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As Lang disappears back into the house to retrieve the computer, I return to my line of inquiry.“So, this secret agent business ...When did it start and why?”
“She needs to sign an NDA before you tell her anything,” Lang’s voice echoes from inside the house.
“Fuck you,” Sanford curses under his breath, his hands balling into tight fists on the table.
I cross my arms over my chest, more amused than annoyed.“Really?An NDA?”I tease, trying to keep the atmosphere light despite the growing tension.“Just give me the SparkNotes to avoid legalities.”
“Mason Bradley owns a private high-intelligence security company.We trained with him from a young age, but I didn’t start working as an agent until I turned sixteen,” he confesses.
My jaw drops in disbelief.Mr.Bradley is ...“What?”I manage to utter, startled by his explanation.
He tells me that those times he disappeared for weeks or months, he was on a mission.The revelation sends a chill skittering down my spine.But right now, I don’t have the energy to dissect my conflicting emotions.
“So, you were really there during the rescue?”My gaze searches for his.
He nods in response.
“But I never saw you,” I argue.
“I was first on the roof, neutralizing the men inside the building.Then, I was fighting everyone so I could bring you home, baby,” he whispers, his hand reaching out to cradle mine.“Though I failed to do so—I failed Grey, too.”
I pull away slightly, a sharp edge in my voice.“Stop calling me baby.We’re not together anymore.”
“Technically, we never broke up,” he counters, pressing his lips on my hand.
A frown tugs at my lips.“Are you seriously waiting for me?Is that why you and Greyson are having problems?”
He shrugs, a mixture of resignation and confusion in his eyes.“I’m not sure what I’m doing with my life.It wasn’t until I saw Grey losing his ever-loving mind because we thought you had died that I realized I’ve been living at a standstill.I’ve been on hold, hoping he’ll forgive me and praying we can find you.”
His pain mirrors Grey’s—they’re both just as shattered.But Sanford seems oblivious to his own brokenness.
“Why didn’t you reach out to me?”His question catches me off guard.
Taking a deep breath, I lean back in my chair, eyes locked onto the azure canvas of the sky.“Initially, they wouldn’t let me contact anyone.And I was terrified that they would harm you.After what happened to Grey ...”
Sanford’s weariness is palpable as he lets out a sigh.“That night ...Seeing both of you drenched in blood, it was suffocating.The only thing that kept me from unraveling was the satisfaction of killing them.I came close to eliminating Enya.”
I gasp.“Why?”
“We’ve learned she was the mastermind behind the kidnapping.I needed to end her,” he confesses, his voice barely above a whisper.“What happened after they hauled you away in that ambulance?”
The memories flood back, stirring a whirlwind of emotions and questions.
ChapterSeven
Aerin
What happenedafter they hauled me away?
Sanford’s question lingers in the air, weighing heavily on my heart.I let out a sigh, the memory of the rescue ordeal feeling like a hazy blur.
“That’s complicated,” I admit.“The whole rescue ordeal seems like a haze.Grey ...he said goodbye to me.We believed ...”
Sanford reaches out for my hand, his grip offering reassurance.
“The first man who collapsed to the ground ...”she pauses.“He was kicking Grey, you know.”
He nods with satisfaction.“I had no idea where to start until that asshole made the first move.”
