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.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Gabriel
His eyes met hers. He was vaguely aware that the night had gone eerily still. The breeze had stopped blowing. Insects and animals had stopped chirping and chattering.
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“If you say yes, your life as you know it will cease to exist. You are required to sever any ties you have and basically disappear.”
“You mean fake my death?”
She shook her head. “No. Deaths, even fake ones, leave footprints.”
“But going off-grid doesn’t,” he said, catching on. “No answers one way or the other if someone comes looking.”
“Exactly.”
“What about assets?”
“We have people who handle all that. They quietly tidy up your affairs and erase anything that can lead back to you. If you choose to sign on, you will be well compensated for anything you leave behind.”
He nodded, encouraging her to continue.
“As for you, you will be taken to a private facility to undergo several weeks of physical and psychological testing. If you pass, then you will endure months of intensive training.”
“That’s all if I say yes. What if I say no?”
She took a breath and met his eyes. Her expression gave nothing away. Her eyes, so frustratingly unreadable. “Then nothing changes for you.”
Despite the seriousness of the conversation, the corner of his mouth quirked. “Nothing, huh? I know about you now.”
“What do you know?” Virginia crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. Even that was sexy when she did it. “I haven’t told you anything you hadn’t already figured out for yourself. If I walk away right now, you’re exactly where you were this morning.”
She was right, he realized. She’d confirmed some of his suspicions, but she hadn’t provided any solid details he could use. He knew with certainty that if he allowed her to walk away, he’d never be able to find her and would never see or hear from her again. That was unacceptable.
“You could just stay with me.”
“I think you know that’s not possible. If we tried, we would both truly cease to exist.”
Her eyes flicked briefly toward the ridge, and he understood what she wasn’t saying. For the first time, he was beginning to realize exactly how much she’d risked—was risking—for him.
“Would I be able to be with you?” he asked finally.
“It’s possible,” she said slowly. “But Gabe, you must understand, this is not something you want to say yes to unless you’re sure. There’s no room for doubt here.”
She was here, which meant that she was sure. Gabe didn’t know what he was signing up for, but he did know if that was where she was, he wanted to be there, too.
“Okay.”
She blinked. “Okay? Just like that?”
He nodded. “I’m in. On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t go anywhere without Fred. We’re a package deal.”
“I think that can be arranged,” said an unfamiliar male voice. They both looked to the left, where a man was crouched down, scratching Fred behind the ears. He stood in a smooth, silent move, golden brown eyes glowing, and offered Gabe his hand.
“Glad to have you aboard, Commander. I’m Taser.” The man looked back at Virginia. “See, Tenebris? I’m never wrong.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Gabriel
Once Gabe signed on the dotted line in ink that looked suspiciously like blood, Taser, the head of the Chameleons, gave them the rest of the week to themselves, calling it a signing bonus. He was determined to make the most of every moment, and Virginia was right there with him. Whether it was making creative use of every available surface, making meals, or sitting quietly on the porch and watching the sun set, they did it together.
Virginia was everything he’d ever wanted and so much more. Intelligent. Strong. Passionate. Courageous. Kind. Generous. His perfect match in every way.
He wanted to be hers, too.
He wasn’t particularly good with words, so he’d done his best to express himself in other ways. Each time she looked into his eyes, he knew she understood.
The sunrise was still hours away, but Gabe didn’t want to waste any more time on sleep than necessary. He held her in his arms, enjoying the warmth and softness of her fragrant skin. They were spooned together. His cock was nestled snugly in that glorious little gap where ass met leg and thigh met crotch. He pulled his hips back, loving the way he fit there just right. Not moving wasn’t an option; she just felt too damn good to remain still for long. He kept his movements slight and gentle as he pressed his lips to her shoulder. She’d been a very generous lover. He wouldn’t push. Wouldn’t be greedy. He knew from his failed marriages that not all women liked early morning sex.
As it turned out, Virginia was nothing like his ex-wives. And thank God for that.
She shifted and pushed back, accepting him deep inside her, his passage eased by their earlier sexcapades. His hand gripped her hip, holding on as they moved together, a perfect dance of push and pull until they were both skimming along the waves of ecstasy.
He didn’t have the recovery time he once did, but that was okay. The “after” was pretty good, too. Lying in bed, enjoying the feel of her body against his, basking in the happiness and contentment that came with finding his croie was just as gratifying. He got that now.
She turned over so they were face to face. Gabe pulled the covers up to her shoulders, trapping their heat and keeping them warm in their post-climax lassitude. A gentle smile played about her lips as her fingers petted his chest. “You’re a fool, Gabriel Michaels. You have a good life. Why give that up?”
“If you don’t know the answer, then I’ve clearly been slacking.”
Her eyes softened and glistened with moisture. “You haven’t been slacking. I’m just having trouble letting myself believe it.”
Yeah. He knew just what she meant. He was having trouble letting himself believe it, too. He’d finally gotten it right. The third time really was the charm.
Next week, they’d part ways, and he’d begin the long and grueling analysis and training process. He wasn’t too worried about that. Being a SEAL for as long as he had meant he’d been through his fair share of intense testing and training. It wasn’t going to be easy, especially not at his age, but if it meant he got to be with Virginia, he’d crush it.
“So, why the name Tenebris?”
“It’s Latin for darkness. After Darius took everything from me, that’s all I was.”
He stroked her arm, the need to comfort and protect strong within him. “Will you tell me?”
“We don’t usually
talk about the things that brought us into Taser’s sights. Once we join, it’s a rebirth of sorts. A chance to make some good out of bad. But, since you and I shared a common enemy and I already know your darkness, I suppose it’s only fair.”
That was the second time she’d mentioned prior knowledge of his underlying motivation. He wasn’t surprised she knew about what happened in Mali, especially now that he understood a little more about the Chameleons. He wondered if she’d known all along, or if it was something she’d researched after the fact, then realized it didn’t matter. This woman had risked everything for him, not once, but three times. There was nothing more important to him than that.
He kissed her forehead and coaxed her upper leg over his hip. He liked her close. Liked feeling her body on his as much as possible. Fred took advantage of the lull in activity and extra bed space and jumped up atop the covers, circled several times, then plopped down against Virginia’s back. Between the two of them, they had Virginia right where they wanted her.
“My aunt was a writer. She would spend months in exotic locations, plotting out her next book. The summer after I graduated high school, I begged her to take me with her to Greece. I’d never even seen a beach before, except in pictures or on television. Eventually, she agreed.
“I met someone there. He was tall and dark and handsome; I was young and naïve. When he smiled at me, I felt it all the way down to my toes. He was smart and funny and I was convinced he was my happily ever after, like something out of a real-life fairy tale. He bought us a nice house. Gave me nice things. We weren’t rich, but we had more than enough. Within a year, we had twin boys, and they became the center of my universe.
“I was happy, but homesick, too. I told Alek I wanted to move back to the US. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but I persisted. That’s when things began to change. Alek was gone more and more, and when he was home, he seemed preoccupied. He told me not to worry, that he was picking up extra work so he could make my dream a reality.
“I was so excited. I didn’t ask how he was earning the extra money. I ignored the warning signs and kept my blinders firmly fastened, because we were young and in love and I believed that everything would be okay. I was so very wrong.
“Alek worked for Darius Kristikos, you see, running boats and making deliveries in and around the islands. I knew Darius was an important man, but I didn’t know why until it was too late.”
“Alek made good money, but it wasn’t enough to pick up and move to the US, so he’d started supplementing his income by offering Darius’s clients a little extra on the side. Finally, he’d saved up enough and he was going to tell Darius he was done.”
She paused, taking a moment to breathe. “I was packing when they came. Two men from Darius’s estate. They said Darius wanted to meet the family of the man who had served him so well before we left. It felt wrong, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“We didn’t know then that Darius knew Alek had been using his connections to earn money on the side. Darius required absolute loyalty from those who worked for him, and saw Alek’s actions as a betrayal. It was never about the money. They took us to one of Darius’s yachts, and . . .”
Her eyes closed as if shutting out the memories. When she spoke again, her voice wavered and was reduced to a whisper. “It was awful. When we arrived at the yacht, Alek was strung up, beaten and bloody. The boys were screaming and crying. They made Alek watch while they killed our sons and did awful things to me. Then they slit his throat and threw us all over the side.”
Gabe pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry.”
When she pulled back enough to look at him, her eyes were glistening, her cheeks wet. “They never expected me to survive, but I did. That was their mistake. Taser found me shortly after that, consumed with rage and grief and hate, vowing to kill Darius Kristikos if it was the last thing I did. When he told me he could make that happen, I didn’t hesitate. He took me in. Trained me. Taught me how to transform all that rage and hate into something useful.”
“What about your family?”
“My aunt wrote me off early on. She didn’t approve of Alek and left Greece without a backward glance. My mother, well, I’m not sure she ever gave me a second thought. After my father died, she lost interest in just about everything, including parenting.”
“It was sad, but for the best. I was fully focused on bringing Darius down. I devoted my life to learning everything I could about him and everyone he came in contact with. That’s how I found out about Robert. Robert’s mother was one of Darius’s many mistresses. She, apparently, had the good sense to get away from him and never told Darius about his illegitimate son. I set my sights on him. He was going to be my ticket to getting close enough to Darius to destroy him. I wasn’t exactly sure how, but then we had the accident. Rosa’s deathbed confession lit the path and paved the way.”
“Taser’s doing?” he guessed.
“The accident? No, I don’t think so. I think it was just one of those things. Robert was a cheating, lying jerk, but killing him wasn’t part of the original plan. Now getting his mother to confess her sins to a priest? That was definitely Taser.” She smiled. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d posed as the priest himself. And as for Christos, well, you know that part of the story.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“You’re welcome. Now you are the only other person who knows the truth, besides Taser, that is.”
“I’m honored, Tenebris.”
She smiled. “When it’s just the two of us, let’s be Gabe and Virginia, okay?”
“Okay.”
Her brow furrowed as she petted his chest with gentle strokes. “But that does raise an important issue.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re going to need a code name.”
“Already have one.”
“Saint?”
“Not Saint. The Saint. Completely different.”
She laughed.
“Hey, it was Taser’s idea.”
“And we both know Taser’s never wrong.”
Epilogue
Nine Months Later
After that idyllic week with Virginia, things moved quickly. Gabe had been whisked away to undergo weeks of physical and psychological testing, followed by months of intense training, just as Virginia had told him. It wasn’t unlike BUD/s, really, but he wasn’t the nineteen-year-old kid he’d been when he’d done that.
There were times he hadn’t been sure he’d survive. Sometimes the only thing that had kept him going was knowing that Virginia was waiting for him. She’d been the light at the end of his tunnel of hell.
He double-checked the coordinates Taser had given him, then proceeded to trudge up the steep slope, in better shape than he’d been in years, mentally and physically. A warm, golden light shone through the large, angled windows, competing for dominance with the silvery beams from the full moon.
The isolated A-frame cabin sat at the top, beckoning him forth with the promise of food and much-needed rest, but it was the woman inside he’d come for.
He found her in a large, bubbling hot tub, eyes closed, head back. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. The powerful jets made it impossible to see below the surface, but he knew she was naked. And she wasn’t alone.
Fred, who had his own perch on the opposite side of the tub, jumped out, shook vigorously, then nearly fell over himself with excitement as he came over to greet him.
Virginia smiled, her eyes opening. She didn’t seem surprised to see him. Knowing what he did now, he wasn’t surprised she wasn’t surprised.
“Hey, there, handsome.”
His heart, and his groin, swelled. “Hey, there, yourself, beautiful. Got room in there for one more?”
Her smile was pure sin and wicked promise. “Absolutely.”
Gabe stripped down, enjoying the feel of her eyes on him. She looked at his chest, raked her gaze down his abs, then stalle
d and licked her lips when she saw his body’s physical reaction to seeing her again.
She wanted him, too. It was in the hungry intensity of her gaze. But she didn’t move, waiting for him to come to her. His woman, he knew, had the patience of a saint, but she also always got what she wanted.
He was totally okay with that, especially since what she wanted was him.
He slipped into the water, nearly groaning in ecstasy as the heat seeped into his aching bones and joints. Virginia wasted no time in moving over to his side and straddling his lap. Her lips came down on his, every bit as desperate for him as he was for her.
She lifted up and took him inside her body. Only then did she sigh and rest heavily against him. “I missed you.”
Saying he missed her was a woefully inadequate way to express what he felt. Nine months was a hell of a long time to be apart. What if she’d changed her mind? Thankfully, that didn’t appear to be the case, and the words came out anyway. “I missed you, too.”
“You were worried I wouldn’t be here, weren’t you?”
“Who, me? Never.”
She laughed and nipped his chin. “Liar.”
Maybe the thought had crossed his mind.
“I’m not going anywhere, Gabe,” she assured him softly. “I feel like I’ve been given a second chance, and the fact that you’d go through all that just to be with me, well, let’s just say I’m not going to give that up.”
“I didn’t do it just for you. You make it sound as if you’re the only one benefitting here.”
“Oh?” She lifted her head enough to look into his eyes, offering him a challenging grin. “Who else is benefitting?”
“Fred.”
Her lips quirked. “Fred, huh?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Not you?”
“Did I forget to say me?” Gabe gripped her hips and began slow, measured thrusts upward.
“Yes, you did.”
“Oh, well, me. Definitely me. In fact, I think I’m the big winner here.”
SEAL Out of Water (Silver SEALs, #7) Page 20