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“You’remy family,” he said with a force that raised the hairs on her nape.
“And you’re mine. But I won’t let you walk away from your team. They need you just as much as I do.”
“No.” He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a hard kiss to her knuckles. “I’ve made up my mind, and Sparrow already accepted my resignation.”
“But what will you do now?”
He huffed a laugh. “I don’t care as long as I’m not putting you in more danger or causing you any more anguish.”
Oh god. She couldn’t let him do this. He’d already given up his life for Blackout. Now he was giving up Blackout for her?
How would she ever convince AJ that nowhewas painting his world in shades of beige?
* * * * *
Apollo pulled up in front of the ICE office and put the car in park. He reached for his door handle, but Indika stopped him with a hand on his arm.
He met her gaze. Big, beautiful eyes filled with stars. She’d always looked at him this way—like he was her entire world.
Though he hadn’t lost her, he knew a small portion of what he’d put her through with his disappearing act. There weren’t enough words in the English language—or any of the other seven he knew—to apologize. And he’d spend a lifetime making it up to her.
“You don’t need to come in with me, AJ,” she said.
He shot a look at the front of the building. He knew it wouldn’t collapse on top of her. But what other dangers might she face inside those walls?
“I’ll be sitting at my desk all day, not out in the field. See?” She flipped the flap of her blazer back to show him her hip. “I’m not even carrying my sidearm today.”
He slipped his hands around her waist and leaned across the console to bring her lips closer. “Too bad,” he crooned. “I’d love to strip it off you.”
She chuckled, the throaty sound telling him just how much his words affected her in all the right ways. “Maybe I’ll put it on for you later, baby.” She dropped her forehead to his. Up close, her eyes were even more beautiful, deep and alluring.
“I better go in,” she said.
He drew back. “I’ll help you get out of the car.”
She tossed him a smile. “It’s awalkingcast, AJ. I got it.”
Resting back in the seat, he gave her a nod. “I’ll pick you up after work. If you need me sooner—”
“I won’t,” she broke in gently. Then she swung her legs out of the vehicle so she could plant her good one on the ground first.
After she closed the door, she peeked in the window and threw him a wave. He waved back. When she entered the flood of workers on the sidewalk moving toward the door, he sat there a long minute watching her and feeling like a chump.
She was getting back to her life, her routine. What the hell was he doing? He was all for supporting his woman, but he was far too alpha to sit still very long.
Question was…what was his next move?
Laundry. And this time it wasn’t Tuesday. He could almost hear Indika telling him it was the small things that made a day brighter.
She wasn’t wrong, but in this case, he could think of a hell of a lot of other things he’d rather be doing.
He put the car in drive and rolled out of the parking lot. His first thought to head back to his place flitted away, and he took another route which would take him to Blackout headquarters.
The music coming through the speakers hit the right chord in him. He turned it up and let his mind go, something he rarely ever did.
Surely that was part of his issue right now, the reason he was floundering and feeling lost. His entire adult life he’d lived for his duty. When he joined Blackout, it became his entire essence. The past three years, his life was consumed with taking down Abubakar, staying one step ahead of the terrorists, dodging detection.
Since his return, other stressors had piled up on him. Handling medical leave, and both Blackout teams forcing him to sit on the bench took up a lot of focus and energy.
