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“But you are now, aren’t you? Because of me?” Her eyes softened as she studied me, her hand stilling on Dallas.
“The last person in the world you need to worry about is me,” I said gruffly, emotion tight in my chest and moving into my throat.
I lost her eyes to her lap, but only for a second before those beautiful blues returned to my face. “And if I do anyway?”
30
CARTER
Inside the priest’s office, I dug into my bag Easton had dropped off and hurriedly changed.
Unaccustomed to wearing anything around my neck, I was about to remove the chain, but Easton poked his head into the office stopping me.
“You sure you want to do that?” he asked, brows lifting. “A priest gave it to you. You might combust or turn to ashes if you take it off.”
“I’m already going to hell, what difference does it make?” My words were as heavy as the cross around my neck, but I let it go, feeling it fall back in place with far too much finality. “You send the files over?”
Griffin joined us and set down a bag at his side—food for the road from the looks of it. Unfortunately, no coffee in sight. “Yeah. Is there anything you want to tell us before you head in for that call with POTUS and get on the road?”
I went ahead and filled them in on the conversation I’d had with Diana about the EMP weapon and a possible attack. When I finished with the bullet points, Griffin continued eyeing me as if I were keeping secrets.
Pinning me with a knowing glare, he grunted out, “Is that all?”
I sighed, not in the mood. I wasn’t sure what shit he wanted to get into, but I knew this wasn’t the time for one of his lectures. Or for me to spill my guts like only he had a way of getting me to do. I’d need scotch for that anyway. “Any change in Alyona’s movements?” I asked instead, because well, priorities.
“Nothing yet, but Germany’s a short flight away. Also, Teddy and the others are on their way here. Since we’re not interrogating the two guys in the trunk right now,” Easton began, gesturing toward the door, “we should probably hit the road so we can get it done at our new spot.”
Thanks to my scorched-earth days searching for Rebecca’s killers, I’d made contacts and connections in nearly every country known to man, so I wasn’t concerned it’d be hard to find a new location for us at the last second. “The call will be fast. POTUS won’t admit Diana was working on a classified project for an EMP weapon. Not yet, at least.” I’d have to pry that information from him once we were at a more secure spot. Or better yet, have Gray pull it out of his Secretary of Defense father.
“And that’s what we’re really thinking the President was having them do?” Griffin asked, the touch of doubt unmistakable. Hell, I didn’t want to believe it either.
“Only one way to find out.” I started for the door, anxious to get back to Diana, telling myself it was because I didn’t want her testing out her legs and standing while I was gone.
While she was with us, I had every intention of being the one to provide the help. I was also a greedy asshole and knew our time together was limited and wanted to make the most of it. Make the most of it? Who the hell was I right now?
“I’ll let the boys know we’re prepping to go,” Easton said once we were all in the hallway.
“Yeah, thanks.” I stopped outside Diana’s room, but with Griffin right on my back (and my case), I didn’t open up yet.
“You sure you don’t need to get anything off your chest?” Griffin and his worrying about me, damnit.
“Is this payback for what I put you through when we were protecting Savanna?” I kept my voice low and faced him. “Are you about to put me through the wringer as well?”
Instead of appeasing me with a no, he pushed with more force that time, asking, “Is there something else going on I should know about?”
That something else was on the other side of the door. “No, everything’s fine.”
“Thank God you’re not a woman. When Savanna uses that word, I know I’m screwed.” He shook his head, and I motioned for him to drop the conversation and assist Easton.
“Fine,” he said as a smile passed between us at his ridiculous rebuttal, then he headed outside.
Once alone, I thought back to the last few words Diana and I had exchanged. After she’d declared she’d worry about me no matter what, Easton had walked in with her bag, saving me from being an asshole and demanding she not give a damn about me.
After a resigned sigh that did nothing for my overall state of mind, I opened up.
Diana was sitting upright on the bed and appeared stable even if banged up and exhausted. She perched her light-framed glasses on her nose and smiled at me. “I managed to change on my own, that’s progress.” She had on dark denim jeans and a Stanford sweater with white Converse. More color back in her face, which was also a good sign.
Unsure what to make of this woman, I wound up studying her like she was a living and breathing museum exhibit.
