by Betina Krahn
“The transport has to make some stops, but you two will stay on that plane until you reach Virginia, where the lieutenant colonel and the deputy director will escort you to Langley.”
“Okay,” Jackson said unbelievingly. He had a ride home, and Mar would be safe. It was too much. This wasn’t the way his life usually went.
“Listen,” Chi said, “it’s going to be tough on Mar, to watch you walk away in handcuffs. I’m arranging it so that she is taken off the plane first when it reaches Virginia. Then I’ve hired a private jet to bring her back here. She cares about you, and you better make this as easy as possible for her. Do you understand me?”
He couldn’t help but smile. He liked that her friends were so protective. “Loud and clear. For the record, there’s nothing I want more than for her to be happy.”
“I have a feeling it’s going to be a while before that happens. It kills me that she’s fallen for a guy she may never see again.”
Jackson gazed into Mariska’s beautiful green eyes. “I’m going to do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“As long as we understand each other.”
“We do.”
“Good.”
He could have been offended by Chi’s words, but he understood exactly what she meant. Letting go of Mariska would be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he’d make it as easy on her as possible, and he’d fight to be back in her life if he was ever able to clean up the mess he was in.
“I still can’t believe you did all this in a few hours. I’ve been trying to get home for two months, and I’m a trained operative.”
Chi laughed. “You should see what I can do when I haven’t just run six miles on the treadmill. Be safe, and take care of our girl.”
He hung up.
“It can’t be that easy.” Jackson stared at the phone. “I mean. I had a conversation with the deputy director. That doesn’t happen. Do you understand what I’m talking about?”
Mar gave him the sweetest smile.
“I told you I know people. Well, technically in your case, I know people who know people. I can’t promise that it’ll be daisies, but at least you’ll have a chance to plead your case, or whatever it is you guys do.”
She really was his angel. He didn’t know how or why they met in that bar, but he would be forever grateful.
“And for the record, Jackson,” she said. “I would do anything for you. Hurry up and get this mess straightened out. I can’t wait to introduce you to Mississippi mud pie, peach cobbler and my personal favorite, cherry chocolate cake, with a creamy center.”
Jackson pulled her into his lap and hugged her.
“Baby, I have no idea what the future holds, but you’re all the dessert I’ll ever need.” He didn’t know if he would ever see her again, but he would remember the sight, smell and touch of her for whatever life he had left.
21
Two months later
MAR SAT AT HER DESK at the SIA and wondered if there would ever be a day when she didn’t think of Jackson. It had been two months since he’d kissed her on the military transport and then she’d been forced to walk away from him.
Her stomach still fluttered when she thought about that kiss and his last words to her. “You’re my reason for living. No matter what happens I’ll never stop thinking about you.” The way he’d said the words had seemed so ominous and final. As if he believed he would never see her again.
She’d refused to believe it. Each morning she opened her eyes and prayed it would be the day Jackson walked back into her life. But so much time had passed she wondered if it would ever happen. If he wasn’t able to prove his innocence he could be spending the rest of his life in prison.
Mar’s heart was heavy with anxiety.
She and Chi had tried to get information about what happened to him once he walked off the plane, but it was classified, and the deputy director wasn’t talking. He told Chi it was an ongoing investigation, and there would be no discussing it with her.
Mar had thrown herself into her work. While she had put in long hours before her time in Thailand, now she only went home to sleep a few hours and change clothes. The cases kept her mind busy so she couldn’t think of those steamy nights on the beach with the man of her dreams.
The man she loved. She could kick herself. If only she’d told him before they parted. Even if they never saw each other again, at least he would know he was loved.
But she decided this morning that she had to put the past behind her. Jackson may not have felt the same way about her. Oh, he cared, she knew that, but there was no telling what they’d done to him. If he survived he might not even want to remember her.
If by some miracle he had been able to clear his name then there was a good chance he was working somewhere else in the world. If she were Jackson, she’d want a fresh start.
She deserved that, too. To get her mind on happier things, she’d planned to take the weekend off and do a little self-nurturing. Shopping, lying on the couch watching marathons of Doctor Who. Whatever her tired, sad heart desired.
“Hey, chica, we’re heading down to the Tapas Bar for some drinks and eats,” Katie interrupted Mar’s thoughts. “Chi says you’re going whether you want to or not. It’s two-for-one margaritas and wine night.”
Mar waved a hand over her desk. “It’s Friday and I have to get these files cleaned up so I can take off this weekend.”
Katie’s hands went to her hips. She might only be five foot two and a hundred pounds, but Katie was a woman to be reckoned with. She’d survived three years as an NYPD detective, so she was a lot tougher than she appeared. “We’ll have none of that.” She wagged a finger. “Mar, you know those files will be here on Monday. You need to relax and have a few drinks with your friends who love you. Chi and I will drag you by force, or you can come on your own. Oh, and Makala is back in town, so the whole gang is going to be there.”
It had been a long time since she’d gone out with her friends. They’d all given her a wide berth while she dealt with her emotions surrounding the situation with Jackson. Still, she had a ton of work. “I don’t know.”
“You’re the boss. You know how important it is to be friendly with the employees and inspire goodwill. And, um, buy the first round.”
Mar laughed. The cases could wait, and she really could use a drink. Listening to her friends talking about their lives might be the perfect thing to pull her out of her own head.
Stepping around her desk, Mar smiled. She was lucky to have such wonderful people around her. They deserved some fun, and so did she. Besides, she could clean up her desk later.
“DID YOU HEAR THAT Katie made out with that cute DEA Agent Cruz?” Patience wagged her eyebrows.
The eight main players from the office sat around a large round table at the Tapas Bar. As they sipped wine, they tasted a variety of delicacies from dolma to Mar’s personal favorite, feta stuffed olives.
Thankfully, there weren’t any desserts. Sweets reminded her of Jackson and she was determined not to think about him tonight.
Mar tried to pay attention to the banter between her friends. They’d been so great when she’d gathered them all in the conference room her first day back in the office. After everything that had happened with Jackson, Mar could no longer live with the lies in her life.
Chi, Katie and Makala had been there for support when she told the rest of the group the truth that while she was her mother’s daughter, she was far from the top investigator everyone expected her to be.
The big surprise surprised no one. They’d gone along with the ruse because they could see how hard she was trying to make it work. The funny thing was, they actually valued the contributions she did make. Patience, their forensic anthropologist, was the one who spoke up first and said Mar had saved her tons of research time, so that she could spend more hours in the field. After that, they all chimed in.
The meeting had ended with Mar in happy tears. Terribly unprofessional, but her fri
ends didn’t seem to care. Since meeting Jackson, tears seemed to come more easily to her.
“We were on a job,” Katie ground out between gritted teeth, defending her kiss with Cruz. “In a club, dancing. Trying to fit in. Hello, I’m the chick who found the creep who had our hostage, remember?”
Mar patted her arm. “Yes, you are the big hero.” She blew her a kiss. “But I am curious, was he any good?”
They all chuckled at that.
The wine had helped her relax. She’d been so tied up in knots for so long. It felt good to get out among the living again.
Chi seemed unusually quiet. She kept checking her phone. Mar leaned over and nudged her shoulder. “You doing okay? You seem kind of tired tonight.”
The other woman smiled. “I’m still jet-lagged from London yesterday. I must be getting old because those forty-eight-hour turnarounds used to be a breeze for me.”
“Yeah, that’s what I think of when I look at that amazing olive skin and perfect bod—she’s old,” she joked with her.
They both laughed.
Chi put an arm around Mar’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you eating again. I’ve been worried we might have to do some kind of anorexia intervention.”
Mar blew air out her lips. “As if.” Stop it. That’s the past. I decided today that I’m moving on.
“I guess maybe I haven’t been on my regular routine, but I’ve suddenly decided I’m hungry, so bring on the grub.” She stuffed a dolma in her mouth to prove her point, and winked at her friend.
“Huh. Well, it’s good to see you have your appetite. You’re going to need all of your strength,” Chi said under her breath.
Mar swallowed so fast she almost choked. “Why? Did you hear something?”
Chi gave her a mysterious look. “No. I told you it could be six months to who knows when. Wasn’t talking about that.” That was something they’d agreed not to discuss after Mar had told her friend everything over two bottles of wine and a cryfest to end all cryfests. “I was talking about work. You’ve helped bring in so much business the past couple of months. You need to keep your strength up. That’s all.”
Mar sighed again. “Oh. I thought. Never mind.”
She straightened and pushed thoughts of Jackson away. “I think I may eat my weight in olives tonight.” Mar reached for an olive and stuffed it in her mouth. And tried not to think about how creative Jackson could be with the dishes before her.
22
JACKSON WATCHED FROM the doorway of Mar’s office. A foot of case files stacked on her desk, she was intently studying each one. She hadn’t noticed him yet. He’d really have to work on that. Almost ten o’clock on a Friday night and she was hard at it. He’d have to do something about that, too.
The office reflected her personality. Classy but comfortable, with dark woods and light cream walls. She had her hair tied up in a clip and she looked every bit as gorgeous as he remembered.
When she scrunched her shoulders to her ears, Jackson couldn’t help but laugh.
The noise made her jump and she almost fell out of her chair.
“You know, there’s a great place in Bangkok where you can get a massage.” Jackson grinned as she ran across the room, bumping her knee on a table as she did. Then she flung herself at him.
“Oh, my God. I didn’t think you were ever going to get out of that place,” she screamed happily.
Jackson squeezed her tight to him, taking in that luscious flowery smell that was Mar. “Me, either,” he whispered before capturing her lips in his.
He reluctantly lifted his head so he could see her face again. No, she was really there and she was holding on to him for dear life. It wasn’t a dream. He’d thought about this moment so many times, but nothing came close to the real thing.
Squeezing her tight again, he told her, “I’m here now. Sorry it took so long.”
She pushed away, giving him the once-over. “You look good. I was afraid they’d beat you or something. I bet you need to eat, did they feed you?”
Jackson laughed again and picked her up in his arms. Swinging her around. “I missed you.” This time he assailed her mouth, savoring every inch of it.
When he lifted his head, she let out a happy sigh. “I missed you, too. Come and sit down. I know from Chi that you can’t tell me what happened, but at least tell me you don’t have to go back.”
Jackson pulled her onto his lap. “Do you really want to discuss all that now?”
She nodded. “I need to know, whatever you can tell.”
“Well, ninety-nine percent of it is classified, but I can tell you this. I was set up, by someone I thought was a friend.” Dawson in London had compromised Jackson with Vlad in hopes of making his own arms deal. It was Dawson who wrote the burn notice and dumped Jackson in Thailand.
The truth was, Jackson had never been burned. When he’d contacted Dawson, who was his handler, the notice had been confirmed. Dawson had told him to jump the grid and to stay off it. He’d help when he could. Jackson had been an idiot and believed him.
What he’d learned over the past two months was Dawson had faked evidence indicating Jackson was a part of some sleeper cell in Eastern Europe. He’d been branded a traitor by the United States government, and that was why the execution order had been sent out on him. It had taken Jackson over a month to explain the details of what had really happened. Once they knew the truth, the Company was able to piece together information that proved it was Dawson who had been part of the sleeper cell.
“My saving grace was that someone else—” his friend Pete who had e-mailed him about the trap “—was on to what was happening. He and his handler were the ones who convinced Langley that it was all one big mess.”
Jackson had gone through almost a month of questioning about why he didn’t follow protocol. The only things that had helped him make it through were that he had the truth on his side, and that eventually he’d find Mar waiting for him. At least he’d hoped she would wait. He refused to let himself think otherwise.
He hadn’t been allowed to work the operation that took Dawson down, but he’d watched from headquarters. His former handler was no longer a threat. Jackson’s only regret was that he wished he could have been the one to bring him in. The man had nearly ruined his life, and he’d put the woman Jackson had come to love in danger. That was his most unforgivable sin.
Still, the irony that he might have never met Mariska if he hadn’t been in trouble wasn’t lost on him.
“So do you still work for them?” Her voice was soft with worry.
“No. Once everything was cleared up, I retired. But don’t worry. I’ll start my job search on Monday.” He had benefits, and he’d socked away almost all of his salary from the last eight years. He could well and truly retire if he wanted, but he knew he needed more.
She pursed her lips together. “Good. I can’t even imagine how I’d feel every time you’d have to go off on some crazy mission. I looked up that tattoo on your neck, I know the skull and the number have to do with how many times you’ve been shot and lived. I’d really rather that number not go any higher.”
Jackson couldn’t agree more. “Don’t worry. I’ll get a job protecting poodles or something inane like that. No more spy stuff.”
She snorted. “Poodles? Forget that. You don’t need to search for work. You can join the SIA. Oh, my God. You’d be perfect,” she said in a rush of excitement, “and it’s about time we had a man on staff. We could use some testosterone around here.”
Jackson enjoyed her enthusiasm and her willingness to help. “That’s sweet of you, but I’m not big on handouts.” No, he’d find a job in security. He wasn’t really worried, and he’d try to find something here in Texas, though he’d probably make more money in New York or London.
“There’s nothing sweet about it. You know about the staff here. My mom set it up so we have the best investigators in the business. We do a lot of international work. Hell, your gift for languages alone could save us a l
ot of time. Yesterday I was trying to deal with a man who only spoke Portuguese, and I really could have used your help. How many languages do you speak, exactly?”
Jackson had to stop and think. “In all I probably have a working knowledge of about thirty, but I’m fluent in about fifteen.”
“See, there you have it.”
Jackson squeezed her to him. “You are so beautiful.”
“Stop it.” She swatted at him. “I want you to take this seriously. At least tell me you’ll consider it, and that you’ll come in and talk to the rest of my gang? They’re all dying to meet you.”
“I’ll consider it, but the reason I’m here isn’t for a job. I want to take you out on a proper date, dinner, maybe a movie? You’ll have to pick the film, I’m not sure what’s in the theater these days.” He’d been so busy trying to clear his name that he hadn’t paid much attention to the rest of the world the last few months.
“Hmm. A proper date, where you take me to the porch and kiss me good-night?”
“Exactly.” They’d started their relationship in a very heated way, and Jackson planned to take some time to court her. He’d go the old-fashioned route for once. It was the first time in his life he’d even allowed himself to think about a long-term relationship and he wanted to do it right.
Mar really had become his sole reason for living the past few months, and he was going to do whatever he could to convince her to spend the rest of her life with him.
Mar pursed her lips. “Uh, I don’t think so.”
Her answer caught him by surprise. Then it dawned on him, she probably had other plans. What an idiot he’d been. It was Friday night. The idea that she might have a date with another man hit him hard, leaving him feeling like he’d been punched in the gut.
She grabbed his face between her hands. “Stop, whatever it is you’re thinking. I can see those wheels turning in your head. Of course I want to go on a date with you.”