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Mia emerged into the cargo space at the rear of the plane, her face paler than Damien expected. Seeing him, her stride lengthened and those well-travelled legs headed straight for him. Uh-oh. Without a word, she stormed straight up to him and hugged him.
“Does Stevie know?”
Damien’s mouth dried up. “No, and you can’t tell her.”
She gaped at him. “What? No way.”
Holding her by the shoulders, he fixed her with one of his don’t-argue stares. “It’s important. Please, Mia.”
“She won’t be happy.”
Yeah, that was an understatement. Already he had the entire team withholding the truth from Stevie—her husband included—and now he’d recruited Mia to his deception. He didn’t have enough time or words to explain why, and he hated that he asked her to keep the secret, but it was necessary.
“I know, and I will take full responsibility when the time comes. Mia, please go and get some clothes for Penny. She literally has only what she is wearing right now.”
The stubborn set of her jaw worried him. “Where are you taking her?”
“The cabin by the lake. We need to talk.”
Her expression softened as she held his gaze. “How long has it been?”
“Twenty-three years.”
Empathy warmed her green eyes. “You hardly know each other. Of course, you need some time alone.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll be back in a flash. Just the basics, nothing fancy.”
He gave a nod. “Thank you.”
She patted his shoulder before stepping around him to disappear down the cargo ramp. As he turned to watch her go, Magnus parked the Mustang at the bottom of the ramp. Climbing out of the car, Magnus joined him.
“I’ll put the plane in the hanger once you’re on your way. I’ve packed a small ice box with enough food for a couple of days and Riley packed an overnight bag for you. Are you sure there’s nothing else you need?”
A miracle?
Luck?
He had no idea what to expect once he and Penny were alone, nor did he have a clue as to where to start. They had so much to talk about he almost wanted to draw a flow chart to keep track of everything.
“We’ll be fine. Thanks.”
Magnus tossed him the keys. “I don’t know anything about these kinds of things, but I know what I saw, and there’s still a spark between you two.”
How two decades of separation didn’t completely obliterate it eluded Damien but he couldn’t deny there was a continent of unease between them. About to speak, he quieted when he saw Magnus focus beyond him. Damien turned to find Penny hobble into view. The pain etched in her face tore at him but he admired her fortitude to soldier on. That was the Penny he knew.
He took a step toward her but she shook her head and made her way across the cargo hold. Every disjointed movement looked like it hurt, and the care with which she put her weight on each foot frustrated him.
“There’s also a medical kit,” Magnus whispered at his ear. “You’ll need to see to her wounds.”
As Penny drew closer, her attention went to the car at the rear of the plane. She looked at Damien, her eyes sparkling as she smiled.
“You still have this, too?”
He gave a nod and held out his elbow for her. “I rebuilt the Mustang from the chassis, if you remember.”
She slipped her hand through his bent arm and linked their elbows. Tension bunched his shoulders at the sight of her underweight figure. Even under the bulky sweat pants and sweatshirt borrowed from Gabe, he could see her curves were gone. How long had she spent in war zones? It suddenly occurred to him that she might experience post-traumatic stress after everything she’d been through and he made a mental note to keep an eye out for the signs.
“How could I forget?” she hummed beside him. Her proximity felt right. “I was so jealous of how much time you spent with that car, though you have to admit, it’s pretty ironic.”
He frowned. “Ironic?”
“A Mustang? The coincidence is...” She chuckled. “Insane.”
He supposed it was. “Would you rather we take the SUV? I can have it brought—”
“Don’t even suggest it,” she admonished playfully. “After all, I am part Mustang.”
Damien almost choked at her words. When she first discovered her heritage, it horrified her. Now she was making jokes about it?
“I’ve had a long time to deal with it,” she explained, turning serious. “I’m sorry I didn’t handle it better back then.”
Damien turned to her. “You don’t need to keep apologizing.”
“Yes, I do. You’ll see.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. Taking a moment to study her face, he saw she meant every word and wondered if a few days at the cabin was too many, or not enough. She’d been through a harrowing ordeal that also needed dealing with and it struck him that perhaps he wasn’t the most suitable for the job. He was too close, too invested. At some point, she’d need to debrief with a professional.
She touched his cheek, bringing him back to the present.
“You drifted off,” she said in a soft voice.
“Sorry. I was just thinking that you might need to talk to a counsellor about what you went through. We can arrange it.”
She took hold of his chin and smiled. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
Staring into her eyes, Damien thought he saw fear and worry, and had to stop himself from gathering her into his arms for protection. Not everything could be solved with a hug, though he was damned sure it was a fine strategy nonetheless.
“Are you ready?”
With a gentle shake of her head, she glanced around at the interior of the plane. “Is this yours, too?” She turned in a slow circle, her focus darting from the parachutes strapped to the wall to the jeep secured to the floor.
“I’ve had her for over a decade,” he explained, still somewhat amazed that he’d kept the plane from being shot down, hijacked, and blown up. A few scrapes and dings were all that reminded him of the close calls that filled the better part of the last ten years.
“Does she have a name?” Penny’s eyebrows arched toward her hairline in amusement.
He chuckled. “Actually, no, and I have no reason why.”
Penny’s smile lit up the cargo hold. “I’m sure there are a lot of stories to tell about your adventures together.”
Damien nodded and held out an elbow. Penny stepped closer and slipped her arm in his. “Are you ready?”
She took a breath. “As I’ll ever be.”
He started them down the ramp. Penny shuffled forward, her grip on him growing with each step. It took them a long time to reach ground level. She shivered against the cold wind but took a moment to appreciate the Mustang he’d lovingly restored in his youth. Her gaze skimmed over the classic design, reminiscence sparkling in her eyes.
Did she remember their first trip in it along the beach? He could still see her hair flying in the breeze and the wickedly wide smile showing off her perfect teeth. Seeing her admire the car now reminded him exactly how much time and effort he’d put into the restoration, and just how much she’d complained about it.
She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s very beautiful,” she crooned. “You really did a wonderful job.”
Pride filled his chest. “She still purrs like a kitten and drives like a dream. Shall we?”
With a nod, she moved toward the car. Magnus held the passenger door open while Damien helped Penny down into the low-slung hotrod. Once she was safely buckled in, he closed the door.
Mia’s little red hatch sped into view, crossing the tarmac to stop beside him. She wound down the window and passed through four bags of clothing. With little more than a smile, she closed the window and took off.
Damien tossed the bags in the rear of the Mustang and climbed in beside Penny. She eyed him curiously but he let her unspoken questions go unanswered, started the engine and hit the road.