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“And the peanut butter doesn’t fight the jelly. They’re the perfect consistency, not too thick or too thin,” she continued. “And your skill with a blade is astounding, how you cut those crusts right off.”
I nodded. “One of my many talents.”
Her eyes sparkled as she ate the half of the sandwich. “I’m looking forward to finding out the rest of those talents.”
It was the first time she’d spoken of a future, the first time she looked almostresigned.My damn pulse sped at the thought. She wasn’t running, or looking for the door. She wasn’t halfway gone. She was all the way here…now, of all times, when my father’s threat still rang in my ears. I stared at her, knowing exactly what he’d plan, and the haunting image of Baldeon’s face filled my head once more.
“Can I eat the rest of this at the table?” she asked, reaching for the plate and the remaining half a sandwich.
“It’s your apartment.” I gave a shrug, “do whatever you like.”
Still, curiosity coursed through me like a charge.
“Thanks.” She smiled, grabbed the plate, and made her way to the table, giving Leale a scratch on the head as she passed. “I don’t think peanut butter and jelly is good for dogs.”
But she didn’t sit. Instead, she placed the plate down and went back to the bedroom, returning moments later. She plugged a cord into an outlet, and sat, opened the screen on her computer, and started typing. “Fin.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s the Commander’s cell number?”
I frowned and dragged out my phone, brought up the contacts, and read out the number.
“Thanks.”
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, and colors lit up, reflecting against her face. She was lost to me, in a world I couldn’t comprehend. Still, I watched her as she stopped after a while to take another bite of her sandwich.
Beep!
I glanced down at my phone.
Pavlov: On our way back.
On our way…our way…he’d done it. Fuck me…he’d done it! That dangerous feeling inside me swelled.
My phone flashed red as an alert came.Warning! Possible security breach. WARNING…WARNING…WARNING…
“Anna…”
“Hmmm?” She never looked up.
I stared at the alert flashing and buzzing, then at the slow smile that spread across her face. “Never mind.”
She didn’t…barely giving it a second thought. I figured I was better off not knowing. The woman was in her own world, one where guns and fists didn’t rule.
I left her, strode to the bathroom, and placed my phone on the vanity before I stripped and stepped into the shower. It buzzed and rang, vibrating across the surface. It didn’t take a genius to work out who it was. The Commander had his problems…and they were about to get a whole lot worse. I took my time under the searing spray, letting the water cascade across my shoulders and down my chest. Images flashed across my mind, Lazarus in a fit of rage, driving his fist against Zakharov’s face.
I'd wanted to be the one who split the bastard open. I'd wanted to be the one to quell the rage, but that hollowed-out look from Kat surfaced, and fuck me if I didn’t understand how Rossi needed it more. If the bastard had touched Anna like that…if he'd touched what was mine,there wouldn’t be a code in existence that’d save him.
My phone buzzed and danced as I ended the spray and stepped out. I wrapped a towel around my waist, grabbed my cell, and stepped out of the bathroom.Tap…tap…tap.The sound was so damn familiar, reminding me of the good times, of the nights she'd spent working at our house while our fathers made plans.
Everyone wanted to name Dillon Shaw as the Ghost, but I knew better. I knew he was just the man who'd started this, a man who'd gotten in way too deep. A man who turned to his daughter when it all became too much…and she'd come up with a way to take over the damn world.
Buzz…buzz…
I looked down. Fifteen missed calls and…a screen filled with notifications. I smiled and strode toward her. “How’s my little hacker?”
She just lifted her head, the savage determination in her gaze filled with glee. “Almost done.”
