Chris sat in Sally’s Saloon, the one bar in Jubilee, Texas, watching the news. He was supposed to be laying low since his name was in the investigation concerning Senator Lewis, but so far, not even his picture had made it on the news. The only thing they’d said was a former SEAL lost his life, saving Abigail Lewis from certain death at the hands of her father. She’d protected him.
He downed another shot and pushed the glass away. There were only a couple people in the bar. It was the middle of the day, so most people were working. He should have been too, but he couldn’t seem to make himself move off the stool.
“You were always a moody little bitch,” the feminine voice behind him said.
He turned around to see Addison standing there with her arms crossed. “Addy? What are you doing here?” Chris’s panic flared. He’d put Murphy on a flight home with instructions to tell Addison goodbye for him after the mission was over. He’d done what Nathan wanted. He’d finally killed Christopher Hardy.
“Some guy named Nathan put me on a super secret jet plane and flew me out here to talk to you.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I thought it was weird too, but we had a nice chat on the plane, and we’ve come to an agreement, I think.”
Chris stared at Addy as she sat down on the stool next to him and took the shot the bartender had just dropped there for him. She swallowed it in one gulp and pushed the glass away the same way he had a moment earlier.
“I understand that you’re supposed to be dead,” she said. “And as far as anyone else besides me and Murphy knows, you are. Including Mom and Dad.”
“I’m not following.”
“That’s because I’ve always been the smarter twin,” she replied. “You work best with something to live for, and your buddy Nathan—”
“Not my buddy.”
“Whatever. He didn’t realize that until he’d taken everything from you. So he came to me.” She sighed. “I still think it’s too dangerous. As a SEAL, you had backup, you had people to pull you out when you were on the brink of death. You were never truly alone. With these people… it’s just you and them. There’s no backup. If something happens to you—” She stopped, her voice getting weak with the tears she held back. “Let’s just say, you wouldn’t be able to come back from death again.”
“Addy—”
“Just wait. I’m talking.” He blinked as she snapped out the words. “But you’re helping people in this work you’re doing, and I know that it’s always been what you were meant for. You helped me when I needed it, you helped Abigail when she needed it.”
His heart constricted at the sound of Abigail’s name. Even after three months, losing her hurt as much as it did that first day when she leaned over and kissed him goodbye. She hadn’t said the words, but there was a finality in her kiss. She knew it was the end.
“It’s what you do. And you should keep doing it.”
“So…”
“So nothing. To the world, Christopher Hardy is dead and he died saving a woman he loved. But to me, my brother is alive and well. That’s all.”
Chris glanced back at the door where Nathan stood, dressed back in his flannel shirt and hole-riddled jeans. He nodded, smiling just a tad, the first genuine smile he’d seen on the man since the day they’d met in the hospital.
He pulled Addison into a tight hug, holding her close. He closed his eyes and for once let himself feel happy. “Thank you,” he whispered into her hair.
“Don’t thank me yet,” she whispered back. “I had one more stipulation. Nathan wasn’t exactly happy about it, but he agreed. For your own well-being.”
Chris pulled back. Addison was a force of nature when she wanted something. He had no doubt that whatever she wanted, she could go toe to toe with Nathan and make it happen. He narrowed his eyes at his sister. “What did you do?”
Addison just grinned.
~*~*~
“Was it worth it?” Abigail asked the man.
She sat across from Daniel Lewis, thick glass separating them from each other. He wore orange coveralls, stamped with a number. He looked older in here, less distinguished and more Mad Hatter.
“Was what worth it?” He blinked at her like he had no idea what she was talking about.
This was the first time she’d come to see him since she’d gone public with the evidence she’d carried with her for so long. She’d not been able to scare up enough courage for it.
She pointedly stared at him, saying nothing.
He shrugged, a sly smile playing across his lips. “The world will forget what I’ve done in a few months. For you, they’ll watch you, wait for you to screw up so they can pounce on you and destroy America’s Princess. I created you, but they’ll destroy you.”
He wasn’t wrong, but that was no different than any other time in her life.
“It could have been a good life for you, Abigail. You could have had everything you wanted.”
“Except a choice,” she whispered. “I don’t understand why.”
“I’m just a piece on a game board. You took me out, but more are out there.” He smiled like he had a secret to tell. “Want to know about it?”
He leaned in, looking left and then right. A conspiratorial smile lifted his lips. His eyes danced with amusement. He opened his mouth. “Fuck you.”
A few minutes later, Abigail stepped out of the prison. Months of deliberations and testimonies, of presenting evidence… It was all almost over. She should have been happy. Instead, the whole thing left her empty. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to feel relieved it was almost over or sad that it ever happened.
The car pulled up. Her new security detail, one she hired for herself, stepped out of the car to open the door for her. His face was impassive, like stone as he stood, watching the world to see if someone wanted a piece of her.
She slid into the car, and as the door shut, her lips parted.
“Hey, princess.”
On the opposite side of the car, behind the driver sat the man she was never supposed to see again. Her heart squeezed itself as it began to beat again. Heat filled her chest, melting away the ice that had formed in the absence of her heart.
“What are you doing here, Chris?” She glanced out the window as the car started to move. “Someone will see you.”
“I don’t care,” he said. “I needed to see you.”
“My security knew you were in here?”
“They kind of work for Nathan,” he said, and bless his soul, he almost looked apologetic.
“What?” Her eyes widened. The security she’d hired… They were Nathan’s?
“I wanted to make sure you’d be safe. Without me.”
“Does Nathan know you’re here?” The last thing she wanted was for him to get in trouble with her again.
“He does,” he said. “It was his idea.”
She frowned. “I’m not following.”
“Trust me, I wasn’t either.” Chris cleared his throat and slid across the seat to her. His arms stretched across the back of the seat.
“Chris… I… you’re supposed to be dead.”
“Yeah, and I am dead. That’s the deal.”
“Then why are you here? Is something wrong?”
“No. Well, yes, actually. You’re not with me. And that’s absolutely wrong.” He brushed her cheek with his fingers, the reverence in every move he made. Abigail fought back the tears that forced their way to the surface.
“This hurts too much. I can’t touch you and let you go again,” she said, her voice breaking roughly. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here because you’re the only thing in my life that makes sense. I came out a broken man two years ago. I’ve been in pieces ever since. You’re the glue that put me back together. You make me whole.” He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, gently kissing her palm. “I love you. Always. And I’ll prove it to you, every day for the rest of our lives. I’ll show you how much you mean to me.”
She let out a broken sob as the tears started flowing. God, she’d cried too much these last few months. “How can we do that?”
“We’ll find a way. Just tell me you’re willing to fight for us. Tell me that you love me as much as I love you.”
“I do love you,” she said, through sobs and tears. “I’m afraid that I’ll lose you.”
“I’ll take my last breath with you if you’ll have me,” he whispered, kissing her forehead, then her mouth. He lingered there, stealing another small kiss before he pulled away to gauge her reaction.
She cupped his face, looking into those stormy gray eyes and smiled. “You’re worth fighting for.” She crashed her lips against his, pulling him against her body. His hands roamed over hers, cupping her breasts, then her ass as he lifted her to straddle him.
He lifted her dress up and slid his hands into her panties. They were thin lace, and she wasn’t even sure why she wore them today. But she forgot them as he fisted them and tore them apart.
She unbuckled his pants and pulled them down with his boxers, freeing his already hard cock. “I missed this, too.” She whispered the words against his mouth as she stroked him.
“Princess, you’re killing me.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“Never,” he said as he pressed her down onto him. They both let out a long sigh of relief as she sunk down onto him, letting him fill her tight body. Together they rode each other into ecstasy.