AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Will forced himself to be honest and say the words swirling around in his heart. Emotions weren’t something he was used to expressing out loud. “So whether you’re a reporter or a barista or a stay-at-home-mom, I know I’ll be able to trust you with my heart. And that’s the real reason I’m dragging you along to Virginia: I need you in my life. And I’m just enough of a neanderthal to drag you kicking and screaming until you give in and agree that you need me, too.”
“Will, POTUS is on the line for you,” Tank held out the satellite phone for him from across the plane. That was poor timing, but it wasn’t as if he could tell the president to wait so he could finish convincing Hannah to give them a real chance. Ross had been monitoring the operation along with Joey and Stephen back at BTS headquarters, so presumably President Coulter had been notified that they caught Darkshade. Now, they would get some direction on where to go from here.
He laid his hand on Hannah’s cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead as he stood. “I’ll be back. Eat something. We’ll be landing before we know it.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
Hannah’s headwas spinning as she watched Will disappear into a small doorway she hadn’t noticed at the rear of the plane with the phone in his hand. He was followed closely by Ryder, who wore a serious expression.
He had just poured his big, manly heart out to her, and she didn’t know how to handle it. No wonder the man had a hangup about reporters. He hadn’t said as much, but it was obvious that Will had cared about Amira and struggled with the innocent life that had been lost.
But Davis Mitchell, whose name she recognized from his current slot on the WBC Nightly News, trampled all over their friendship for his own personal gain. He’d killed an innocent woman in the process, not to mention however many others were in harm’s way later because the opposition hadn’t been eliminated.
Her heart ached for the young Will Gilbert who had to live with that mistake, knowing his friend and team had died because he’d trusted the wrong person. If Will was slow to trust, it was because he had reason to be.
From the very beginning, she’d wanted him to trust her. And he had. Then he’d found out about her lies. And miracle of miracles, he’d forgiven her. Even after what had happened in Afghanistan.
The stewardess brought over the pizza, the smell of fresh basil and garlic making Hannah’s mouth water. She took a few bites, letting Will’s words wash over her again. He wanted her there. He wanted her with him.
Even with the danger passed, he wanted her by his side. The thought brought a ridiculous grin to her face.
“Dang, maybe I should have ordered pizza,” came Pierce’s light-hearted observation as he came to sit in the seat across from her.
She slid her plate across to him. “Help yourself,” she said. “Are you ready to be home?”
He shrugged, reaching for a piece and tugging at the strands of cheese that stretched as he pulled it away. “Sure, I guess. Don’t get me wrong, BTS is a sweet gig. I didn’t actually expect to get the job after my interview. I just like being out in the field, I think.”
She nodded as though she understood, but she didn’t really. There was nothing she craved more than a real home to return to each night, with people who cared about her. Pierce had all of that at Black Tower. So why wasn’t he happy?
“Jackson, you done eating yet?” Tank’s deep bellow had them all craning their neck. “It’s your turn to babysit.”
Jackson groaned and headed to the back of the plane, plopping unceremoniously into the seat catty-corner from Kuznetsov.
Tank stood and stretched, his beefy arms easily reaching to the ceiling of the plane. He came over and joined the grouping of chairs she and Pierce were in.
“What about you, Anthony? Are you ready to be home?”
He nodded. “Yep.” His phone chimed and he pulled it out. He looked up at Hannah for a second. “Actually, maybe you can help me with something,” he said.
Hannah raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I’ll certainly try. What’s up?”
“You remember my housekeeper? She comes once a week.” He paused. “I was going to text her to say I didn’t really need her to come this week since I’ve been gone. But Joey said I shouldn’t do that.”
Hannah nodded. “Is this a service or like… an independent person?”
Tank shrugged. “I don’t know. I think she’s on her own? Her name is Kaylie. I’ve never really met her though.”
Hannah remembered him admitting he avoided her so he didn’t scare her.
Tank scowled. “Look, it’s not my fault. I’m just trying to pay someone to keep things tidy, but every single one I hire quits after they meet me.” He ducked his head. “Ryder thinks they’re scared of me.”
Hannah softened at the barest hint of vulnerability in Tank’s words and expression. She could see why that might be the case. If she hadn’t just spent the last week in close quarters, she probably would be scared of him, too. He was just… big. And while she’d seen hints of jokes and smiles, his emotions were mostly hidden behind an angry-looking expression.
To put it simply, Tank had ‘resting murder face.’
A housekeeper feeling slightly trapped in a house alone with him? Yeah, she might bolt.
“How long has she worked for you?”
