Like most government offices, the hearing room at NCA’s headquarters in London was efficiently depressing and drab. The sheetrock walls were adorned with nothing more than a thin coat of battleship gray. The drop-panel ceiling and the heavily tinted windows didn’t help. The drone of the official hearing matched its surroundings for dullness. Pia gave her statement and answered all questions asked of her, including a few pointed ones from Superintendent Martin. She listened as Tania gave her testimony, followed by Bethany. She began to lose interest when Bedfordshire’s Chief Inspector Susan Barnett testified about the death of Eden-Sonnet.
For a while she leaned against Liam, savoring his scent, and reminiscing about their last few days and nights together. They’d learned a good deal about each other. He was a great dancer. Everywhere they’d gone, she savored the jealous looks of the other women. She’d won the best catch. They continued to share plates of food without a hitch. They’d both grown up with Pussycat Dolls, Shakira, and Rihanna. She even sang Shut Up and Drive while pushing him into the bedroom. Which is where they’d spent most of the last few days. She’d been incredibly happy. Everything about them fit together.
Except.
Something had bothered him at breakfast, which she chalked up to concern about his testimony. He’d never been grilled by national police. After her in-depth questioning, he’d seemed edgier still. She patted his arm and told him she would step outside to enjoy the beautiful sunny day for a few moments. He would be called before long and couldn’t leave. Her real purpose in leaving: she thought he’d be more relaxed about his statements if she wasn’t there.
When she stepped out, Abby and Bethany were deep in conversation. A tough one from the look of it. She left them alone.
Tanner and the man she still hadn’t met stood on either side of her while she sat on the cement steps to soak up some sun in her silk sundress. She thought about Chloe England and how the world would be a sadder place without her. She thought about Benton. The NCA had an offer waiting for him when he recovered. He wasn’t sure if he’d take it. She thought about Tania and how she refused to use crutches after Eric Stone gave her one of his grandfather’s silver-handled canes. Tania had taken to smacking the servants at the Lanesborough with it. Pia might have to confiscate it. She thought about Wayne Walker and how his arrogance had set off her paranoia alarms the first time she’d met him. Perhaps she should lean into her suspicions more often. She thought about how Abby had recommended a lifestyle change after seeing her portable armory. Maybe that was a better plan than ramping up her distrust.
She tilted her face to the sun and closed her eyes. After all, Jonelle had figured out how to turn the McKenna disaster into a hot prospect and ended up closing the deal. She ran the company better than the great Alan Sabel had. Pia could leave everything in the Major’s capable hands and retire to a remote tropical island with Liam. It would not be hard to gaze into those green eyes for eternity.
Bethany walked away quickly. Abby stood silently where they’d been talking, toeing the sidewalk. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. After a second, she sensed Pia watching her.
Pia waved her over. “Pull up a stretch of concrete and sit with me.”
Abby dropped next to Pia and wrapped one arm around Pia’s shoulder, the other around her waist, and nuzzled her cheek to Pia’s breast.
Abby said, “You know I’m madly in love with you, Sabel.”
Pia leaned her cheek to the crown of Abby’s head. “You’ve mentioned it a couple times.”
Abby raised her cherubic face to Pia as her auburn hair fell away from her big brown eyes. “Story of my life, y’know, crushing on straight girls.”
“Didn’t go well with Bethany?” Pia asked.
Abby sat up straight and together they turned to study the subject of her question. Bethany stood at the corner, twenty yards away, staring at her Uber app.
“She’s conflicted.” Abby sighed.
“I thought she broke up with you back at the greenhouse and came back only out of concern.”
“Couldn’t stay away, that one.” Abby looked at the sun. “Today, she felt like everyone was looking at us funny in the hearing. For someone like her, someone like me is an attraction she doesn’t want to be attracted to. Afraid to be …”
Abby drew a slow, thoughtful breath. For a moment, Pia thought her friend was fighting back a tear. Abby looked away from her and wiped her eyes on her shoulder. She sniffled a couple times, took another deeper, confident breath, and smiled until her cheerfulness returned. She said, “Not everyone’s cut out to be gay. It’s not as easy as I make it look.”
“Her loss.”
Abby looked up as Liam stepped outside. He took a seat on the other side of Pia. Abby squirmed nervously until Pia touched her hand—stay.
Liam gave off nervous energy. She had thought he was wound up about his deposition; now she wasn’t so sure. A sense of foreboding overcame her. She slid her hand in his and gave a reassuring squeeze. He didn’t squeeze back.
“I’ve given it a good deal of thought,” he began. He paused too long. “I meant what I said when we first met. I felt our meeting was destiny. You felt it too. The more I got to know you, the stronger I felt that connection. I thought you felt it too. Then I learned about your violent side. It doesn’t bother me in the least, dating a lass who carries a gun and gets into a fight now and again. I worry about you, I cannae deny that. I don’t mind worrying a wee bit more. But the thing I cannae get over—”
Pia’s heart stopped beating.
He turned his face skyward while choosing his words.
He met her gaze again. “—that you didnae trust me.”
A thousand things to say flooded into her head. All of them true and reasonable. But all of them sounded weak and clingy. She refused to let any of them out of her mouth.
He let go of her hand and rose. With deep remorse in his eyes, he waited a moment for her to say something.
Those thousand things to say screamed in her head. But she was frozen. Nothing could open her mouth. The Pia who never hesitated to kick a man off a roof couldn’t say a word to save her relationship. Abby thought she was brave? Not where love was concerned. Her body refused to move. Her heart refused to beat.
“Lang may yer lum reek,” he said.
An old Scottish saying that she knew meant, long may your chimney smoke, or, may you live long and prosper. Her heart still wouldn’t beat.
Liam gave her a melancholy nod, turned and walked away. He pulled his phone to order an Uber.
“Losing’s so hard for you, you can’t summon the humility to beg?” Abby asked.
Pia sensed the truth in that assessment. She thought she’d won him. She took it for granted and glossed everything over. Now she was losing him and found herself paralyzed.
“He wants you to chase him down and apologize,” Abby said. “Is he worth it?”
Pia heard the word yes escape her lips in a whisper.
“Don’t make me say it out loud. I’m not going to tell you to go after him and beg his forgiveness. Because you know that’s what you need to do.”
Something strange occurred to Pia. She looked at Abby. “Who are you talking to, you or me?”
Abby looked shocked, then turned to see Bethany standing on the corner, still waiting for her cab.
Abby turned back to her and sighed. “Shite, Sabel, you’re right. But I’m scared. What if I beg and it doesn’t work?”
“We can do this, Stokes,” Pia said. “We’re world class athletes. We don’t give up. We play hard. We win. And we’re desperate.”
Abby smiled. “Betcha I can win mine back before you win yours.”
They both bolted off the steps. In unison they called out to their respective lovers, “Wait!”