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Oh.
“I told him I still have two weeks of medical leave, and I’d like to get married.” Then he smiled. “What do you think?”
She wanted to be smiling, to say yes, but… “Ned. You need to get that caesium back. Otherwise you could be arrested for treason, get a dishonorable discharge—your life destroyed.”
His smile vanished. “What are you saying?”
“I don’t want to visit you in jail.”
“Why not? I visited you.”
“That’s not funny.”
One side of his mouth tweaked up. “It was a little funny.”
She touched her forehead to his chest. “Just…listen to me.” She met his eyes. “Go with your team. Find the caesium. I will be right here when you get back. I’m not going anywhere.”
His mouth opened. Closed. “I—”
“Call Master Chief back. Tell him you’re on a plane for—where? Russia?”
“Classified.”
She made to push him away, but he caught her, pulled her in.
“No.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m not leaving. I know my name is on the line, and I know my freedom is at stake. But I told Trini no not only because I want to stay and marry you but because I have to let go. I’ve spent my entire life afraid of being helpless, but I’m not here to help God. Or even for Him to help me. I’m here to surrender and obey. And God has this. So…” He lowered his mouth to just above hers. “I’m sticking around, babe. At least for right now.”
And then he kissed her. Sweetly, but without a hint of hesitation. Just a full-on kiss, slow, solid, and leaving no room in her mind about his intentions.
He tasted of her future, and the home she’d always wanted.
Wherever it was.
You are not alone, Shae. And you are still safe.
Yes.
He finally let her go, and she reached up and wove her fingers into his beard. “I’m hoping you keep this.”
“We’ll see.”
His phone in his knee pocket buzzed, and he let her go to pull it out. “Fraser.” He answered and turned the phone on speaker. “Bro. ’Sup?”
“Have you heard from Iris?”
Ned looked at Shae and she shook her head.
“Not since we left her in Paris.”
Silence, and Ned heard Fraser relay this information to someone on the other end.
“What’s going on?”
“Mom talked to her about five days ago, but she hasn’t heard from her since, and she’s not answering her phone. She’s worried. I called Roy, and he got ahold of Ziggy. Am I on speaker?”
“Yes, but it’s just Shae here.”
“Okay.” He cut his voice low. “Just me and Jonas here, but Ziggy told me that there’s a hit out on Iris.”
