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She blinked away tears. “I love you guys.”
Evan smiled. “Ditto. And we will take care of this problem.”
Daniel nodded. “Using this information, we can ream him a new—”
“No, wait.” Rosie leaned forward. “Of course I appreciate your offer to deal directly with Archie. I know all of you only have my best interests at heart. But I have to do this. I have to face him.” She gazed at each of them in turn, then came back to Gideon. “If I don’t do this myself, I’ll never feel truly free of him.”
Just the thought of Rosie meeting with Archie again was enough to nearly stop Gideon’s heart. He didn’t like it. No, he hated it. Hated the thought of her going anywhere near the guy.
But if he didn’t let her deal with Archie on her own terms, if he wrapped her in cotton wool and demanded she do things his way, she would hate him.
Though it took everything he had, he forced himself to nod. “You need to be free of him, Rosie.”
She pressed a soft kiss to his mouth, then pulled out her phone. “I’m going to call him right now and set up another meeting.”
* * *
It came as no surprise to anyone that Findley had been delighted at the prospect of seeing her again. Obviously, the guy thought his threats from their previous meeting had done the job and she was ready to cave to his demands. Her ex was so arrogant that he never even considered Rosie had something in store for him that would blow a mile-wide hole in his plans.
Paige was more than happy to take care of the boys for a while longer, and Rosie hugged Jorge fiercely before they left. He didn’t melt down like he had last night. It was as though he knew his mother had a very important thing to do that would make him secure for the rest of his life.
Findley had chosen another posh restaurant in another posh district, this time on Santana Row. Again, they could have valet parked, but Gideon wanted his keys in his own pocket for a quick getaway.
There was nothing he wanted to do more than pound the guy’s face into oblivion. Reading his mind, Rosie stopped him on the sidewalk with a hand on his cheek. “I’m not going to be alone in there, Gideon.” She went up on her toes to press her mouth to his, a kiss with so much sweetness, so much emotion. “Not when I know you’re going to be right here. The fact that you’ll be waiting for me makes it possible for me to accomplish absolutely anything I set my mind to.”
But you need me right there beside you.
His heart cried out to say the words aloud, to make her see that he needed to protect her and make absolutely certain she was safe.
Yet, he knew Rosie. There was no way he could stop her once she’d set her mind to something. He couldn’t tie her up or drag her off. He couldn’t order her to stay away from Findley. He couldn’t have the Mavericks, or Ari, command her not to go either.
The weight of all the things he couldn’t do crushed his chest. Suddenly, he could barely breathe.
The very same emotions had overwhelmed him the day Karmen died, the day the IED exploded and the sniper’s shot rang out. If only he’d been able step in, keep everyone from getting hurt—but his team, and Karmen, had been just as determined as Rosie. There was nothing he could have done differently. Nothing but support their decisions, their choices.
“Gideon.” She cupped her hands on either side of his face. “I can do this. I need to do this.”
He understood, he really did. Rosie needed to confront the monster in her life. She needed to protect her son.
Just the way Karmen needed to walk outside the wire, to do her job, to be a soldier, to help her team.
“Please trust me, Gideon.”
He wanted to trust her. Knew he needed to trust her.
But how could he let her walk into danger without him? What if something went wrong?
He would never, ever forgive himself.
“Gideon.” Rosie murmured his name again, this time against his cheek, and suddenly his heart pounded with the need to leave nothing unsaid. Not again. Never again.
He drew her close and held her tightly to him. “I’m terrified to let you go in there without me. But I also know that I have to trust you to do this your own way. On your own terms.” Gideon hated the idea of Rosie facing Archie again, of talking to him, listening to his lies, even breathing the same air. But he understood why she needed to. And he would stand behind her, backing her up every step of the way as she neutralized the bastard. He leaned his forehead against hers. He’d lost Karmen without ever having acknowledged, or told her, what was in his heart. He would not let Rosie go without expressing the depth of his feelings for her. “I love you. And I will be waiting for you right here, right outside the door. I will always be here for you. So do this. And then come back to me, safe and sound.”
“Oh, Gideon. I love you too.” Tears flooded her voice. “So, so much.”
Joy wrapped around his heart, around his entire being, around the parts that had been shrouded in darkness for so long.
Then Rosie pulled herself up, stronger and more committed now than she’d been even moments before. “Okay, it’s time to take him down.”
