Chapter 14
Eden was utterly gutted. She had been listening to Maks’ description of his family with interest. Right up until he said the last part.
They think I’m dead.
Her brain couldn’t comprehend the words.
She stood there, unable to think of how to respond.
What did someone say to something like that?
Was there anything to say? Her gaze followed him as he rose from the stool, walked around the island, and came to the sink beside her.
There was no sorrow in his eyes, only acceptance.
“You’re confused,” Maks stated.
She blinked and got out of his way so he could reach the faucet. “A little.”
He said nothing as he began to wash both the bowls and spoons. Eden made herself busy by throwing away the cans and cleaning up the area where they had eaten. She needed to remember that Maks had lived a much different life than she had. How could she possibly understand any of what he’d done?
I don’t care. I want to know.
She did want to know. He might be a badass and able to take on the world, but she caught a glimpse of misery. She didn’t think he even realized it. Maks was good at hiding his emotions, but talking about his family had opened up something inside him and allowed her a brief peek.
“I had a choice to make.”
His voice behind her halted her. She slowly turned to face him.
He stood at the sink, his hands on the edges as his chin hung to his chest, his eyes closed.
She wanted to tell him to stop, that he didn’t need to go down whatever road he was on to tell her this.
Obviously, he had shut it away for good reason. She had no right to open old wounds.
“Don’t.”
At the same time, he said, “I was in Delta Force for four years. My family was used to me being away. They didn’t like it, but they understood my need to serve my country the best way I could.
” He lifted his head and looked at her. “It just started out as me wanting to do my part with the Army. It didn’t take long for me to realize that military life suited me.
I moved up through the ranks quickly and got some notice from the higher-ups.
I turned my sights on the Rangers. I did well enough that I was chosen to join Delta Force.
It was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up. Do you know what Delta Force is?”
She shook her head, unable to find words.
“They, like the SEALs and the 24th Special Tactics Squadron of the Air Force, are the US military’s primary Tier 1 special operations units tasked with performing the most classified, dangerous, and complex missions.”
“Oh.” Her voice came out as a squeak.
Maks shifted so one hip rested against the counter.
“During my time there, I met someone. She had no idea about military life or what it was like to be with one of us. Yet, we managed. Being a Tier 1 operator means that you leave on a moment’s notice sometimes, and there’s no telling how long you’ll be gone.
It’s why so many marriages break up. I was determined to make it work somehow. ”
Eden’s heart hurt for him. She didn’t need to ask if he’d gotten his wish. If he had, he wouldn’t be here with her now.
His gaze slid to the side for a heartbeat before he drew in a quick breath and looked at her.
“I was on a mission with my team, which included Wyatt Loughman, when we were sent into Columbia. The mission went to shit quickly. We had a leak somewhere because our enemies knew exactly where we were and split us up. We’d trained for such things, so we didn’t let it rattle us.
We kept going, pursuing the target to bring him in.
The government wanted him alive, which meant that we had to be careful about who we were shooting at. ”
She swallowed hard. The sound loud even to her ears.
“Wyatt was shouting orders through the COMs when they suddenly went out. My teammates and I were cornered and pinned down. We had nowhere to go, and no way to let the others know where we were, much less get to them if they needed help. I had the best line of sight out of the four of us, so I covered them as the other three took off to find another spot to take out the enemy. It would’ve worked, too.
That mission…” he said with a shake of his head. “You don’t forget ones like that.”
Unable to help herself, Eden asked, “What happened?”
“What I’m about to tell you is classified.
Two of my teammates were killed. I was trying to get to the third one who had been shot when a woman walked out and stood over him with the barrel of a rifle pointed at his heart.
At first, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Because I thought she was back home in the States, waiting on me.
The leak we had was none other than my girlfriend, Stacy. ”
Eden’s mouth went slack at the news.
“The woman I’d fallen in love with had been recruited by the Saints.
After Stacy killed my teammate, she walked to me and told me that it was my destiny to join the Saints, who were making the world a better place.
I had no idea who she was talking about.
I kept asking her why she’d betrayed me, and she said that she’d done it to protect me.
I knew I had no way of getting to Wyatt and the others, so I stayed where I was.
Besides, she was leading the men who had pinned us down. So, I did the only thing I could.”
“You got information from her,” Eden guessed.
Maks raked a hand through his blond hair. “She told me it was a general in the Army who had approached her. Others within the military had made contact with her, giving her information and showing her how they could protect me if she would help them convince me to join them.”
“Dear God.”
“The entire time, she was kissing me as if she hadn’t just murdered my team, as if none of what she’d done would change us.
I’m not sure how long we sat there as she kept saying it would be the best thing for me.
I wasn’t sure I had a choice then. I understood that if I didn’t agree, I’d be killed.
I wasn’t afraid to die, but the more I listened to her talk about the Saints and their network, the more I realized that this was a huge operation that had been going on right under my nose.
Then, the COMs began working, and I heard Wyatt.
He was close to me. I didn’t hesitate to tell him where I was and that I was surrounded by enemies.
The look on her face was one of confusion and anger.
Then, she lifted the rifle. I took the shot before she could.
Then I turned and went to find the rest of my team. ”
Eden walked to him and put a hand on his arm while gazing into his blue eyes. “I’m so sorry. No one should have to be betrayed, but especially not by someone they’re in love with.”
Maks shifted his arm so that his hand came in contact with hers. “I’ve never told anyone that story. Not even my team. They assumed that the enemies had gotten her and brought her there to use against us. Me. I let them think she died as a casualty of war.”
“Because you didn’t want to tell them that you shot her?”
“Because I didn’t know who might be part of the Saints.
I wanted to believe that they could be trusted, but I was no longer sure of anything anymore.
I kept what happened to myself. Even when command interviewed me multiple times when we got home, I never told a single person.
The team was put on leave because of what happened, and we needed to fill slots.
I was given more time than the others since… ” He paused and then shrugged.
Eden liked that their fingers were linked. She didn’t know why, but having their palms together eased some of the turmoil within her. “Understandable.”
“I attended the funeral with her family and grieved as was expected of me because I knew I was being watched. And I was right. Just a day after the funeral, I was approached by the CIA. The woman was tall, stunning, and most definitely a killer. She shot me a smile, gave me a manila envelope, and told me that she’d get back in touch in a couple of days. ”
Eden frowned, taken aback. “What? They didn’t talk to you? They just gave you a packet?”
“Yep.”
“What was inside?”
He glanced down at their linked hands. “An offer for employment. They listed out my credits, things they shouldn’t have been aware of but were. The job was similar to what I’d been doing with Delta Force, but I’d be working alone, or I could have a team that I would pick.”
“You chose to be alone.”
“Damn straight. I didn’t trust anyone.”
“Then why join the CIA at all?”
He briefly raised his brows. “Because I needed to get information on the Saints. Like I said on the train, I knew if the CIA had my stats from the military, then whoever had chosen me was most likely working for the Saints. They had made several references to my being of Russian descent and speaking the language fluently. There was one stipulation in the offer. I couldn’t tell anyone.
I said that I refused to lie to my family.
Besides, I didn’t want the Saints to use anyone I cared about against me again.
I was the one who suggested that I be sent on a mission and reported killed in action. ”
“I would’ve done the same. But to give up your family to take down the Saints? How were you even sure you could?”
Maks shrugged. “I didn’t know, only that I would figure it out along the way. I’m doing this for my family because I love them. I couldn’t return to my life and forget what had happened or what I’d learned. I had to do something.”
She couldn’t blame him for that. Not when she felt the same way. “That’s why I’m here. Because I have to do something, too.”
“Yes,” he said as he looked deep into her eyes. “I think I knew that from the first. It’s why I chose you.”
Eden tightened her fingers around his and smiled. “I’m ready to kick some ass. Let’s take down the Saints.”
His grin was slow, but it pulled at his lips until it filled his face. “Come with me.”
Eden followed him after he released her hand.
He took her into a room at the front of the house.
A desk and a chair sat in the center of the room.
Behind it was a table with a printer, and on either side of the table were bookshelves filled with various titles.
The right-hand side held a comfy leather chair and a floor lamp.
On the other side of the room sat a small leather sofa with end tables on either side of it.
No matter where she went in the house, Eden liked what she saw. There was no clutter, something she detested. If anything, she would call it a minimalistic style. And she liked it a lot. Maks had the comforts, but there wasn’t a lot of extra stuff around.
She watched as Maks went to the right-hand bookcase and moved some books out of the way. To her surprise, there was a small safe hidden there. He punched in the code, then used his fingerprint to open it. He withdrew a laptop, two pen drives, and several file folders that he put on the table.
“Is that all you have?” she asked as she came over to investigate.
Maks chuckled. “It doesn’t look like much, but, trust me, it is.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is.”
He held up the two drives. “The majority of the items is on these. I made copies of everything I could to digitize it, but I didn’t always have that opportunity.”
“These aren’t the originals, I hope. Please tell me you kept them somewhere else so if the Saints came and destroyed it, you wouldn’t have to start again.” When he didn’t answer, Eden looked at him to find him watching her curiously. “What?”
He shrugged. “I find it odd that I was ready to give you that answer when, with anyone else, I wouldn’t have answered it one way or another.”
“Because you wouldn’t be sure if you could trust me.” She nodded, shrugging. “I can understand. So, don’t answer me. I’m just thinking, as you told me I should.”
“These aren’t the only copies. I tell you that because I trust you. I’ll also tell you that there are two other sets. One is in Texas with the Loughmans.”
She didn’t mention the fact that he hadn’t told her where the second set was. In reality, she didn’t need to know. “Thank you.”
“Where do you want to start?”
Eden looked at everything and then said, “At the beginning. Is there an order?”
“In a way. Make yourself comfortable. Desk, sofa, chair. It doesn’t matter.”
She turned and pulled out the chair from the desk then sat facing the table. “How about here.”
Maks chuckled as he opened a file and put it in front of her. “This is the offer the CIA gave me.”