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In the past, I watched Sam clean his guns and knives. If you take care of your weapons, they’ll take care of you. I can almost hear Sam’s intonations. I close my eyelids, willing the sensation to bring me closer to him.
I imagine Knox and the others are preparing at this very moment, just like Sam would do. May they not need to use those weapons. May Knox stay safe. May all the men leaving for the Laos compound stay safe.
I turn off the water and dry my hands, twisting the gold cross-shaped knob. The luxurious bathroom is larger than my bedroom at home. There’s a hallway with a desk between the bathroom and the bedroom, and to the side of the hallway is a walk-in closet with a sparkling chandelier centered above a marble island. Ava told me I’m welcome to any of the clothes.
The clothes in here include sequin and silk gowns. Suits. Leather and suede coats. Shelves of handbags and floor to ceiling shelves of shoes protected by glass doors. Behind a solid wood door with a crystal knob are neatly stacked T-shirts. I snag one that falls mid-thigh.
In the bedroom, I leave the drapes open so I can see the moon. The same moon Knox will look upon tonight from Santa Barbara. I wish we’d had a chance to say goodbye. Not the quick one we had, but a chance to smooth things over. He’d been so angry, and then we were never alone.
If this mission, as they call it, is successful, they’ll return with Sloane in three to four days. She’ll explain what’s going on. It will be safe for me to return home, and I’ll fly to Asheville. I’ll stay in Jimmy’s guest room while we work on rebuilding my home, and school will begin. Sloane will join me, but knowing her, it won’t be for long. She’ll want to work, and she’ll move to wherever her new job is. The leaves will turn, ushering in the change of seasons, and everything that’s happened will feel like a fever dream.
Stars glitter in the night sky over the ocean. There’s a crescent moon, partially obstructed by faint clouds. A system is moving in, and there’s a chance of rain tomorrow.
Click.
The odd sound has me rolling in the bed, peering over the stacked pillows on the side of the bed closest to the door. Knox steps inside the room, sending my heartbeat into a frenetic pitter-patter.
He’s here. Still in his suit from earlier, or at least, the dress pants and white button-down. The suit jacket and tie are missing.
“You came back.”
He scratches the back of his neck. “You’re here.”
He toes off his dress shoes. His tousled strands point in every direction, as if he’s been scratching his scalp or been near a helicopter.
“I thought you were leaving from Santa Barbara.”
“We’re flying out of LAX. Jack’s flying me up. Ryan’s flying the other guys down.”
“Meeting in the middle.”
“Yep.” His fingers work the buttons on his shirt. “You tired?”
“I was looking at the moon. Wondering if you were looking at the moon at the same time.”
The dim moonlight shadows his firm chest and scattering of dark hair. He undoes his belt and steps out of his trousers, leaving black briefs and dress socks.
“Silly, right?”
He hangs his slacks on the back of one of the wing-backed chairs. His thigh muscles flex as he lifts one leg to remove the sock, then the other. He’s truly beautiful. A physical work of art.
“My mom used to say things like that when I was deployed.” He piles pillows beside the nightstand and lifts the comforter, sliding in beside me. “This will be over soon. You’ll see Sloane soon. Jack said once our plan is finalized, and we know where our return flights will connect, he’ll get you there.”
“Cambodia?”
He frowns. “Maybe. A Cambodian senator has an ownership stake in the company that owns the compound. He might not take kindly to the off-the-record extraction. I’d feel better if we got her out of the country and then you reunite with her. When there’s corruption in government, it becomes less clear who you can trust.”
“And you’re still finalizing plans?”
He caresses my cheek softly, thoughtfully. “We’re still assimilating intel. Travel time is thirty hours. By the time we land, we’ll be good to go.”
I press my lips into his palm. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Always.” We’re lying on two different pillows, facing each other. “When this is over, you’ll return home, right?”
“I’ll need to.” I think about the work awaiting me. Decorating my classroom so a class full of eager kindergarteners has the best first day of their academic careers possible. “There’s a lot to do. Really, I should head back now.”
