AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But he’s not there.
“Arch,” I whisper, a tear running down my cheek.
“Finnegan. My name is Finnegan. If you mention that other name again, I swear I’m going to lose my shit.” The spell is broken and his strong jaw clenches tightly. “Why do you have to be so goddamn infuriating?” he whispers. A hint of frustration lingers in his voice.
“We made a promise,” Derek reminds him. “Not only to her but the kid.”
“I don’t care about your name, but the promise you made,” I raise my voice.
“It was a negotiation. I don’t give a fuck about Archer, you, or anyone else from my past.” His words are like knives stabbing me in the chest.
“Well, I did promise her that I’ll keep them safe. You’ll either work with me or we split the teams and focus on different missions.” Derek’s harsh tone can be heard around the garden.
“D, don’t do that.”
“Your choice,” Derek says, snatching me from Finnegan’s arms. “I’m taking her to the house. We’ll leave for Heartwood Lake and do this right.”
Without waiting for a response, Derek marches us back toward the house. My arms wrapped around his neck, his heated breath against my ear. The whiff of his musky scent sends a thrill through me. I forgot how much I miss being close to him. I want to stay like this forever in his embrace, but what will happen with Finn?
“Next time you want to hurt him, let me do it,” he says tersely, his face contorting with frustration.
I roll my eyes. “I can fight my own battles but thank you for the offer.”
He snorts, glancing at the brace. “Not when you have a busted leg.”
A soft sigh escapes my lips. “Old him would care about his family.”
“His family?”
“The Deckers took him in when he was four, and they love him like one of their own—even though the St. Jameses are loving too.”
Derek shakes his head and smiles sadly. “Under all that anger there’s a good guy in there. He just doesn’t let anyone see him.”
When we arrive at the bedroom where I’m staying, Derek gently places me on the bed. His eyes have a strange mix of concern and determination. “You know how to reach me if you need anything, right?”
“I hate this,” I whisper. My chest tightens, thinking of my family in danger and the two of them putting their lives at risk. “I wish you could stay here—safe, with me.”
“It’s what we do,” Derek says quietly.
I can feel the tears threatening to break free from my eyes, but I blink them away. This is why the two of us couldn’t make it work and why I lost him as a friend. Well, his missions and the fact that Archer is still alive. Not that it matters. He’s someone else and doesn’t care about me.
He leans down and gently kisses my cheek. “Call if you need anything, okay?”
My heart drops at his words, and I’m almost afraid to ask when he’ll be back. “When will you be back?”
He shrugs helplessly. “I wish I knew. Could be a couple days or a week, or even months…” His voice trails off as he steps back.
“Take care of yourself.”
He smiles wistfully and turns to leave. As I watch him go, I wonder if I’ll ever see him again.
ChapterFifteen
Finnegan
Instead of driving this time,we fly to Heartwood Lake. If I have to save Seth Bradley’s ass and then focus on getting rid of the Zs, I have to act fast. When we arrive, Walter has studied the blueprints I sent him. We sent a small team to survey the property and set up a base. Knowing them, that’s what Zamudio is using as headquarters. If he’s not there, he has most of his equipment in that place.
I need access to all their servers. Once I can hack the system, I’ll be able to access Zamudio’s bank accounts and have a list of all his assets.
