Page 4 of The Ghost

But though he encouraged me to go at my own pace, I felt an urgency deep in the pit of my stomach. I was on a roll. I needed to explain my entire life so that Theo would understand why I’d done what I did.

“We met on the job, and he was very serious about everything,” I explained. “It wasn’t like living with Mr. Ashcroft, but it wasn’t like being with you either. I felt like I constantly needed to do better, to be the best.”

“I already think you’re the best,” Theo said, kissing my forehead.

I finally closed my mouth, having reached the end of my tale. Theo knew the rest. Ryan had passed away, and I’d sworn revenge on his killer. I was suspicious of MI6 and Theo himself in the beginning. Then I worried that Lukas had something to do with Ryan’s death. When neither of those things turned out to be true, I’d reached an impasse. It seemed like I might never get my revenge for Ryan’s death, but that was okay. I had something else to live for now, and my world wasn’t as empty as it used to be. I found myself able to give up on the selfish dream, to reach for something infinitely more rewarding in Theo’s arms.

The world began to blur, and a moment later, I fell into a fitful sleep. Theo held me for hours, or maybe it was just a few minutes. When I woke, I found Lukas sitting opposite us, talking to Theo in hushed tones.

The sun had broken free out the window, and I could see the hills in the distance. I rubbed my eyes, focusing in on the conversation.

“Good morning,” Lukas said.

“Good morning,” I mumbled. What I wouldn’t give for a toothbrush and a cup of coffee, in that order.

“We’re about to pull into the station,” Lukas informed me. “Just take your time, we’ve got about ten minutes.”

“But take my time?” I reminded him.

Lukas grinned. We both knew that ten minutes could either be a lifetime or an instant, depending on the circumstances.

“Where’s Z?” I asked groggily.

“In the bathroom,” Lukas replied.

“What’s next?” Theo asked. “Are we almost there?”

Lukas shook his head. “There’s one more flight.”

I groaned. I couldn’t help it. A few hours’ worth of sleep sitting up hadn’t helped matters. I felt worse than I had the previous night, and I wished that the bad guys would take a short break to allow me to relax and recuperate.

No such luck.

Lukas handed Theo a slip of paper, and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Where are we going?” I demanded.

“To Dark Sparrow headquarters,” Lukas informed us.

“Which is where?” I asked.

Lukas spared me a tight smile that had no warmth. “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that.”

“You’re not going to blindfold us?” I accused him, drawing the line at that particular protocol.

“No, I won’t,” he assured me. “But I’m not going to spell it out either.”

“Don’t you think you can trust us?” I asked, leaning forward.

“I do trust you,” Lukas insisted. “It’s just a precaution.”

“What’s that?” I motioned toward the note Lukas had just passed.

“Coordinates,” Lukas responded cryptically.

“To what?” I snapped.

Lukas glanced at Theo, obviously keeping secrets. I turned to my boyfriend, expecting an explanation.

“Lukas thinks he’s found Regg,” Theo answered.