by Kaylea Cross
Huh. “Okay.”
Amber walked in with her laptop open, and shut the door. “All right, the highlights on Chloe Wilson. Your real name was Elizabeth Marie Connors.”
It was? How in hell had she forgotten her own damn name? The cadre had done a good job of wiping her memories clean.
“And you were born in Nebraska.”
“Nebraska…” A sudden barrage of images flashed through her mind. Fields of tall, green cornstalks, and others of golden wheat shimmering in the summer sunshine. Of passing by acres of them in the front passenger seat next to her mom, windows down and the wind blowing in their hair as they sang to something on the radio.
She hadn’t remembered the memory until just now. It made her smile even as a sharp pain pierced her.
“Your birthday’s July twenty-eighth,” Amber continued. “Your parents never married. Your mom got pregnant in junior year of high school. That same fall your father left town to go on a college football scholarship and never came back.”
Her dad had been a football star? “She never talked about him, even when I asked,” Chloe murmured, fascinated and a little sad. “All she ever said was that she’d loved him and hadn’t wanted to hold him back.” It made so much sense now. Her mom had set him free and taken on all the responsibility of being a single parent to keep her.
It put a lump in Chloe’s throat. Her mom had struggled so much to take care of her on her own, keep enough money coming in to feed and clothe her and keep a roof over their heads. She’d deserved so much better than dying a slow, painful death from cancer.
Amber continued scanning the file for a moment, then looked up with a smirk. “Says here you showed a remarkable penchant for disobedience and destruction when you were first put into the program.”
Megan chuckled. “Yup. You’re looking at the class rebel right there.”
Amber kept reading. “That’s it, really. Specialized in explosives and demolitions, tested for ADHD and found to be on the spectrum…”
“I remember when they diagnosed me,” Chloe said. “I was relieved that there was a reason why I couldn’t sit still or focus for long when I was younger.”
“It explains a lot,” Megan remarked.
“You must have figured out how to manage it, or they wouldn’t have graduated you,” Kiyomi pointed out.
“Oh, it’s still there,” Megan said with a twinkle in her eyes. “She wouldn’t be Twitch without it.”
Amber closed the laptop. “So yeah. That’s you.”
“Thanks for telling me,” Chloe said. “And I gotta say, it’s so cool to be here with you guys. To be part of this. It’s been…hard to be so isolated for so long.”
The others nodded, expressions suddenly serious, a little sad. “I know,” Amber said. “But you’re not alone anymore.”
“That’s right, because we’re family,” Megan added, looping one arm around her sister’s shoulders and the other around Kiyomi. “Skeletons and all.”
It was more than Chloe had ever imagined having. Enough to make her throat tighten. “Cool. But we’re gonna need a code name to call ourselves.”
The others all stared at her. “What?” Megan asked.
Chloe waved a hand, frowning. “You know, a moniker. Something awesome.” Valkyries was obviously no good, though she was damn proud of having earned the title. And her mark, now ruined. Bastards.
“Uh, okay…” Amber looked at Megan and Kiyomi. “Any ideas?”
“Renegades,” Megan suggested.
“It’s been done to death,” Kiyomi said. “Needs to be something more original.”
“How about the Dysfunctionals,” Amber said, her voice dry.
“That fits,” Megan agreed, “but it also sucks.”
Amber scowled and pushed her sister’s arm off her. “Hey, it’s a million times better than Renegades.”
“Bitchilantes,” Chloe blurted with a flash of triumph.
Three pairs of eyes fastened on her in silence.
“The Bitchilantes,” she repeated with a nod, glancing around at them eagerly. Oh, come on, it was perfect. “Vigilantes, but bitches.”
Megan busted out a laugh and shook her head as the others grinned. “Well, it fits. And it has a definite ring to it.”
Hell yeah, it did. “Yeah? Are you all cool with it?”
“Sure. Bitchilantes it is,” Amber agreed as Kiyomi nodded.
A brisk knock on the door made Chloe sigh even as a smile spread across her face. “That’ll be Dr. Killjoy, coming to crash the party.” She was looking forward to it. And to being alone with him as soon as possible. She had things she needed to say to him in private.
The door opened to reveal Heath, and her pulse skipped. “Hate to end this deep and no doubt meaningful discussion early, but the patient needs to sleep.”
“Told ya,” Chloe said.
“We’ll let you rest up, then we can visit more later on if you’re feeling up to it.” Megan led the others out of the room and shut the door.
Chloe didn’t plan on leaving this room until morning. She wanted to maximize all her remaining time with Heath. Alone.
She took the opportunity to admire the view as he crossed to the bed, trying to memorize everything about him and block the stab of pain in her chest that his imminent departure caused. “Got your flights figured out?”
“Yeah.” He slid under the covers and laid on his side facing her, propped his head on his hand and curved his free one around her waist. “Rycroft’s going to fly me to Frankfurt in the private jet, then I’ll hop a flight to Damascus.”
“What time do you leave?”
“Oh-four-hundred.”
Her heart sank. Their time together was coming to an end way too soon, each second slipping away far too fast. She wrestled with her thoughts, the chaotic tumble of emotions. They hadn’t known each other long. Would she look stupid and desperate if she told him she wanted to keep this going? If she told him… “Heath—”
“I don’t wanna go.” He slid his hand up her side to cup her cheek, his eyes intense. “I want to stay right here with you, but I have to finish my contract and be there for my guys.”
She leaned into his touch, relief and gratitude swelling inside her. “I understand. And you wouldn’t be my sexy Boy Scout if you dodged your responsibilities. But I… You really mean a lot to me.” It was hard for her to say, made her feel horribly vulnerable and exposed.
“You mean a lot to me too.” Heath searched her eyes. “Enough that I want a firm commitment from you before I leave.”
A burst of hope popped in her chest. She was all ears. “What kind of commitment?”
“I’m falling so hard for you. I want to be in on the rest of this mission you’re undertaking. Since I can’t do that yet, I want to know that you’ll wait until I can.”
The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating, but she was falling hard too. “You’re asking me to wait for you?”
“Yes. And in the meantime, we’ll talk as much as we can.” His fingers curved around her nape. “I don’t want to lose you, firecracker.”
Her heart swooned and rolled over. That was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. Having an incredible man like Heath want a future with her was unreal. “I don’t want to lose you either.”
He smiled, taking her breath away. “You won’t.” He touched his forehead to hers. “Now say you’ll wait for me.”
She didn’t even have to think about it, just nodded. “I’ll wait.” He owned her heart already.
Then his mouth was on hers, a slow, tender vow.
Tears pricked her eyes. She willed them away, focusing on him. “I would so do you right now if I wasn’t concussed,” she complained.
His eyes lit with silent laughter. “Or have gunshot wounds and blast injuries?”
“Or those.” The timing sucked.
“Hey, I wanted to give you something to remember me by while I’m gone. Something you can look at to remind you that I’m comin
g back for you.” He half-rolled away from her, drew something out of a pocket and turned back to her.
Chloe blinked at the knife. A custom KA-BAR with two little green feet on the blade, along with the motto That Others May Live. She took it from him, unable to help the goofy smile on her face.
“I’ve carried it with me since my first tour,” he told her. “You can think of me whenever you throw it.”
The sweet, ridiculous gesture made her laugh softly, even as her heart squeezed hard enough to make her eyes sting. She couldn’t believe she’d found him, only to be parted from him so soon. She was going to miss him so much. Three months? It was going to feel like a damn decade. “You sure know the way to a girl’s heart, Barrett,” she said, setting the knife aside.
“Yeah, well, I was fresh out of Symtex,” he said dryly.
“My romantic Boy Scout.” She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, sealing their pledge. “I’ll wait for you.” As long as it took. “And when you’re done, you know where to find me. Because you’re mine.”
“I am.” He kissed her again, whispered against her lips. “And I’d find you again no matter where you were.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Damascus
Nine weeks later
Where the hell was she?
Heath frowned in frustration as he checked his phone one last time on the way to the shower. He’d just come back from yet another bodyguard stint that had taken him to three of the most dangerous cities in Syria. Once he’d arrived back here at the compound, he’d finally been able to check his messages—only to find he didn’t have any.
It had taken him all of four days to decide he hated it over here and never wanted to come back. This would be his last contracting job. He missed his family and was homesick, but not for Connecticut. Because his home was wherever Chloe was. Being apart from her for so long had made this stint way harder than any he’d done.
He’d called and texted Chloe half a dozen times over the past few days, but he hadn’t heard anything back. He’d even resorted to reaching out to Ty, to see if his buddy or Megan knew where she was. The answer hadn’t been comforting.
The team had gotten a potential lead on Eden last Monday night, and Chloe had flown to Russia with Trinity to follow up on it. That had been four days ago. No one had heard anything from them since, and it was making him crazy.
What if something had happened to her? What if she was in trouble? What if she hadn’t gone looking for a Valkyrie at all, but something even more dangerous, like one of the people suspected of hunting them from within the Valkyrie Program?
It had been more than two months since he’d last seen her at Laidlaw Hall. It felt like a year. They’d spent the holidays and Christmas apart. They’d sent each other gifts, and one of his had been wrapped with a card bearing the warning: Do Not Open ‘Til Christmas. I Mean It.
The entire crew had been back at Laidlaw Hall for Christmas, including the three Valkyries currently based in the States, who’d flown in to spend the holiday with their new sisters and significant others gathered at their base. They’d included Heath in their Christmas dinner via video chat, and he’d finally been able to open his gift from Chloe. It included a whole bunch of junk food, including energy drinks, a taco kit, and a paper Christmas cracker.
The cracker had given him pause.
Is it safe for me to pull this thing apart? he’d asked Chloe, only half-joking.
Everyone had laughed, and he’d been relieved when nothing had exploded when he’d opened it and dutifully put the paper crown on his head while he ate his lukewarm meatloaf and instant mashed potatoes while the others enjoyed their home-cooked British turkey dinner around the huge antique table in the formal dining room. They’d even had Yorkshire puddings without him, damn them.
Up until this past week he and Chloe had talked pretty much every day on the phone or via video chat. God, he missed her. Missing her was a physical ache in the center of his chest that never went away. He was dying to hear from her, couldn’t wait until this contract was up in another month so he could go be with her.
He loved her. She was it for him. He wanted to finish this damn job and start a new chapter with her, make a life together going forward. Be with her through whatever crazy shit she got herself into.
That made this radio silence from her even tougher. Trouble didn’t find Chloe, she went looking for it with a single-minded determination that put him in a cold sweat whenever he thought about it. He should be with her right now, making sure he was there to guard her while she was off doing…whatever it was she was doing.
He hadn’t seen her coming. She’d blown his world apart, turned everything upside down, and it wouldn’t be right again until they were together.
One of his fellow security contractors called out to him from down the hall of their barracks. “Barrett. Package arrived for you. I put it on your bunk.”
“Thanks, man.” He ran the towel over his damp hair and turned right down the corridor that would take him to his room. At least at this facility the chow was decent, and everyone got their own room.
Deep in thought about Chloe, he typed out another text to her as he entered his room.
Haven’t been able to reach you in a few days. I’m back at base now. Just let me know you’re okay.
He almost put Love you at the end, then held off. He hadn’t told her yet, but only because he didn’t want to scare her off. When he told her, he wanted it to be face-to-face, not in a text.
He damn near jumped a foot when something whizzed past his head and hit the back of the door with a loud thud.
A knife. His knife.
He gaped like an idiot at the hilt of his custom KA-BAR sticking out of the wood for a split second before snapping his head around to look across the room and—
His heart seized, then did a slow roll and swelled to twice its normal size, threatening to split his ribs. Jesus.
Chloe reclined on her back on his bed, all healed up, wearing cargo pants, a tight T-shirt, and a shit-eating grin. “Hey, handsome.”
The floor seemed to tilt under his feet. He smiled so wide his face hurt. “Oh my God.” He pounced on her, her happy giggle warming his insides as he flattened her beneath his weight on the bed and dragged her into a full-body hug.
Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he breathed her familiar scent in then exhaled, all but shuddering in relief, his heart about to explode. She was here. She was really here. “God, what are you doing here?” he rasped out.
“Thought I’d surprise you.” Her embrace was fierce, her lips next to his ear. “Are you surprised?” The husky edge to her voice wrapped around him like a caress.
“Yes.” He couldn’t move. Couldn’t bear to let her go, even for a moment.
“Our lead in Russia disappeared in the Crimea. We lost the scent and couldn’t turn up anything else to go on, so I decided screw it, and flew here this morning. Why, were you worried about me?”
“I always worry about you. You make me insane. I missed you so damn much.” He levered up on his forearms to stare down at her, hardly able to believe he wasn’t dreaming as he drank her in. He shook his head, overcome by the gut punch of emotion. “I’d almost forgotten how beautiful you are.”
Her cheeks flushed but her eyes sparkled. “You trying to seduce me, Barrett?”
“Not yet. But I’m about to.”
She grinned. “You sure you’re okay with this? I’m told me being in here is against the regulations.”
“I’m so okay with it,” he said, and brought his mouth down on hers. He couldn’t get enough of her. Had gone way too long without being able to hold her, touch her.
He got her naked, peeled off his shirt so she could touch him and got busy reacquainting himself with her delectable body. Her scent. Which spots made her shiver when he kissed them, which ones the stroke of his tongue would make her moan. He worked her up until she was squirming restlessly, then slid down a
nd pushed her thighs apart.
“Heath.”
“Stay still,” he ordered, gripping her hips as he stared at the luscious flesh between her thighs. He kissed her. Savored her with soft flutters and caresses of his tongue until she was panting and gripping his hair, straining against his mouth.
Her hand flashed out and stopped in front of his face, a condom she must have brought with her in her palm. “Hurry.”
He ditched his pants and underwear, sheathed himself, then draped her legs over his shoulders. Holding her gaze, he set his thumb against the swollen bud of her clit as he moved into position and eased forward.
They both groaned as her heat clenched around him. Heath shuddered, grabbed a fistful of her hair and kissed her as he began to thrust, rubbing her inside and out until she came apart around him with the sweetest cry. He swallowed it eagerly, framed her face between his hands and drove deeper, faster. Pleasure detonated inside him, wringing him out and leaving him helpless in her arms.
Easing her legs down alongside his body, he gazed down into her face, unable to hold the words back a moment longer. “I love you. I love you so damn much.” It was such a relief to say it. Holding it inside these past months had been tough.
Joy and surprise lit her eyes. “I love you too.” Her cheeks turned pink at the admission, as if she was shy about saying it. “You made it impossible not to.”
He grinned, at peace and fulfilled in a way he’d never imagined was possible. “How long do I have you?”
Her gaze turned speculative. “How long do you want me?”
“I was thinking forever.”
A slow, satisfied smile that made his heart hammer. This woman was his, and his alone. “I’ve got a reputation for danger. Think you could handle me for that long?”
“Yeah, firecracker, I think I could.”
She reached up to stroke her fingertips down the side of his face, her expression adoring. “I think you could too.”
Catching him off guard, she hooked a leg around his and flipped them over, putting her on top and reminding him that he would never know what to expect from her. But he wasn’t complaining. Her naked, luscious body was on top of him, and she’d just agreed to be his.