by Maddie Wade
Liz could almost taste the despair in the air as he laid it out for them.
“By the time we got there, he’d killed the boy and was cradling his dead body in his arms as if he suddenly realised what he’d become. We never saw Fitz again after that night, and as a team we were put back into normal service for our efforts.” Smithy looked at Nazareli with hate in his eyes. “John Smith was a heartless bastard, yet you expect me to believe he loves Rhea Winslow so much he can’t kill her?”
“No, I don’t, but deep down you know he isn’t the man you just painted him to be. He made huge mistakes, more than we’ll ever know, but he always did it for his country.”
“And now? Is this for his country?”
“No, this is because the alternative is unthinkable. Millions dead and the world under a dictatorship and military rule.”
“What do you want from us?”
Liz saw the relief in Nazareli’s face at his question.
“She plans to add the annihilation drug to an oil pipe. When the oil is used for fuel in cars, the emissions will release the drug as a gas that is undetectable and untraceable. To the world, it would look like a mass virus that was killing indiscriminately, but it would be targeting people with no abilities.”
“Fucking crazy bitch.”
“We need to stop her, but I can’t find which pipeline she’s planning on using, and only Rhea and the scientists know the whereabouts of the lab.”
“I thought you were close to her.” Liz cocked her head in question, and the other woman looked at her.
“I am, but she’s paranoid now, out of control.” Nazareli glared at Smithy. “Your little stunt didn’t help.”
“Hey, don’t blame him for what that mad cow is doing.” Lizzie felt indignant on his behalf, and he turned and offered her a smirk.
“So, you want us to find the pipeline and the lab? What the fuck are you and John doing?”
“I don’t answer to you.” Smithy moved to stand, and Nazareli sighed. “I’m going to work the angle from the inside and try and switch out the control drugs so as many of those soldiers as possible will be free-thinking. Then John will get them out before she realises it’s happened.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier for John just to use the feelings she had for him and kill her?”
“Let me ask you something, Smithy. If I told you Lizzie had done all of these wicked things and then gave you a gun and told you to kill her, would you be able to do it?”
Smithy looked at her, and she saw the feeling in his eyes before he shook his head. “No.”
Lizzie let go of the breath she’d been holding.
“Plus, we need Rhea alive until we know who she’s working with on the oil rig plan. For all we know, we could kill her and find we jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. To get this done properly, we need to do it this way.”
“You got any names of who her possible contacts are?”
“Yes.” She gave him a sheet of paper as she stood, and he tucked it into his pocket.
“Can I ask you something?” Lizzie looked up at Nazareli, not seeing the threat now but seeing a woman hell-bent on stopping the Divine Watchers. “Why are you doing this?”
“Rhea Winslow destroyed my family and killed my mother. John gave me a purpose and the opportunity for revenge, and I’m taking it.” With those words, she walked to the door and slipped away quietly.
The silence was deafening after what they’d just learned and what she’d learned about Ty. Standing, she crossed to the kettle and filled it with water before flicking it on to boil. “Tea?”
Smithy looked up at her, looking a little stunned and lot raw, but her acceptance of things and her lack of questions seemed to rouse him from the fog.
“Tea fixes everything, right?”
“And cake, don’t forget the cake.”
The grin on his face was enough reward for her, a reprieve from the conversations she knew they would have to have at some point.
Chapter 10
The second Nazareli had left, his instinct was to run out the door and avoid the look of disappointment in Lizzie’s eyes now that she knew what he was and some of what he’d become. Yet, the simple way she’d gone to make tea had calmed the fight or flight feeling inside him enough to allow him to keep his ass in the kitchen chair.
He watched her bustle around the room as she added biscuits to a plate, the ever-present limp she had would always give him pause. Not because it took anything from her beauty because nothing on earth could do that, it was the guilt he’d always have for his part in her injury that would forever be ingrained in him.
“I can hear your brain ticking from over here.” Lizzie shot him a quirked smile as she lifted the cups.
He was on his feet and taking them from her, placing them on the table with the fig rolls and custard creams. “I was just thinking about how I’d like to take you to brunch later, spend some time together. What do you think?” He hadn’t been thinking that, but as he said it, he knew it was what he wanted, to just do something normal with her. Not deal with his PTSD or her injury or the past but just be together.
Liz raised an eyebrow, knowing him better than anyone she knew he was lying, but she didn’t call him out for which he was grateful.
“That sounds perfect.”
Smithy released the breath he’d been holding, the relief that she wasn’t pushing him away more profound than he realised.
They drank their tea in silence for a few minutes, but neither touched the biscuits she’d laid out.
“So what happens next with everything we learned this morning?”
She was playing with the handle on her cup, and he noticed the perfectly painted pale pink nails, her delicate hands, how she always looked so put together. He loved that about her, but he also remembered the girl who would wade into the river without a thought for her clothes, or sit on the grass and not care that her butt was getting damp because she had him to keep her warm.
“I’ll call Zack in a few hours and fill them in on what we know. We should probably meet at Fortis later and decide on a way forward.”
Lizzie nodded as she tried to smother a yawn. Smithy reached over and covered her hand with his, admiring the pale perfection of her skin against the tan, roughness of his own. Liz twisted her hand and threaded her fingers through his as she looked him in the eye. “Thank you for not running. I know you wanted to.”
Her words hollowed him out from the inside. Knowing he’d put that hesitancy in her, and that she was thanking him for not running, made him feel like a heel. He wanted to be honest with her, not hide away as he’d been, but he didn’t want to hurt her either.
“I’m not made of glass, Ty. I know this isn’t easy for you, but I want to be here for you.”
He had always thought he was strong mentally, being in the SAS and before that on the Achilles mission had required a certain strength, but he had nothing on this woman. She was like a diamond, so stunningly beautiful and pure but the strongest person he knew.
“I did want to run. I didn’t want to face the questions or the look of distress on your face.”
“What changed your mind?”
He stroked his thumb over her palm and watched the goosebumps pepper her skin. “You did. You treat everything that comes at you with calmness and you don’t judge. You just accept things and keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
“No point crying over what we can’t change.”
“You’re a wise woman.” He changed the subject not ready to open himself more than he already had. “And an exhausted one.”
Her lips tipped up as her eyes twinkled. “I am tired. It’s been a while since I pulled an all-nighter.”
“Why don’t you get some sleep and I’ll lock up and take the couch? I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“Or you could lock up and sleep next to me. I could really do with your arms around me right now.”
Smithy went still, knowing this was Lizzie puttin
g herself out there. The moment seemed to freeze in time, but he stood and pulled her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he felt the press of her tits against his chest as his hands rested above the lush curve of her ass.
“I’d love nothing more than to hold you in my arms.” He wanted to kiss her but wasn’t sure he could hold back if he did and now wasn’t the time to take things to the next step. Lizzie deserved the romance and the time, not the ‘wham bam thank you ma’am’. “I’ll be up in a minute.” He kissed her nose and turned her, giving her a nudge towards the door.
He watched her go, admiring the sway of her hips, remembering the feel of her underneath him as she gasped his name. His cock pulsed at the image in his head, and he willed it away as he moved slowly through her home, making sure everything was secure. He could feel the love in this house, pictures of the siblings, of their extended families, and Dane and Lauren’s wedding.
Mateo and Lizzie smiling into the camera caught his eye, and he picked it up, wondering what his life would’ve been if he’d stayed. If he’d married Lizzie and Mateo had been their son. In that second, he’d never regretted his choices more. He could’ve had all this, but he’d allowed his past to dictate his future and he was determined not to do that ever again.
Walking up the stairs, he saw her bedroom door was open. Reaching her room he saw her under the covers lying on her side. Pausing for a second, he took in the room that had so many elements of the woman in it. The antique armoire the wooden oak bed and wardrobe, the soft, pale pink quilt. It was textures and colours in an elegant mix that was designed to make those who entered the room comfortable.
He shed his jacket and boots, leaving the rest of his clothes on before he crawled on the bed behind her and pulled her back to his front, sliding his bottom arm under her neck. Lizzie snuggled back against him, her ass near his crotch was sweet torture. Draping his top arm over her waist, he kissed her hair and felt the sigh of her body as she relaxed. Moments later she was asleep, but he stayed awake, cherishing the moment he thought he’d never have again.
Holding Liz was like coming home. It was where he was meant to be, but never felt good enough to be. He still didn’t feel worthy, but he was starting to see that it had less to do with him and more to do with the rare gem that she was.
Smithy closed his eyes, thinking he wouldn’t sleep, but when he woke hours later, the sun was coming through the curtains, and neither of them had moved.
Slipping from the bed, he went downstairs and made some coffee before he called Zack and filled him in on what had happened. They agreed to meet at Fortis at two that afternoon to make some plans.
He handed Liz a cup when she walked in the kitchen an hour later wet from the shower, her thick hair in a ponytail that made her look younger than her forty years.
She took the coffee from him with a smile. “You should have woken me.”
“Nah, you needed the sleep. I do need to head to my place and change though before we go for brunch.”
“Fine, I can chuck this in a takeout mug.”
Twenty minutes later, he was rushing through a shower as Lizzie puttered around his space. It was strange to see her here, but he found he liked it. Throwing on jeans and a navy polo shirt, he added a leather jacket, keys and phone, and headed for the living room.
Lizzie grinned when she saw him, making him feel a million bucks. “Ready to go?”
“Yes, where are we going?”
“I thought we could go and get a picnic for two at the Blue Pony.” He held the car door open for her.
“Oh my god, I love that place.”
He smiled as he pulled onto the road. “I know you do.”
Lizzie clapped her hands in excitement, and all his worries seemed to melt into the background.
“Do they still do the little picnic benches?”
Smithy shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Oh, I hope so.”
When they arrived, he was relieved to see they did, and they ordered the brunch bench to share. When it came, Liz took a picture. “I want to show Mateo, he’d love this so much.”
“Maybe when things have settled, we could bring him here.”
Liz went still before her gaze came to his, and he couldn’t read her expression. “I’d like that, Ty. For you and Mateo to get to know each other.”
A knot formed in his chest and he took a sip of the pumpkin spiced coffee to force the lump down. “He seems like a good kid.”
“He’s the best. So kind and caring and so clever.”
He smiled as she told him how Mateo had bought a bracelet for one of Kanan’s daughters. “Wow, brave too.”
“He’s so brave.”
“Like his mum.”
Lizzie blushed. “Thank you.”
“I’d like to get to know him when you feel the time is right.”
“I’d like that, but let’s take it slow. I’m not sure how Marco will feel about it, though.”
Smithy tried not to react to the mention of her ex-husband. The urge to pound the man’s face for ever cheating on her was intense.
Lizzie must have sensed his thought process because she reached across the table and took his hand. “It wasn’t all his fault, Ty. I have some blame to share. I married him knowing my heart belonged to another man, and that was unfair to him.”
“Do you regret marrying him?” He was a dick for asking, but he needed to know.
“It’s useless to have regrets, and if I hadn’t married Marco, I wouldn’t have Mateo, and he’s the best thing in my life. Plus, I’m a big believer in things happening when they’re meant to.”
“Now is our time, Liz.”
“I hope so.”
Chapter 11
It was difficult not to let her heart race away from her with childish excitement and foolish hope, but she tried to maintain some sort of hold on the smile threatening to burst free. Brunch had been a mix of a walk down memory lane and a brief catch up on the superficial points of their lives.
They’d left all heavy stuff where it belonged, in a closed emotional vault. Neither one of them wanting to spoil the perfection of their first date in over a decade. When they’d arrived at Fortis, she’d been surprised and delighted to find Meg and Lucy there with the kids.
Smithy had held her hand as they walked into the building, her heart fluttering with wild energy from just that simple touch. He had said a quick greeting to Meg and Lucy and then kissed her head tenderly before leaving her to go into the conference room.
Her sister’s eyebrows had shot to their hairlines before wide grins had spread across their faces. Lizzie felt herself blush, the strange mix of deep happiness warring with the knowledge that everyone knew how she felt about him and how it had been one-sided.
Lucy sidled up to her, even heavily pregnant her sister didn’t waddle; she had the grace and beauty of a swan. “I think you need to give us a little update!”
Lizzie looked at the door to the closed conference room. “Shouldn’t we be in there helping out with a plan?”
Lucy snaked her arm through hers and guided her towards the pool and gym complex set up at the back. The team often used it on weekends for the kids, and she’d used it many times with Mateo.
“Being in amongst all that testosterone isn’t good for anyone. And any case, we can make plans of our own. We don’t need the men to approve them.”
Lizzie cast an uneasy glance at her beautiful sister. Lucy was everything she wasn’t—graceful, fierce, and lethal. While she knew she’d inherited some of their mother’s stubbornness and her father’s independence, she envied Lucy her ability to be able to know what her husband was thinking. She wondered what it would be like to be in Ty’s head but then dismissed it. She didn’t want anything he wouldn’t give her freely, and that included his thoughts and secrets and especially his love.
“Fine. How about we go take a swim with the kids, and you catch us up on what’s been happening with you and Smithy and your late night visitor?”
Lizzie caught the lethal look of anger on Lucy’s face but also on Meg’s too. Her sisters loved her and would do anything for her, and she felt the same way. Dane had always been, and to some extent would always be, their protector. She knew it was hard for him to relinquish that sometimes, but marrying Lauren had been the making of him and he was slowly learning that his sisters weren’t helpless.
Moving to the locker, she took the costume she kept there from the bag and limped to the changing room. Her pelvis ached today, the sleep she’d managed to catch in Ty’s arms had been blissful and deep but sleeping on her side without the pillow for supporting her upper leg was a mistake she was now paying for.
A laugh bubbled up as she imagined asking Ty if he’d just mind lying on his back so she could throw her leg over him. They’d only had the one tumultuous kiss here yesterday, and since then she’d felt him holding back as if he thought that was what she needed, and to some extent it was. Yet, another part of her wanted him to ravage her as a desirable woman, not a broken doll.
Sliding into the pool, she gasped slightly at the cooler water on her hot skin before she did a few tentative strokes and got used to the temperature. Meg looked like a model in her red bikini that was modest by most standards but on her body looked like sex on a stick.
“How do you look like a goddess after pregnancy and I have stretch marks on my hips?”
Meg blinked and shrugged. “I’d say good genes, but as we share those, I guess I got lucky.” Meg looked at her and tilted her head. “Plus, you got the boobs, so don’t be greedy.”
Liz laughed. “I guess I did.”
“I’d be happy to see my feet without a mirror so quit whining you two.”
Liz splashed Lucy. “But you’re having a beautiful baby girl.”
Lizzie had been delighted to find out the doctor had got Lucy’s dates wrong. After her near miss the previous month, Lauren had made them get a scan, and they’d realised that Lucy hadn’t been four months as they thought but seven months pregnant. The stress of their fertility issues had caused her a delay in symptoms, and a little spotting had been assumed to be her period.