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“As I said, she’s not leaving the coalition.”
“Magnet—”
“Let it go, Zep,” I said, remembering he’d said the same to me when I confronted him about Verity.
“If you need to talk?—”
“I don’t,” I snapped, stalking across the lawn to the cottage.
After stuffing my things and the items Verity had given me into a bag, I sat on the edge of the bed, leaned forward, and put my head in my hands, wishing I could sort through how I was feeling. Perhaps being alone for a bit would give me the space I needed to pull my head out of my arse and go back to being the damned commander.
My respite was short-lived when I heard my mobile vibrate with an alert from Nem. I swiped the screen and read the brief outlining the objectives of the Gozo op as well as my role and that of Schön.
I wasn’t surprised to learn we would be going undercover as a couple on their honeymoon in Malta—specifically on the island of Gozo. While it was a repeat of Zeppelin and Verity’s op, the type of assignment was common, particularly when a mission required going to a romantic destination.
We’d be traveling via private aircraft, departing at twenty-one hundred hours. Rogue would transport us to Gatwick as soon as we were ready to leave. However, since Delfino and Atticus were already on the island, there was no need for Rogue or Ehren to go with us.
The notes continued to say we were booked in the grand suite at the island’s most exclusive resort. In addition to a spectacular view of the sea, it boasted two bedrooms, a separate living room, and a “luxurious” bathroom.
Nemesis also confirmed Francesca’s restaurant, Nonna Vella’s, had reopened since her return from Mallorca, giving us the perfect opportunity to interact with both her and Charlene Vella-Borg—who intel verified was working there with her mother. The length of our stay would depend on how quickly we could secure DNA samples for both women.
I put my laptop back in its case and was about to pick my bag up and head to the command center when I heard a knock at the door. Assuming it was Rogue checking to see when I’d be ready to leave, I was surprised to find Schön outside instead.
“I was hoping we could chat before we leave.”
“Of course.” Since we were both wearing jackets, I motioned to the two chairs on the cottage’s porch.
“I apologize for earlier,” she began.
I leaned forward, rested my elbows on my knees, and turned my head to face her.
“I know it was unprofessional. My reaction, that is.”
“Schön, there will be missteps on both our parts. When it happens, we need to find a way to communicate before it blows up like it did today.”
“I do appreciate the opportunity to be part of the Albanian task force.”
Many of the words I’d said to her earlier echoed in my head, but none more so than when I said she needed to prove herself worthy of the appointment she was given. It was a terrible thing to say. Nemesis would have stood up against Baissier if she didn’t feel comfortable assigning his niece a role in the coalition.
“I owe you an apology. What I said about you proving yourself worthy was wrong. You are already deserving. This is one of the most important and significant ops of the entire AMPS mission. If Nemesis didn’t believe you could handle it, she never would’ve assigned you in the first place.”
“Doyoubelieve I can handle it, or are you going with me instead of Michelangelo because you don’t?”
“You asked me the same question earlier?—”
“This time, I’d appreciate it if you would give me an honest answer.”
I turned my head and looked out at the grounds of the Trace estate, trying to come up with a response that was honest but wouldn’t require me telling her the real reason I’d demanded the change. I took a deep breath and returned my gaze to hers. “You and I are going to make a good team. We aren’t there yet, but I can see it happening.”
She nodded. “Is that all?”
Maybe the day would come when I could admit that, while every word I said was true, deep down, my reasons were entirely personal. “For now.”
“It looks like Rogue is ready to leave.”
“Right. Do you need help with your things?” I asked.
“Thanks, but they’re already in the SUV.”
