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“She was fierce.” He looked over to Preacher and Karasu who were much too deeply into each other to notice.
He smiled. “Yeah.”
He settled her into his lap and cupped her face between his hands. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, his gaze somber. He brushed back some loose hair from her temple, then managed a small smile. “I love you, Celeste, and I can’t wait to marry you and make you mine.”
“I am yours,” she whispered. “Heart and soul, and I love you so very much.”
Trying to ease the sudden knot in his throat, he tightened his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers, the hard wad of tension in his belly finally letting go. She took a deep breath. Running his other hand up her neck under her hair, he shifted until she faced him.
She took his face in her hands and did some incredible things to his mouth. He let her explore and taste, reciprocating in kind, love warring with arousal. Damn, but she could turn him on. He put the brakes on. They would have to wait a bit to be together again. All that mattered now was that she was safe, and she was in his arms.
All the rest would work itself out.
* * *
Volk layon his back in the hospital bed, unshaven, half-awake, and feeling as cranky as an old man. The darkness outside the window infused the still room with a nighttime silence, except for the annoying murmur of voices and movement outside the door.
He knew he was going to be flat on his back for a long time. The pain was manageable with the drugs they were giving him, but his CIA career was over. He had pins in the bones where he’d broken his pelvis in two places. Fuck Trasker. He hoped he rotted in hell. He was looking at a long rehabilitation.
Between bouts of nightmare-infested dreams, he woke to the worry regarding what happened once the guys had reached Karasu.
He dozed off but woke up when he heard footsteps and voices, then a bunch of bodies entered the room. “Did you get him?”
“Hoo-yah,” was the response.
“Karasu? The ladies?” He was on pins and needles. If anything happened to them…
“We’re here,” Karasu said, pushing through the sea of male bodies. “Trasker is dead. NSH is dead.”
Relief rushed through him, and he felt his body relax against the mattress, not aware of how tense he’d been when he’d been unable to go with the guys to rescue them. He turned his head to find Karasu. He closed his eyes and tightened his hold on himself, a knot of raw emotion climbing up his throat. He waited for the aching contraction to ease, then he forced a grin. “Took you long enough to kick his ass.” She bent down, and he engulfed her into a hard embrace. “You scared the crap out of me, lady.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry about that. So, what’s going on?” Her expression was strained as she held his gaze. He noticed that everyone had disappeared, including Preacher.
Trying his darndest not to show her how wrecked he was about his injury, he said nonchalantly. “Oh, I was in a helicopter crash and broke my pelvis in two places. I’ve got pins and plates…” Her eyes ran through a gamut of emotions.
“You’ll be one hundred percent in no time,” she said, trying to sound as nonchalant as he did. But they each saw through the other’s smoke screens.
Volk clenched his jaw, throat suddenly tight, his voice husky. “No, I won’t. I’m done, Karasu.”
Her eyes widened. “What?” She gave him a level gaze. He continued to watch her, trying to read her face in the faint light. She lifted her chin. “Then I am, too.”
Volk stared at her, then looked away and exhaled heavily. He shook his head. “No, Karasu, you were a Shadowguard long before I was.”
She shrugged. “Maybe so, but I don’t want a new partner,” she said, her voice soft and uneven. “I won’t do well with that.” He reached out and clasped her hand, entwining his fingers with hers.
“What will you do?”
“I’ve been offered a position in the White House. Security. Kat just told me.”
He laughed out loud. “Seriously, you in the White House.”
She grinned and squeezed his fingers. “Yeah, I know.”
He gave her a level look and scoffed. “You’ll kick someone’s ass, babe. You know it.”
She laughed again. “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Tears caught in her lashes, and she abruptly wiped them away, then folded her arms again. She stared across the room, her profile strained. Finally, she spoke, her voice careful, controlled. “What are you going to do?”
