Page 4 of What Remains

Of course. Because the hits just keep on coming.

“They’re in a meeting. My first mission since the accident.”

You mean since I almost killed you.

“I was checking the cameras when I spotted you. I almost fell out of my chair. I told them I was using the loo.”

“I don’t think your thing has anything to do with mine. Mine’s a temporary⁠—”

“Thing?” She tightens my jacket around her shoulders. “Side note, living here was supposed to be temporary. Now look at me. Over two years in this place.”

Yeah, in a hotel full of ghosts with missions to complete and people to kill.

Gwen, being her usual goofy self, likes to joke that The Sapphire has an unofficial motto. She even printed it beneath the letterhead once—an April Fool’s stunt to make Carter laugh: Luxury by day and lethal by night. Where loyalty is currency, and love is collateral damage. Carter wasn’t amused, especially by the last line. But she wasn’t wrong.

“So, what’s this thing of yours?”

Reality slaps me hard in the face at the fact she’s going on an operation without me. “Are you sure you’re ready to operate again?” I deflect and ask instead.

“Rather it be you behind the yoke than that new guy Carter hired, but apparently you’re not here for me.”

If only I could be. “You’re, uh, in capable hands with Nash. Don’t worry.”

“Still rather be in your hands,” she whispers without letting my words take time to breathe between us.

Now would be a good time to escape without telling her why I’m really here before she presses again. Give her that Midwestern two-finger wave goodbye and go find somewhere warm to wait for my marching orders. But instead of doing that, I remain rooted in place, letting the word, “Anyway,” fall from my mouth.

She flips her eyes skyward, making it clear she knows what I’m doing—avoiding anything and everything I possibly can.

“Anyway . . .” I say again, dragging the word out to be as dramatic as she always is. “You look good. Like you didn’t almost die.” I’m about to add on, Stay that way, and be safe on your mission, but she talks before I can.

“You already complimented me in your weird way in the garden last weekend. You know, right before you accidentally trampled the flowerbed trying to make your getaway.”

“You didn’t need me there. Dumb idea to show up. Besides, you had your date to get back to, so I didn’t want to⁠—”

“Not a date.”

Sure looked like it, the way that billionaire hacker had his hands on her waist on the dance floor.

“Will he be rolling out with you on this mission?” There I go again, asking about her mission while dodging sharing intel about my own. “Is Julian part of the team now?” I shouldn’t have asked that, but I’m just . . . curious, that’s all.

“No, he’s not.” She lifts her hand from under the jacket again and I inhale sharply when she palms my stubbled jawline.

She’s never done this before, and I have to fight the urge to lean in closer.

“Stay,” she murmurs. “Move back in. Be my annoying shadow. Let things go back to normal. I’m in one piece because of you.”

I grasp her wrist to remove her hand. “I was tasked to protect you, and I failed.”

The past makes a rough landing in my mind as I remember the RPG hitting the helo all over again like it was yesterday.

“It’s time for me to move on and get out of your life for good.”

Harsh, but the truth only sticks when it stings.

“You couldn’t leave me alone at the hangar while everyone was on the op. I had no choice but to be in that helicopter with you.”

I’ve heard this a dozen times.