Page 83 of No Going Back

EPILOGUE

Guy raised Maddie’s hand to his lips. Light coruscated from the engagement ring, distracting him momentarily from the cuts and bruises she’d sustained during the attack on the hotel. At the same time, he was reminded of as-yet unanswered questions. He gave a resigned sigh.

Once the security services had finished debriefing them, they’d returned to Stonehaven, survived a lot of fussing from Heather, and retreated to his private suite for sleep and sex. Ever discreet, Heather had kept them fed and watered with a succession of trays of delicious food and drink left on the table in the hall. The latest had been a totally decadent breakfast. He’d have to double his gym sessions for a month after all this overindulgence.

Much though he wanted this idyll to continue, Guy knew they both had to face reality, and sooner rather than later. And while he didn’t want the intrusion of that reality here in the bedroom at Stonehaven that had become their sanctuary, it could be avoided no longer.

“Pet, I know you decided to take up Alex’s job offer because of what happened at the hotel, but are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Much though he wanted her there beside him, he wanted her to be absolutely certain she’d made her choice for the right reasons, and it wasn’t just a heat-of-the-moment reaction.

“I’ve been thinking about that.” She settled back with her head on his shoulder and her arm draped across his abdomen. “Before I went to Russia, I convinced myself I could do that and then walk away from the intelligence business. When I came back, for a while I was right. After what happened there, I couldn’t stomach dealing with a situation like that again. I couldn’t even face the risk of having to deal with it.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised. What changed your mind?”

“The conversation with Ros put the first crack in my defences. The attack on the hotel blew them apart. I suppose, in a way, I’d forgotten all the reasons why I joined intelligence in the first place, and the attack on the hotel reminded me of them. Maybe telling Alex when I did was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but I’ve thought about it since, and I know it’s the right thing for me to do.”

“That’s what I thought you’d say. One condition.”

She stiffened in his arms. “What’s that?”

“Your office is next to mine, and we have an interconnecting door.”

Her husky laughter brought a smile to his face. “Guy, we can’t!”

“Can’t what?” He did his best to feign innocence. “All I’m suggesting is a way of shortening the trip.”

“What trip?”

Her puzzled frown brought a smile to his face. “The trip one of us will make to the other’s office on a regular basis.”

“To what end?”

“So we can take our breaks together.”

“There’s nothing like forward planning. I’ve a pound says you don’t intend to use those breaks for coffee and biscuits.”

He gave a careless shrug. At least he hoped it came across that way. “Coffee. Biscuits. A quickie on your desk. Or mine. I don’t mind.”

The swift elbow in his ribs had him shaking with laughter, in spite of the serious nature of their conversation. He’d never know what he’d done to deserve having this wonderful woman in his life not once, but twice.

Maddie cuddled a little more closely against his side. “Guy, much though I hate to change the subject, I’ve been thinking about how the Bratva found me.”

“We already decided it had to be a mole. They’ll uncover the truth, I’m sure.”

After the siege at the hotel, an internal investigation of the department involved was due to start within the next few days.

“I hope so.”

“But?” he prompted. There was a definite ‘but’ lurking in her expression and her tone of voice.

“But… I can’t shake the feeling that William Matthews is implicated in this, somehow. He was my handler for the op—the start of it, at any rate, although he’d moved on by the time I brought Yana back.”

Guy gave a derisory snort that managed to convey both impatience and disgust. “I never could stand that oily bastard. Always had an inflated idea of his own importance.”

“Was he still around when you came back?”

“No idea. I transferred to another section almost as soon as I arrived back in the UK, and then I heard a while later he was transferred to Central Records. Word was he wasn’t too happy about it.”

“Oh shit.”