complains about you.”Logan looked delighted.Chris closed his eyes.“Wonderful.”
“What does he say?”
“Mostly asshole.”Logan nodded.“Accurate.”Despite herself, Camila laughed again.
Chris looked at her.His face softened.That tiny moment almost gave her the courage.
Her hand went toward the pocket again.Two tests.Chris’s baby.Their baby.She opened her mouth.“Chris—”Mercer’s phone rang.He answered.Listened.His expression changed.
“Where?”Everyone went silent.Chris watched him.Mercer ended the call.“Conference room.”
“What?”
“Now.”Chris’s hand tightened around Camila’s.“Mercer.”
“We’ve got surveillance on a Vargas-connected property.”
“Diego?”
“Possible.”Chris immediately started moving.Then stopped.Looked down.
His hand was still holding Camila’s.He looked at her.She looked back.The moment between them broke her heart.He wanted to stay.She knew he did.But Diego was still out there.Mateo was in custody.The case wasn’t over.And Chris was FBI.Really FBI.This was his life.“Go.”Chris didn’t move.“Camila.”
“Go.”
“I just got back.”
“I know.”His expression changed.That hurt him too.She touched his cheek.“I’ll be here.”
Chris covered her hand.“You promise?”Camila almost laughed.The reversal wasn’t lost on either of them.
“Yes.”Chris leaned down and kissed her.Quick at first.Then longer.He didn’t care who was watching.Logan suddenly found his coffee fascinating.Mercer checked his phone.Sloan looked toward the ceiling.When Chris pulled away, his forehead rested against hers.
“I love you.”Camila closed her eyes.“I love you too.”He kissed her once more.
Then looked toward Mercer.“Let’s go.”They disappeared into the conference room.The secure door closed.Camila remained in the hallway.Her hand slowly went into Chris’s sweatshirt pocket.She pulled out one of the tests.Two pink lines.Still there.Sloan stepped beside her.
“You almost told him.”Camila nodded.“Twice.”
“Why didn’t you?”She looked toward the closed conference-room door.“Because the second I tell him…”Her fingers tightened around the test.“Everything changes.”
Sloan looked down.“Everything already changed.”
“I know.”Camila swallowed.“But he just came back from a raid. Diego is missing. Mateo is arrested. Chris has blood all over him.”She laughed weakly.
“Maybe ‘I’m pregnant’ can wait five minutes.
”Sloan smiled faintly.“Probably.”Camila tucked the test back into her pocket.She looked toward the door.Not yet.Chris had enough things pulling his mind in a thousand directions.She would tell him when there was quiet.When he could actually hear her.When she could look at him and say the words without a radio interrupting.I’m pregnant.Their baby.Camila smiled despite the fear.Then the conference-room door opened again.Chris stepped out.Her heart jumped.He crossed directly toward her. “What?”
“Nothing.”Chris narrowed his eyes.“That word again.”She smiled.“I’ll tell you later.”
He stared suspiciously.“Promise?”
“Yes.”Chris kissed her forehead.“Okay.”Then he turned and walked back inside.Camila watched him disappear.Her hand rested protectively over the pocket.Not yet.Because if there was one thing loving Chris Walker had taught her—a quiet moment was rare.
But when she finally told him he was going to be a father—she wanted that moment to belong only to them.