The Guardian

by Donna Grant

  “Did he?” Maks usually didn’t prod into people’s personal lives like he was, but he couldn’t seem to help himself when it came to Eden.

  She shook her head. “I received a letter six months ago from a hospital in Oklahoma. They wanted to let me know that my father had died, and as his next of kin, they wanted to know what I wanted them to do with his body.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I found the mortuary closest to the hospital and had him sent there to be cremated. And, no, I didn’t go for the funeral. I told the state to do whatever they wanted with his ashes. I suppose I should feel guilty about it, but I don’t.”

  Maks shook his head. “You shouldn’t feel guilty. Your father made his decisions and lived with the consequences. It cost him his wife, his family, his job, and everything else. He shoulders all of that. Not you.”

  “Thank you,” Eden said with a soft smile.

  They went back to eating, the silence easy between them. Maks was comfortable with her, and he was rarely comfortable around anyone. He always had his guard up, searching for any tell, any word that would alert him that someone was being untruthful.

  “I’m sorry,” Eden suddenly said. “I didn’t mean to blurt out all my family drama.”

  He glanced at her as he swallowed his soup. “No need. I like hearing about your life.”

  She had just taken a bite and laughed, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. After she swallowed, she met his gaze, shaking her head. “You like learning about my catastrophe of a family?”

  “It’s what made you who you are. Why wouldn’t I want to know? No one has a perfect life. Each of us has problems. Just when you solve one, another arises. That’s life.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever thought of it like that. It’s…eye-opening.”

  Warmth spread through him at her smile. He quickly returned his gaze to his soup and spooned several bites into his mouth. When it came to Eden, he suddenly became philosophical. What was it about this woman that made him say and do such things?

  “What about your family? Was it as crazy as mine?”

  The minute her words reached him, he froze.

  “I’m sorry,” Eden hastily said. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

  His soup now finished, he set down his spoon. “It’s fine.”

  Her face wrinkled with regret. “It’s not. Forget I said anything.”

  He watched as she rose and went to the sink to rinse out her bowl. Maks waited until she shut off the water before he said, “I had a great family. My parents are still married and will celebrate their thirty-seventh anniversary this year. I have two sisters and two brothers. They all have kids of their own. Both of my sisters are divorced, one of my brothers is married, and the other has a woman he’s been with for over twelve years. Neither of them wants to get married. It’s a big family, so get-togethers are loud and chaotic, and of course, we bicker. Because that’s what families do. I’ve not seen them in over a decade, though. They think I’m dead.”

  14

  Eden was utterly gutted. She had been listening to Maks’ description of his family with interest. Right up until he said the last part.

  They think I’m dead.

  Her brain couldn’t comprehend the words. She stood there, unable to think of how to respond. What did someone say to something like that? Was there anything to say? Her gaze followed him as he rose from the stool, walked around the island, and came to the sink beside her. There was no sorrow in his eyes, only acceptance.

  “You’re confused,” Maks stated.

  She blinked and got out of his way so he could reach the faucet. “A little.”

  He said nothing as he began to wash both the bowls and spoons. Eden made herself busy by throwing away the cans and cleaning up the area where they had eaten. She needed to remember that Maks had lived a much different life than she had. How could she possibly understand any of what he’d done?

  I don’t care. I want to know.

  She did want to know. He might be a badass and able to take on the world, but she caught a glimpse of misery. She didn’t think he even realized it. Maks was good at hiding his emotions, but talking about his family had opened up something inside him and allowed her a brief peek.

  “I had a choice to make.”

  His voice behind her halted her. She slowly turned to face him. He stood at the sink, his hands on the edges as his chin hung to his chest, his eyes closed. She wanted to tell him to stop, that he didn’t need to go down whatever road he was on to tell her this. Obviously, he had shut it away for good reason. She had no right to open old wounds.

  “Don’t.”

  At the same time, he said, “I was in Delta Force for four years. My family was used to me being away. They didn’t like it, but they understood my need to serve my country the best way I could.” He lifted his head and looked at her. “It just started out as me wanting to do my part with the Army. It didn’t take long for me to realize that military life suited me. I moved up through the ranks quickly and got some notice from the higher-ups. I turned my sights on the Rangers. I did well enough that I was chosen to join Delta Force. It was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up. Do you know what Delta Force is?”

  She shook her head, unable to find words.

  “They, like the SEALs and the 24th Special Tactics Squadron of the Air Force, are the US military’s primary Tier 1 special operations units tasked with performing the most classified, dangerous, and complex missions.”

  “Oh.” Her voice came out as a squeak.

  Maks shifted so one hip rested against the counter. “During my time there, I met someone. She had no idea about military life or what it was like to be with one of us. Yet, we managed. Being a Tier 1 operator means that you leave on a moment’s notice sometimes, and there’s no telling how long you’ll be gone. It’s why so many marriages break up. I was determined to make it work somehow.”

  Eden’s heart hurt for him. She didn’t need to ask if he’d gotten his wish. If he had, he wouldn’t be here with her now.

  His gaze slid to the side for a heartbeat before he drew in a quick breath and looked at her. “I was on a mission with my team, which included Wyatt Loughman, when we were sent into Columbia. The mission went to shit quickly. We had a leak somewhere because our enemies knew exactly where we were and split us up. We’d trained for such things, so we didn’t let it rattle us. We kept going, pursuing the target to bring him in. The government wanted him alive, which meant that we had to be careful about who we were shooting at.”

  She swallowed hard. The sound loud even to her ears.

  “Wyatt was shouting orders through the COMs when they suddenly went out. My teammates and I were cornered and pinned down. We had nowhere to go, and no way to let the others know where we were, much less get to them if they needed help. I had the best line of sight out of the four of us, so I covered them as the other three took off to find another spot to take out the enemy. It would’ve worked, too. That mission…” he said with a shake of his head. “You don’t forget ones like that.”

  Unable to help herself, Eden asked, “What happened?”

  “What I’m about to tell you is classified. Two of my teammates were killed. I was trying to get to the third one who had been shot when a woman walked out and stood over him with the barrel of a rifle pointed at his heart. At first, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Because I thought she was back home in the States, waiting on me. The leak we had was none other than my girlfriend, Stacy.”

  Eden’s mouth went slack at the news.

  “The woman I’d fallen in love with had been recruited by the Saints. After Stacy killed my teammate, she walked to me and told me that it was my destiny to join the Saints, who were making the world a better place. I had no idea who she was talking about. I kept asking her why she’d betrayed me, and she said that she’d done it to protect me. I knew I had no way of getting to Wyatt and the others, so I stayed where I was. Besides, she was leading the me
n who had pinned us down. So, I did the only thing I could.”

  “You got information from her,” Eden guessed.

  Maks raked a hand through his blond hair. “She told me it was a general in the Army who had approached her. Others within the military had made contact with her, giving her information and showing her how they could protect me if she would help them convince me to join them.”

  “Dear God.”

  “The entire time, she was kissing me as if she hadn’t just murdered my team, as if none of what she’d done would change us. I’m not sure how long we sat there as she kept saying it would be the best thing for me. I wasn’t sure I had a choice then. I understood that if I didn’t agree, I’d be killed. I wasn’t afraid to die, but the more I listened to her talk about the Saints and their network, the more I realized that this was a huge operation that had been going on right under my nose. Then, the COMs began working, and I heard Wyatt. He was close to me. I didn’t hesitate to tell him where I was and that I was surrounded by enemies. The look on her face was one of confusion and anger. Then, she lifted the rifle. I took the shot before she could. Then I turned and went to find the rest of my team.”

  Eden walked to him and put a hand on his arm while gazing into his blue eyes. “I’m so sorry. No one should have to be betrayed, but especially not by someone they’re in love with.”

  Maks shifted his arm so that his hand came in contact with hers. “I’ve never told anyone that story. Not even my team. They assumed that the enemies had gotten her and brought her there to use against us. Me. I let them think she died as a casualty of war.”

  “Because you didn’t want to tell them that you shot her?”

  “Because I didn’t know who might be part of the Saints. I wanted to believe that they could be trusted, but I was no longer sure of anything anymore. I kept what happened to myself. Even when command interviewed me multiple times when we got home, I never told a single person. The team was put on leave because of what happened, and we needed to fill slots. I was given more time than the others since…” He paused and then shrugged.

  Eden liked that their fingers were linked. She didn’t know why, but having their palms together eased some of the turmoil within her. “Understandable.”

  “I attended the funeral with her family and grieved as was expected of me because I knew I was being watched. And I was right. Just a day after the funeral, I was approached by the CIA. The woman was tall, stunning, and most definitely a killer. She shot me a smile, gave me a manila envelope, and told me that she’d get back in touch in a couple of days.”

  Eden frowned, taken aback. “What? They didn’t talk to you? They just gave you a packet?”

  “Yep.”

  “What was inside?”

  He glanced down at their linked hands. “An offer for employment. They listed out my credits, things they shouldn’t have been aware of but were. The job was similar to what I’d been doing with Delta Force, but I’d be working alone, or I could have a team that I would pick.”

  “You chose to be alone.”

  “Damn straight. I didn’t trust anyone.”

  “Then why join the CIA at all?”

  He briefly raised his brows. “Because I needed to get information on the Saints. Like I said on the train, I knew if the CIA had my stats from the military, then whoever had chosen me was most likely working for the Saints. They had made several references to my being of Russian descent and speaking the language fluently. There was one stipulation in the offer. I couldn’t tell anyone. I said that I refused to lie to my family. Besides, I didn’t want the Saints to use anyone I cared about against me again. I was the one who suggested that I be sent on a mission and reported killed in action.”

  “I would’ve done the same. But to give up your family to take down the Saints? How were you even sure you could?”

  Maks shrugged. “I didn’t know, only that I would figure it out along the way. I’m doing this for my family because I love them. I couldn’t return to my life and forget what had happened or what I’d learned. I had to do something.”

  She couldn’t blame him for that. Not when she felt the same way. “That’s why I’m here. Because I have to do something, too.”

  “Yes,” he said as he looked deep into her eyes. “I think I knew that from the first. It’s why I chose you.”

  Eden tightened her fingers around his and smiled. “I’m ready to kick some ass. Let’s take down the Saints.”

  His grin was slow, but it pulled at his lips until it filled his face. “Come with me.”

  Eden followed him after he released her hand. He took her into a room at the front of the house. A desk and a chair sat in the center of the room. Behind it was a table with a printer, and on either side of the table were bookshelves filled with various titles. The right-hand side held a comfy leather chair and a floor lamp. On the other side of the room sat a small leather sofa with end tables on either side of it.

  No matter where she went in the house, Eden liked what she saw. There was no clutter, something she detested. If anything, she would call it a minimalistic style. And she liked it a lot. Maks had the comforts, but there wasn’t a lot of extra stuff around.

  She watched as Maks went to the right-hand bookcase and moved some books out of the way. To her surprise, there was a small safe hidden there. He punched in the code, then used his fingerprint to open it. He withdrew a laptop, two pen drives, and several file folders that he put on the table.

  “Is that all you have?” she asked as she came over to investigate.

  Maks chuckled. “It doesn’t look like much, but, trust me, it is.”

  “Oh, I’m sure it is.”

  He held up the two drives. “The majority of the items is on these. I made copies of everything I could to digitize it, but I didn’t always have that opportunity.”

  “These aren’t the originals, I hope. Please tell me you kept them somewhere else so if the Saints came and destroyed it, you wouldn’t have to start again.” When he didn’t answer, Eden looked at him to find him watching her curiously. “What?”

  He shrugged. “I find it odd that I was ready to give you that answer when, with anyone else, I wouldn’t have answered it one way or another.”

  “Because you wouldn’t be sure if you could trust me.” She nodded, shrugging. “I can understand. So, don’t answer me. I’m just thinking, as you told me I should.”

  “These aren’t the only copies. I tell you that because I trust you. I’ll also tell you that there are two other sets. One is in Texas with the Loughmans.”

  She didn’t mention the fact that he hadn’t told her where the second set was. In reality, she didn’t need to know. “Thank you.”

  “Where do you want to start?”

  Eden looked at everything and then said, “At the beginning. Is there an order?”

  “In a way. Make yourself comfortable. Desk, sofa, chair. It doesn’t matter.”

  She turned and pulled out the chair from the desk then sat facing the table. “How about here.”

  Maks chuckled as he opened a file and put it in front of her. “This is the offer the CIA gave me.”

  15

  Maks was awed by how Eden filtered through the information. She certainly knew how to delve into something and find the hidden gems. There were piles of papers on the table around her. He didn’t know what each was, and it didn’t matter at the moment. She had begun by describing everything to him and what she was doing, but it was slowing down her process. So he told her to work now and explain later.

  He took the empty glass of water to refill it. When he returned, he had it, along with some tea in case she might want that.

  “Oh, you’re a mind reader,” she said and flashed him a smile before putting some honey into the hot liquid and stirring.

  Maks noted that she was coming close to finishing with the pile of papers. Every once in a while, she’d turn to the laptop and type something into a document she’d begun. It looked like some
kind of shorthand, which he deduced were notes for herself.

  Eden took a sip of the tea and sat back after she finished reading the paper. “Well. That was quite a bit.”

  “Anything good?”

  She raised her brows at him, then barked in laughter. “I think it’s safe to say that the majority of it is good.”

  “Really?” He hadn’t expected that at all. “I was hoping there might be one or two things in all of it.”

  Eden shook her head and held the mug between both hands. “Did you look at any of this?”

  “Some of it. Others I just copied and got here. Why?”

  “Because you’ve got some very important pieces of information with names, locations, and dates on them.”

  Maks thought about that for a moment. “All right. Information like that is always good if you can connect the dots.”

  “You most certainly can connect them. I may not have figured it out as quickly as I did if I didn’t know about August 12, 2017.”

  “What date is that?”

  “The day that a prominent history professor at Cambridge University was found dead in his home. The authorities ruled it a suicide almost immediately, but someone in the department leaked evidence that proved it was a homicide.”

  Maks couldn’t believe it. “Are you sure?”

  In answer, Eden switched to the internet and entered the information into a search engine. Just before she hit ENTER, she looked at him and asked, “I gather this is encrypted?”

  “It’s why it’s stored in the safe.”

  She pressed the button and various news articles filled the screen. Maks moved to get a better angle and read the many headlines. One after the other taking off with the story that the Cambridge professor’s murder was a coverup of some kind, and everyone trying to figure out how deep in the British government it went.

  “While this is great, how do we know it has anything to do with the Saints?” he asked.

  Eden’s lips turned down in a frown. “Unfortunately, two weeks later, four cops were killed. I did a little digging and discovered their names were linked to the original investigation of the professor.”