He knew something was wrong when his secure cell began ringing. Those calls were normally one-way only. For Steadman to call him meant there was a major new development in the intelligence community.
“Uncle Steadman, I’m surprised to hear from you. Did you change your mind on the flavor of cake?”
“Shadow,” Steadman replied with all seriousness. “He has Reaper’s girlfriend, Brianna. He’s going to kill her.” He rattled off the address of the abandoned warehouse where Richard held Brianna captive.
Shadow glanced at his watch as he sprinted to his car, calculating how long it would take him to reach her. He loved Brianna like a sister and was almost as close to her as he was to Noah. Her only hope of survival was if he intervened, and he knew her death would be more than Noah could endure. His tires slid to a halt behind the warehouse, and he chambered a round in his gun as he ran toward the back door, praying he wasn’t too late to stop a cold-blooded murder.
* * *
When the planelanded at LAX, Devon walked unhurriedly toward the baggage claim area. He’d lost the spring in his step and the gleam in his eye.
He was in LA to get them both back, along with the love of his life.
After dropping his suitcase off at his hotel room, he drove to her apartment and parked on the street outside. He already knew she wasn’t home, but he’d wait until she showed up. If it meant getting down on his knees and begging, then so be it. One way or another, she had to talk to him and hear him out. He was ready to tell her everything.
When a couple of hours had passed and she still hadn’t shown up, he turned on the radio to help pass the time. The local station’s disc jockey was reporting a celebrity sighting at a trendy new restaurant.
“I just heard the one and only Miss Elle Sinclair is about to roll up in a long, black limousine. I can’t even tell you how jealous I am of the guy she’s with tonight. She is even hotter in person than she is in the pictures, if you can imagine that. And believe me, I can imagine a lot with her.”
The car’s engine roared to life, and his foot stomped on the gas pedal, pulling out of his space with peeling tires. The car deftly weaved through traffic, and he ignored blaring horns and angry shouts as he passed the other cars. Luckily, he found an empty parking spot a block away from the restaurant, not caring he’d illegally parked in someone’s reserved spot. When he was as close as the throngs of people and photographers would allow him to get, he spotted her exiting the limo.
The man she was with extended his tuxedo-clad arm toward her, and she wrapped her dainty one around it with a beaming smile on her beautiful face. Dressed to kill in a short black dress that clung to her curves and showed off all her best assets, she stopped several times for pictures as the paparazzi yelled one question after another at her.
“Elle, who’s your date?”
“Is he an actor?”
“Is he a model?”
“Where did you two meet?”
“Is this a serious relationship?”
“Are you off the market now? Are you exclusive?”
Lightbulbs flashed. People elbowed each other out of the way, vying for the perfect spot to snap the best picture. Young girls screamed Elle’s name, yelling they loved her and wanted to be her.
It was the first time he’d seen in person how crazy her fans were over her. He knew she was famous, had hordes of fans, and was sought after for modeling gigs and movie parts. Living in the limelight was a foreign concept that he thought he was ready for and had a handle on. But that was before he watched that scene unfold. He realized even if he left the CIA, he couldn’t be recognizable to that degree and still be effective as a security team member.
Their lives were just too different. Regardless of how much they tried to make it work, it was still as if they were attempting to fit a square peg in a round hole. It would never be as good as it should be. And he couldn’t hold her back from happiness anymore. She’d moved on, though he’d never had the chance to explain that he was two weeks late because he’d saved Brianna from being shot, but her condition had been touch and go for a while. He couldn’t leave Brianna, Noah, or his assignment until all the loose ends were tied up. He’d called repeatedly and left messages, but Elle wouldn’t accept them.
Seeing how happy she was with her new date seemed to explain why he couldn’t reach her. It was time to let her go, so she could have her career and the type of relationship she wanted. With a heavy heart, he drove back to his hotel, considering what his next move would be. Leaving the life of a spy was a definite. He’d had enough of that world to last a lifetime.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Steadman asked as a way of a greeting. “You’re not on a sanctioned assignment.”
“I’m calling in my 10-42.”
“That’s not funny, Shadow.”
“No, it’s not. This is my official end tour of duty notice. I’m not accepting missions as of now.”
“Shadow,” a stern voice replaced Steadman’s. “What the hell is this?”
“This is my official resignation. I don’t know where the confusion is. I quit.”
“Your leave is approved. No one quits the CIA. We’ll be in touch when we need you. Keep the phone. Don’t make us have to find you.”
The line went dead, and he chuckled a humorless laugh. “Well, that went better than I expected.”
