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Virginia
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Gabe was pissed. She didn’t blame him. If their roles were reversed, she would be, too. But she needed him to understand.
“Don’t be angry with me, Gabe. I needed to make sure you were alone.”
He returned with a warm washcloth. Despite the scowl on his face and the furrow between his brows, his cleansing strokes between her legs were gentle. She opened for him, allowing him to care for her this way, sensing his need to.
“Doesn’t take two days to do that,” he grumbled.
“No,” she agreed. She’d needed to do more than simply assure he was alone. She’d wanted to observe him before she extended Taser’s offer. As much as she wanted to be with Gabe, she couldn’t be selfish. Signing on with the Chameleons was a lifetime commitment, and offered only to those who had nothing else. If he appeared to be happy, or even content, she would have walked away and not looked back, regardless of how much it would have hurt to do so. “I don’t expect you to trust me, but I had my reasons.”
He stared into her eyes, searching for answers she wasn’t quite ready to give him, because they would change everything. She wanted a few more moments of just being with him.
Finally, he exhaled and nodded slightly. “All right. Take your shower. I’ll make us something to eat. Then you’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on.”
Gabe brought in the backpack she’d dropped outside while she indulged in a hot, steamy shower. By the time she emerged, delicious scents of grilled steak and roasted root vegetables filled the cabin. They kept the conversation light as they ate, speaking of the beauty of the surrounding area and the advantages of living simply. The fact that he had purposely distanced himself from the rest of the world was encouraging, but she tried not to let her hopes climb too high.
Afterward, they cleaned up together. It felt so domestic, so natural—except for the huge elephant in the tiny kitchen area. Her grace period was passing quickly, and she knew he wouldn’t accept her silence much longer.
He dried the last of the dishes and looked at her expectantly. The cabin suddenly felt too confining for what she had to say. She suggested they make coffee and talk on the porch. He agreed.
A short while later, she was sitting in one of the surprisingly comfortable wooden rocking chairs with a mug in her hands and a cool breeze caressing her face. Fred was curled up at her feet, Gabe beside her as they watched the sun sink below the mountains, painting the sky in brilliant colors that reflected in the lake. It was so peaceful. So perfect.
“Now is a good time to start talking,” he prompted.
“I’m not sure where to begin.”
That was the truth. She wanted to start at the beginning. Wanted to tell him everything so he would understand. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Not unless he said yes.
“Let’s start with what happened that night at the estate. Why did you do it?”
She exhaled slowly. Of course, he’d gone right to the heart of it. She chose her words carefully. “A long time ago, Darius Kristikos took something from me, something I loved very much. I wouldn’t allow him to do it a second time.”
He was quiet for several long moments. “Are you saying that you love me, Virginia?”
His voice was deep and even, giving nothing away. In the increasing darkness, his face was shadowed, his expression unreadable.
“Yes,” she confirmed. “As you can imagine, that complicated things greatly.”
“I bet,” he murmured. “I don’t suppose you can expand on that?”
She shook her head. “No, but I can tell you we had similar reasons for wanting to find Christos.”
His rocking cadence paused for a moment before continuing. “I doubt it.”
“Gabe, I know about your SEAL team. About what happened in Mali and who was behind it. That’s why I did what I did in Korfos. I wanted you to know that I took care of things for both of us. To give you some peace.”
He stared deep into her eyes. “Who are you?”
“I am whoever I need to be,” she answered softly.
“Is Virginia even your name?”
“At this moment, yes.”
He made a grunting sound and got to his feet, walking over to the railing. Fred’s eyes followed, but the dog didn’t move. “Jesus. Is there anything you can tell me? Anything real?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
She gave him a small smile. “On how much you value your life.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you threatening me?” His voice was low and deadly, reminding her that he was no ordinary man.
“No, just laying out your options.” She took a deep breath. The time had come. She could stall no longer. “There’s so much you don’t understand.”
“Then explain it to me.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I already know you work for some secret organization of spooks. That, for all intents and purposes, you don’t exist, and . . .” He stilled, connecting the dots. “Why are you here, Virginia?” he asked softly. “Am I your next assignment? A loose string that needs to be cut off?”
“I think you know I’m not going to do that,” she answered, just as quietly.
“But someone else will?” he mused, turning his gaze toward the ridge as he put the pieces together with astonishing accuracy. It would be so easy for someone to hide up there, rifle in hand, waiting to take a shot. “Will either of us exist tomorrow?”
“I won’t, but you have a choice.” Gabe opened his mouth but she held her hand up. “Just listen, all right? I don’t have a lot of time.”
His expression grew more concerned. She could practically see his mind working out possible scenarios in which to prevail despite impossible odds. He was a SEAL. That was what he did, what he’d been trained to do. She could have told him it was futile.
“I do work for an organization of spooks. We deal with the worst of the worst. And we are very good at what we do. However, we can’t do what we do if people know about us, so we must, for all intents and purposes, cease to exist. Does that make sense?”
He nodded. “Extreme covert ops.”
“The thing is, it’s not a termed gig. There are no tours. No re-upping. Once you’re in, you’re in, and there’s only one way out. And until that happens, you must cut all ties with the outside world.”
“Sounds lonely.”
“It can be,” she agreed. “But we have each other, and we have purpose. We do good things, Gabe, and doing good things sometimes requires sacrifice. As a SEAL, I know that’s something you understand. However, unlike your teams, this is forever. Very few are willing to make that kind of unconditional commitment, and of those who are, even fewer are chosen.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because, Gabe,” she took another breath, “you have been chosen.”