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I curvethe warmth between my palms "How did you survive the explosion?" I ask quietly, holding his gaze
His htly "I very nearly didn’t When they saw that they were losing, one of those suicidal motherfuckers set off a bomb Two of my men and I happened to be near the ladder to the base at the lastone of the men ith me Luckily for me, the other one--Lucas--survived and re both of us into the drainpipe, and there was enough fresh air co in from the outside that we didn’t die of smoke inhalation"
I draw in a shaky breath The drainpipeThat was the only place I hadn’t looked that horrific day when I spent hours co I had been so dazed and shellshocked, it hadn’t even occurred to ot us both to a hospital, I was in pretty bad shape," Julian continues, looking at me "I had a cracked skull and several broken bones The doctors putin ain consciousness until a feeeks ago" Lifting his hand, he touches his short hair, and I realize the reason for his new haircut They must’ve shaved his head in the hospital
My hand trembles as I lift my cup to take a sip He had almost died after all--not that it ivable "Why didn’t you contact me at that point? Why didn’t you let me know you were alive?" How could he let er than necessary?
He tilts his head to the side "And then what?" he asks, his voice dangerously silky "What would you have done, my pet? Rushed to my side to be with me in Thailand? Or would you have told your pals at the FBI where I could be found, so they could get me while I eak and helpless?"
I inhale sharply "I wouldn’t have told them--"
"No?" He shoots me a sardonic look "You think I don’t know that you talked to them? That they now have ht you were dead!" I juer suddenly surfaces Furious, I grip the edge of the table and glare at hih I should have--"
He rises to his feet, unfolding his tall, race "Yes, you probably should have," he agrees softly, his gaze darkening as we stare at each other across the table "You should’ve turned me in at that clinic in the Philippines and run as far and fast as you can, ue over my dry lips "Would that have helped?"
"No I would’ve found you anywhere"
My stomach twists with excite I can see it on his face He would’ve come for me, and no one could’ve stopped hi at him incredulously "Why was there no record of you in any of the govern-time arms dealer, why hasn’t the FBI heard about you before?"
He looks at ly blue in his darkly tanned face "Because I have a wide network of connections, Nora," he says quietly "And because, as part of my interactions with my clients, I occasionally coovernment finds valuable--information that relates to the safety and security of the American public"
My jaw drops "You’re a spy?"
"No" He laughs "Not in the traditional sense of the word I’e favors I help your government, and in return, they hest-level officials in the CIA know that I exist at all" He pauses, then adds softly, "Or at least, that was the case before the FBI got their hands on you, my pet Now it’s a bit more complicated, and I’ll have to call in quite a few of those favors to get this infor The overnht now
He s my confusion "Don’t over-think it,with amusement "Just because I help prevent an occasional terrorist attack doesn’taway, I walk over to the s to coround
The first snow of the season--it , but suddenly he’s behind ainst his body I can smell the clean male scent of his skin, and some of the residual tension drains out of o fro me back to the island?"
He’s silent for a moment "No," he says finally "I can’t Not without Beth there" There is a tight note in his voice, and I realize that he’sher too, that he feels her loss just as acutely
I turn around in his e lad those motherfuckers are dead" The words colad you killed them all"