Unending Love: Alex & Katlin: Second Chance Military Romance (Black Swan Book 7)

by KaLyn Cooper

  “His wife didn’t.” Katlin thought she’d said the words quietly enough until the women behind her agreed.

  “Not necessarily,” the woman who’d originally asked the question interjected. “She got rid of the cheating fucker. Who’s to say he’s not fucking someone in his office again, or has a side piece? Once a cheater, always a cheater.”

  “True that.” Said one of the women behind her.

  Katlin needed air.

  She left the small auditorium-style room and walked into the closest quiet atrium. She sucked in a long breath of warm D.C. air and tilted her head back so her face could absorb the heat of the sun. She closed her eyes and just breathed, calming her racing heart. She moved to one of the always-empty benches.

  It had been a lie…and she believed it.

  Ty had sworn that wasn’t him…and it hadn’t been.

  She had divorce papers drawn up based on the lie. True, Ty had cheated on her many times, and that video had shown one more. But it hadn’t been real.

  Who would do such an evil thing to her? She hadn’t completed the sentence in her mind before she knew the answer.

  Jack.

  She needed proof to add to her file. She should also give a copy to General Standish and her Uncle Tom. Although she had a high security clearance within Homeland, Jack would have buried any kind of connection he had between the video and himself.

  She needed Lei Lu. That woman had crawled all through their computer system.

  Katlin quickly pulled out her phone, shielded communications with the encryption software Lei Lu had added to all her team’s devices, and sent a text to Lei Lu. Minutes later, she got a group picture of her team and Black Swan Team Two with the caption: Home in three hours. Shower. Nap. Chilled wine. Pizza. Men. Not necessarily in that order. See you soon.

  The happiness that filled Katlin couldn’t be described. She’d get to see her team after work. She couldn’t remember when she’d seen them last and that bothered her.

  Katlin had texts and pictures all afternoon from her team members. She went straight to her condo on DuPont Circle rather than going to Guardian Security. She needed to see her friends.

  When the team first moved to I D.C., Katlin had bought the large five-bedroom condominium with enough space for everyone. Then Tori bought the unit two doors down and Marcus moved in with her. In between them was Rafe and Harper with baby Skylar and their live-in nanny, Maggie. Although Lei Lu had bought a condo in Crystal City, her parents seem to occupy the place more than she did, so her computer genius friend and teammate could often be found in the room next to Grace. After Nita married Daniel, she’d never stayed in the condo again.

  As the doors opened on the top floor, it was obvious the party was in progress. She was instantly mobbed by her team, individual hugs turned into a huge group huddle.

  Damn. She missed these women…and their men who seemed to be congregating in the kitchen.

  “Katlin, beer? Wine?” Griffin called out as soon as he lifted his head out of the refrigerator. “Shakespeare is tending bar, creating all kinds of interesting concoctions.” The former college football player shook his head. “I’m never going to get used to calling him Henry. He doesn’t look like Henry or act like anyone with that name. As far as I’m concerned, he’s Shakespeare.”

  “Fine by me. You called me Henry, I’m not sure I’d answer,” the surfer-looking dude next to Lei Lu expertly shook the bar shaker.

  “Thanks. My stomach has been a little sensitive lately. I’ll just take a ginger ale.” When several of her friends raised an eyebrow, she added, “I may have some wine later.” That seemed to appease everyone.

  Stepping into the large living room, she was thrilled to see Kayla Scarlatto, the leader of Black Swan Team Two, chatting with Marcus and Tori. Cara Frost, Team Two’s medic, was watching videos on Nita’s phone, most likely of baby Bella. The nurse practitioner had cared for Katlin’s sick niece in Costa Rica while the teams were on a mission in Nicaragua.

  Mia McCormick and Ashlin Cartwright, who Katlin didn’t know much about, chatted with Grace, and Daniel broke away from the group as soon as he saw her.

  After a loving hug, Daniel kept his arm around Katlin. “I don’t want you to panic because there are a lot of people here. I think you know everybody.”

  She beamed back at him and started in the kitchen identifying people by name. “I think I know everybody here.”

  Male voices echoed in the hall as she and Daniel moved toward the door.

  “Alex.” Katlin slipped from her brother’s grasp and flung herself into Alex’s arms. “I thought you left for Miami?”

  Alex crashed his mouth on hers. “I couldn’t leave you at a time like this.” His gaze swept the room. “When I called Griffin to tell him I was headed down, he informed me he was headed to D.C. to meet Grace since the team was returning. He mentioned Team Two would be here, so I brought along some of the off-duty men in case some of them wanted to go clubbing later.” He grinned. “I’m quite sure all of your teammates are headed to a private evening and wouldn’t be interested in showing the younger women Washington’s nightlife.”

  Katlin kissed him again. “You’re right about that.” She then remembered her discovery that day. She’d intended to talk to him about it during their nightly conversation.

  “What’s the matter? Your whole mood changed.” Alex pulled her chin up until their eyes met. “Can you tell me?”

  “You might be the only one who understands.” She grabbed Alex’s hand and dragged him through the crowd into her bedroom. After closing the door, she sat on the edge of her bed. Fighting back tears, she swallowed hard over the lump in her throat.

  “I told you I was working with audiovisual,” she started. When he nodded, she closed her eyes. “The video…the one Homeland gave me warning me that Ty’s affair could affect my security clearance…” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears. “It was a lie. The AV department created that video.” A tear escaped down her cheek. “Ty swore it wasn’t him, and I didn’t believe him. My last words to him…I was screaming at him. I called him a cheating liar.” She huffed in a breath and tried to sniff back more tears. “I was divorcing him based on a lie.”

  Alex pulled her to his chest and the tears flowed. She couldn’t stop them.

  “I was a terrible wife to Ty.”

  Alex grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from him. “You were no such thing. You were a better wife to him than he was a husband to you. Okay, so he might not have cheated that time, but we both know he was a serial cheater. You cannot blame yourself for his actions.”

  “But I…I yelled at him. Those were my last words to him.” She drew in a ragged breath. “Then he died.”

  Alex cuddled her to him. “Babe. Whether the two of you had argued or not, Ty would still be gone. You had nothing to do with his death. His SEAL team was ambushed. It was as though the terrorists knew they were coming. Shit like that happened all the time over there. It’s been done and over with for a long time. There’s nothing we can do to change it.”

  Nothing we can do. The words finally sank in. Oh, there certainly was something that she could do. She could find out who ordered that fake video to be created.

  Standing, Katlin wiped the tears off her cheeks, then strode into the bathroom and spent the next several minutes with cool washcloths on her face and eyes.

  “I know that determined look.” Alex stared at her in the mirror. He wrapped his arms around her just below her breasts. “What you thinking?”

  Squeezing the water out of the washcloth, she hung it to dry. “I’m going to ask Lee Lu if she would research the video files and find out who requested that it would be made and shown to me. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be Jack. It’s just one more piece of proof.”

  He turned her to look at him. “Do that. But not tonight. We’ve had weeks together, alone. They left while you were still unconscious. Give them at least twenty-four hours with their men,
especially Lei Lu. Her relationship with Henry is so new.”

  Katlin dropped her head to Alex’s chest. “I am so fucking self-centered. I hadn’t even thought about them.” She lifted her head and kissed him. “This is one of the reasons I love you.”

  Alex just stared at her. One heartbeat. Two. Five. Ten.

  He blinked.

  “I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear those words again.” He cupped her face in his hands. “They said you might not remember me…but you did.” He gave her a quick kiss. “They said you might not remember our past.” He kissed her again and her response was automatic, kissing him back.

  Alex’s eyes were bright in the low light of the bedroom as he blinked several times. “I didn’t know if you would still love me, the way I love you. I love you so much, Katlin Callahan.”

  Their kiss was sweet and tender. They both kept it that way. There was no need for heat. This was not a prelude to sex. It was an affirmation of love.

  Katlin broke the kiss and touched her forehead to his. “I love you, Alex, and I will forever.”

  “I’ve waited months to hear you say that again.” They lifted their heads in unison until their lips met. “My love for you has no end.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Say it again.”

  “I love you, Alex.” As she kissed him again, the party seemed to roar outside the door.

  “Everyone wanted to see you tonight before they went their separate ways.” He kissed her one more time. “You need to socialize, but I’m going to keep an eye on you. I don’t think you got your nap.” He handed her a glass of ginger ale. “Stomach still upset?”

  Katlin shrugged. “It comes and goes.”

  He took her hand and led her to the couch, seating her right beside him.

  “Nita, Daniel,” Katlin yelled loud enough to be heard above the crowd. When her brother and sister-in-law came over and sat on the huge ottoman in front of them, Katlin leaned up and gave Nita the biggest, longest hug. “I can’t thank you enough for checking my medical file that night. If he’d…”

  “We didn’t let that happen.” Daniel’s voice was stern. “And Aunt Ava made sure that the secretary himself guaranteed your safety now that you’re back at work. Jack hasn’t bothered you, has he?”

  Katlin shook her head. “No. Wasn’t even there for my first week. He was on bereavement leave and dealing with his parents’ murder.”

  “Are you talking about John and Suzanne Ashworth?” Henry and Lei Lu turned her attention to Katlin.

  “Yes, Jack Ashworth is our boss,” Katlin explained.

  “My parents and grandfather flew down from New York for the funeral.” Henry grimaced. “Grandpa Hank said it was practically a Who’s Who on the New York City Social Register. It was nice to see them for a few hours. I can only handle Mother and Father in small doses. Suzanne was a few years older, but she and Mother attended Vassar at the same time. My father said more than half of their classmates showed up. I guess there was a great deal of speculation as to which designer’s dress she was buried in since it was a closed casket. I’m just thankful Mother met her friends for drinks and supper. Father ran into several men he knew from work, so he ended up at some private club. Grandpa Hank and I had a great supper together before they took their jet back to New York.” He glanced at Lei Lu. “By the way, Grandpa Hank wants us to take him skydiving for his next birthday.”

  Lei Lu shrugged. “We can do that.”

  “I read about that murder.” Piper Knight shuddered. “They were both shot through the heart in their bedrooms, and yes, that was plural. The article I read said they’d had separate bedrooms since their son was born. I couldn’t go fifty years without sex.”

  Ashlin Cartwright laughed so hard she almost spilled her drink. “You couldn’t go fifty days without sex.”

  “Not true.” Piper protested. “We’ve been gone longer than fifty days.”

  “Okay, I amend my statement.” Ashlin set her glass down. “You couldn’t go fifty days without sex if there were available men.”

  “I’m available if you need help proving that she’s right.” One of the Guardian men that Alex brought offered.

  “Do you think the funeral was the reason that our transfer to Homeland Security has been delayed?” Kayla Scarlatto seemed to have changed the subject on purpose given the glance she gave her teammates.

  “When did that happen?” Tori leaned forward from her seat on the couch.

  “Just in the last week, I guess.” Kayla gave an exaggerated shrug. “I asked Major General Burkhoff when she was out visiting us if we should start looking for a place to live in D.C. She told me I should hold off on shopping for real estate, that our orders may change.”

  “So, does that mean that we’re going to continue to stay at the BOQ at Quantico?” Mia McCormick asked.

  “That’s the plan for right now.” Kayla stood. “So, it looks like we’re going to be relatively close, just not working for the same boss.” She hesitated before asking, “Is Jack Ashworth planning on quitting? He is a billionaire now.”

  Katlin scoffed. “He was born a billionaire and never had to work to begin with. Jack works because he chooses to. I can see that changing, unfortunately. There’s probably something else in play. Perhaps the State Department has decided they want their own all-female special operations group.”

  “Or the CIA,” Ashlin offered.

  Everyone in the room looked at Katlin. “Uncle Tom hasn’t said anything to me about it and I’m sure he would.”

  “Who is Uncle Tom?” Mia asked.

  Katlin glanced at her brother. ”Our uncle is Tom Gillpatrick, the Deputy Director of the CIA.”

  “It must be nice having a powerful family,” Kira noted.

  “It’s come in handy a few times,” Katlin admitted, then yawned.

  “That’s my cue to get my fiancée into bed.” Alex stood, pulling Katlin up with him. “She still requires a lot of sleep and she has to go to work in the morning. I’m quite sure everyone else gets a day off.”

  “Thank God,” Piper said as she started picking up empty glasses. The other women from Team Two joined her.

  “I distinctly heard somebody mention earlier about cruising some of the clubs tonight.” Piper looked at the Guardian men Alex had brought. “Is that invitation still open?”

  “Most definitely.” “Absolutely.” “You bet.” Affirmatives filled the air.

  “The limo should be here in a few minutes.” Alex’s voice carried. “You need a designated driver and I want somebody to be able to get the women back to Quantico.”

  “Yes, sir.” “Thank you, Alex.”

  Katlin knew they would have a great time and be safe.

  “I’m taking the day off to spend with my wife.” Daniel pulled Nita into his arms and gave her a kiss before they headed to the door.

  “I’m not going in tomorrow, either,” Marcus said as he towed Tori across the room to follow them out.

  “Have I shown you my suite in this condo?” Lei Lu stood and held out her hand for Henry.

  “Does this mean I don’t have to drive all the way back to Crystal City?” Henry smiled.

  “That’s exactly what that means.” Lei Lu’s smile was inviting and more than a little salacious.

  “Hey, Lei Lu, can I ask a big favor of you?” Katlin moved to her friend and quickly explained what she needed.

  “If that fucking bastard ordered that video to be made, I’ll find out.” Lei Lu looked up at Henry. “Tomorrow. Probably in the afternoon.”

  Katlin looked around the now-clean apartment. “Thank God I work with wonderful women.”

  “Want to stay here tonight?” Alex offered.

  “Yes, if you don’t mind. I missed my afternoon nap and now I’m exhausted.” Katlin turned out the lights after Alex checked the locks on the door.

  As they settled under the sheets, Katlin apologized, “I’m sorry, Alex. Can you just hold me tonight?”

  “Sure,” he said as he snuggled in behind her. “
I love you, but that doesn’t mean I need to make love to you every night.”

  She rolled over to face him. “And that’s another thing I love about you.” She kissed him before she set it again. “I love you, and I always will.”

  Katlin fell asleep surrounded by love, but her last thought was dreading going to work the next day back in that fucking black box.

  25

  Thank God Alex knew her well…and loved her. By the time she’d stepped out of the shower, there was a cup of coffee waiting next to the bathroom sink.

  “You look tired, babe.” Alex stood behind her, capturing her eyes in the mirror as she applied makeup. He kissed her neck next to the mandatory tight bun of hair. “I thought you went back to sleep after the nightmare.”

  She smiled at him as she smoothed in her foundation. Unsure if she was pale because she’d thrown up that morning or if she’d spent so much time inside lately that she’d lost any coloration. “I did, but my stomach was upset again this morning. I’m worried that perhaps I went back to work too soon.”

  “Isn’t your next appointment with Dr. Tobias at the end of the week?”

  “Yeah. I’ll talk to him about it then.” She sucked in a deep breath and applied a little more blush. “Are you sure you have time to drop me off this morning?”

  “Babe. I’m the boss. For you, I make time.” He kissed her neck once again. “How about we run up to the Smith Mountain Lake house for the weekend? The whole team and significant others. You’ve been away from them too long and you need some girl time. I feel like cooking on the grill, waterskiing, cruising around the lake looking at the stars.”

  “Alex, that’s a wonderful idea.” She finished the last of her makeup, turning to him with hope. “Would you mind setting that up? I hate making personal calls from work because I know I’m being watched every minute and my calls aren’t private.”

  He smiled and gave her a peck on the lips. “Sure. Now, I’m starving and Griffin is cooking breakfast. Let’s go.”