Running Strong

by Christy Reece

  Chapter Thirty-five

  LCR Headquarters Underground Bunker

  The sound of dice hitting the board and the resulting laughter made Raphael smile. He hadn’t heard Giselle laugh like that in forever.

  “I can’t believe you rolled another double, Micah.”

  His dark eyes crinkling like his father’s, his smile all Samara’s, Micah McCall moved the silver boot eight spaces on the board. “I passed Go, I get two hundred dollars.”

  Almost the spitting image of her mother, Evie McCall sent her brother a triumphant smile. “And you landed on my property and now owe me two hundred buckaroos.”

  Watching Giselle play Monopoly with Micah, Evie, and Paulo, Eden and Jordan’s teenage son, was a surreal moment in time. While someone was in the process of blowing up a cabin, believing they were killing him and Giselle—again—they were inside the underground barracks of LCR, safe and far from harm.

  When Noah had explained the setup and how he and Giselle would have to appear to die, he’d had one major concern. If the heartless Fletchers told Giovanni his mother was dead, it could cause irreparable harm. After talking with Olivia, he felt reassured that they wouldn’t tell him, at least not for a while. Before then, Giovanni would be back with his mother.

  What happened after that would be up to law enforcement. He had an idea or two that he planned to suggest to Giselle, but those would have to wait. His focus right now was to get their son back safely.

  “So how’s married life treating you?”

  He took the ice-cold beer Jordan Montgomery handed him with a nod of thanks. Dropping into a chair beside Raphael, Jordan took a long swallow from his own bottle and eyed him curiously.

  Raphael had known Jordan almost as long as he’d known Noah. Though Jordan and Eden ran the Paris LCR office, he saw them frequently. They were family. Raphael could be closemouthed with other people, but telling Jordan what was on his mind came naturally.

  He kept his voice low. “Not sure you can call this a marriage.”

  “Why? Because it was rushed? Impromptu? Unexpected? Just because you and Giselle haven’t seen each other in some years doesn’t mean you stopped loving each other. That’s all that counts, you know.”

  If only it were that easy. “We still have issues between us. Things that are hard to overcome or dismiss.”

  “True.” Jordan nodded slowly, took another long swallow of his beer. “But you have something more important than that.”

  “You mean Giovanni?”

  “Yes, he’s important, but he’s not what I’m thinking of. You love each other.”

  Did Giselle love him? Had she ever loved him? The sting of that coldly worded letter from long ago reverberated through him.

  Aware that Jordan was waiting for an answer, Raphael shrugged. “Love may not be enough.”

  “Really? I’m here to tell you that it is.”

  “There’s a lot to forgive—on both sides.”

  Jordan went quiet for a moment, his eyes tracking to his wife, who sat on the sofa talking with Samara. “Did you know that I’ve known Eden since she was a little girl?”

  “No. I guess I thought you two met through LCR.”

  A rough laugh escaped Jordan. “Well, in a way we did.”

  Since LCR had been around for fewer than fifteen years, the math didn’t work. “What do you mean?”

  A grim smile flattened his mouth. “Let me tell you a story about how two extremely stubborn people can screw up about as badly as they possibly can, but still find their way to love.”

  As he listened to Jordan’s telling of his painful beginning with Eden, Raphael began to see his and Giselle’s relationship in a different light. Though their story was completely different, what hindered and kept them apart for years was the pain of betrayal.

  “I think back on those days and how far we’ve come.” Jordan sighed, turned back to Raphael. “When I found out the truth, I was furious and so full of stupid pride, I never looked at what she might have gone through, her reasons for what she did.” He snorted his disgust. “She was the one who owed me an apology, right?”

  His gaze went back to his wife, his expression one of incredible tenderness. “She forgave me. Still blows my mind that she did. The lies she told were never done to hurt me, but to protect herself.”

  Standing, he took Raphael’s empty bottle and his own. “Find out why she did what she did before you decide you can’t forgive her. I think you might be surprised.”

  With that last piece of advice, Jordan walked away.

  Her mind only half on the game, Giselle kept Raphael in her peripheral vision. When they had arrived for the meeting, she hadn’t known that this was where they would be staying until everything was over. Who knew there was an underground bunker beneath the large, modern office building?

  Though they shared the same bed, she and Raphael had not really talked since their wedding night. The next morning things had been awkward. She had woken in his arms, warm and cozy, incredibly hopeful. That hope had eroded the moment Raphael had opened his eyes. The shield he’d let down the night before was back up in full force. And so far, it hadn’t shifted.

  Other than the coolness from Raphael, everyone else treated her as family. And not one of them had given any indication that they thought her and Raphael’s marriage was anything but the real thing. Well, no one but her own husband.

  She wished she could say or do something that would make him understand the decisions she had made. Yes, she had made mistakes, but her reasons, at least to her, had been sound.

  “Hey, how are you doing?”

  She glanced up at Samara, who, she was relieved to see, looked both healthy and lovely. It was hard to believe that barely two weeks ago she had been kidnapped and held hostage. To know that the man Giselle had once called her father was responsible was humiliating.

  “I’m doing fine.” She gazed around at the people in the room. “I’m just so grateful for everyone’s help.”

  “Not only is this what we do, but you and Raphael are part of our family. You get preferential treatment.”

  Unexpected tears filled her eyes. She had tried so hard to be strong and not let the powerful emotions overwhelm her, but Samara’s words and warm compassion were more than she could handle.

  “Hey.” Her brow wrinkling with concern, she took Giselle by the hand. “Come with me.”

  Her eyes blurred, she vaguely pointed toward the game board. “I can’t leave.”

  Eden stooped down beside her. “I’ve got this,” she whispered. “Go talk to Samara.”

  Before anyone could say anything, Eden announced to the small group of players, “I’m taking Giselle’s place, and I won’t be nearly as nice.”

  Giselle heard groans from the others, including Paulo, who said, “She’s not kidding. Mom is ruthless when it comes to Monopoly.”

  Leaving behind the laughter, Giselle made it out of the room and managed to wait until the door closed behind her and Samara before she burst into tears.

  Samara wrapped her arms around Giselle and just let her cry. She had been there and knew that getting all the pent-up emotions out would help more than anything. Sometimes nothing cleansed the spirit quite like a good cry.

  She whispered comforting words, similar to what she would say to one of her children. Hurt had no age limit and could often make the strongest person as vulnerable as a child.

  Finally, after several gulps of air, Giselle pulled away from her arms. “I’m so sorry. I never cry like that.”

  “Then I would say you’re definitely overdue.” Taking her hand, she led Giselle to a love seat and then snagged a box of tissues from a side table. As Giselle wiped her face and blew her nose, Samara grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the mini-fridge. Sitting down beside the still hiccupping young woman, she spoke softly, “Now, tell me what’s going on.”

  Giselle laughed hoarsely. “You know everything there is to know. Giovanni—”

  “Yes, and I
know you miss him terribly. I cannot imagine being separated from either of my children, but we will get him back. I promise you.”

  “I know…I just…”

  “It’s Raphael, isn’t it?”

  “He’s never going to forgive me. Not that I can blame him.”

  “Have you talked with Raphael about why you left?”

  “He knows. It just doesn’t matter to him.”

  “Then you keep talking until he really listens. Look, I’ve been in love with a stubborn man for several years. Sometimes you have to get in his face and make him listen.”

  “And tell him what? I deliberately kept him from his son. What else is there to say?”

  “The truth, Giselle. I know we don’t know each other that well, but I recognize love when I see it. You’re in love with him, and I’m pretty damn sure it didn’t happen in the last few days. You’ve been in love with him for years. There’s the surface truth, and then there’s the God’s honest truth. Tell him the real truth. And if he still won’t listen, you just keep at him until he accepts it.”

  “But—”

  “There is no ‘but’ about it. You love Raphael. You share a son with him, one you both love. And whether he’s ready to admit it or not, Raphael loves you, too. You’re already a family. You just have a few more pieces to connect before you make a complete one.”

  The instant Raphael saw Giselle walk out of the room with Samara’s arm around her waist, he had wanted to follow. She was obviously upset, and he hadn’t done a damn thing to try to make her feel better.

  He went to his feet, took a step toward the door she had disappeared behind, and then came to a halt when a hand grabbed his arm. “Let her be for now. She needs someone to talk with who’s not going to give her attitude.”

  Stunned, he turned to Noah. “You think that’s what I’ve been doing? Giving her attitude?”

  “I think you’re hurt, and when people get hurt, they lash out.”

  The indignation withered like dead grass. What was the point in arguing? Noah was right. All his anger and self-righteous fury were getting him nowhere and making both him and Giselle miserable.

  “Besides,” Noah continued, “we need to talk. First part of the plan went off without a hitch.”

  His heartbeat quickened. “They took the bait?”

  “Took it…swallowed it whole. Bastards used an RPG.”

  “They didn’t check for bodies?”

  “No. With that kind of firepower, they needed to get the hell out of there. The media will report two unidentified bodies were found. They’ll be satisfied they were you and Giselle.”

  “Thorne and Fox are okay?”

  “Yeah. Went out through the trapdoor just like we planned. They stayed to watch.”

  Raphael nodded. He knew they not only stayed to make sure the op worked, but also to make sure no innocents were harmed or other property was damaged.

  “It’s a good beginning.”

  “Next steps will be the hardest on you and Giselle. Waiting is always the hardest.”

  Yeah, he wasn’t looking forward to it. Hiding was not in his DNA, but in this, he had no choice. For the mission to work, the Fletchers needed to believe that he and Giselle were dead. So they would stay here until it was time to move to the next phase.

  Noah glanced around the rec room. “Not the most romantic of honeymoon spots.”

  “We’re not exactly the typical honeymooning couple.”

  “You can always have a honeymoon when this is over.”

  He glanced over at the closed door that Giselle and Samara had walked through. “Not sure that’s going to be necessary.”

  “I’ve given you all the advice I’m going to give you about that. You’re a grown man and make your own choices and mistakes.”

  Yes, he knew what Noah thought. And considering the looks the rest of the team had given him, he knew what they thought, too. He just wasn’t there yet. Didn’t know if he ever would be.

  The door opened, and Giselle walked out. Her eyes were gleaming bright, and she looked as though she’d been crying. Tired of the long looks and glares from everyone and needing some privacy, he went to her.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  Since she looked as though she could burst into tears at any moment, he knew the words were automatic. Taking her hand, he said, “Come with me.”

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Resisting was futile. Not only did Giselle not want to make a scene by refusing, but she also felt buoyed by her talk with Samara. The other woman was right. She did need to make Raphael listen to her. Whether anything she said would change his mind was up in the air. However, the only way over it was to go through it. What was on the other side would be up to Raphael.

  They walked together into the bedroom they’d stayed in since coming here. It was a small, lovely suite decorated in various shades of blues and browns. The ambience both soothed and uplifted. They had slept in the king-size bed last night, separate but together. Neither of them had slept well—not like they had on their wedding night.

  “We need to talk.” She said it fast and first. She wanted to get this finished.

  “Yes, we do, but first there’s news.”

  “From Sabrina and Aidan? Are they all right?”

  “They’re fine.”

  “Did it happen the way Noah described it?”

  “Yeah. Almost verbatim. They had some heavy artillery. No one was hurt. The fire didn’t spread.”

  “And the reports will only be that two bodies were in the house. There will be no mention of names?”

  His gaze softened. “No. It will be reported as unidentified remains. If your mother happens to hear the news, there’s no way she would connect the story to you.”

  “Good…good. That’s good. So what’s next? The Fletchers’ party?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wanted to talk to you about that. I think I should go, too.”

  “No way in hell, Giselle. If either of them were to see you, they—”

  She held up her hand to stop his protests. “Listen before you say that. Okay?”

  Though his jaw went rigid, he remained silent. She took that as a win and drew in a breath. Presenting her case would require reason and logic; emotions would not help.

  “Gio’s going to be terrified if he doesn’t know the person coming for him. He will fight. I know our son, Raphael. He’ll scream and yell, no matter what he’s told. There’s no way he can be taken out quietly unless I’m there, too. Besides that, I know the mansion quite well. We can slip out without anyone being alerted.”

  “You can’t just sneak in. Security will be tight.”

  “I’ll come in like everyone else. I can go as one of the catering staff.”

  “If you get caught, they’ll kill you.”

  “They won’t catch me. They think I’m dead, so they won’t be looking for me. Besides, if your makeup artist can make your LCR people look like my family, they can make me unidentifiable.”

  She saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes and drove home her point. “He’ll be terrified with a stranger. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do, however you tell me to play it, but when we find Giovanni, he needs to see his mama. You know I’m right.”

  Blowing out a ragged breath, he relented enough to say, “I’ll talk to McCall. Get his take.”

  Before she could thank him, he held up his hand. “No promises. We’ll take a look and then go from there.”

  Relief flooded through her. Even though he wasn’t sold on the idea, she believed if they could make it work, they would. She trusted him to keep his word. She trusted him.

  Squaring her shoulders, she took on the granite-jaw stubbornness Raphael seemed to have perfected and said, “There’s something else we need to talk about.”

  “All right.”

  Samara had told her to get in his face, make him listen, but there was something else she needed to do first. “I want to ask for your forgive
ness. I know I hurt you when I left. The way I left…the things I said. I believed I was doing the right thing at the time. I played it the way I was told.”

  A lump of emotion threatened her voice, but she cleared her throat, determined not to mess this up again. “The US Marshals’ office laid it all out for us. Reddington would not let this go. Revenge against Mama was all he had left. They said that Mama would be his primary target, but that he’d use us to get to her. None of us would be safe. Including you.

  “They told us we would have to move multiple times, likely in the middle of the night, often without warning. We wouldn’t be able to settle anywhere for a while, if ever. We could have no contact with our past lives.”

  “I know all of this, Giselle. I know it would have been tough, but—”

  “But nothing, Raphael. Do you remember all the dreams you had…all the things you wanted to achieve? Almost from the moment you told me about LCR, you couldn’t stop talking about your plans to be an operative. You had every aspect of your life mapped out. Do you think I wanted to take that away from you? If you had gone with us, none of that would have been possible. Think about the people you’ve rescued, the lives you’ve saved. I left you because I loved you and for no other reason.”

  “I would have given those things up for you. We could have created new dreams. New adventures. We—”

  “That’s exactly it, Raphael. Can’t you understand that? I didn’t want you to give up your dreams. Before I met you, I never really had any dreams of my own. My life was what it was. I didn’t think I’d ever have anything different. You gave me hope…you showed me your dreams. Once I realized what wonderful things they were, how could I take yours away from you?”

  “That wasn’t your choice to make, Giselle.”

  She huffed out an exasperated breath. “Yes, it was, Raphael. I’m incredibly sorry I hurt you, but if I had to do it again, I would do the same thing. I know leaving you like that was painful, but having you be with me, not fulfilling your dreams, would have been excruciating.