But then he knew.
"She's under arrest."
Tears welled in Tina's eyes. "You wouldn't do that to me. You can't."
God. Duty. Country. He didn't have any choice. Sick over that fact, he pulled the handcuffs out of his pocket and snapped them around her tiny wrists. "I never tried to kill anyone, Tina."
"No? You have sixteen confirmed kills on your record, big brother. There's no difference between you and me and what we do."
"You're wrong about that, little girl," he snarled in her ear. But even as he said the words, Syd could see the indecision in his eyes.
"Keep her out of sight," she said before she dashed off with the vial.
She made her way back to the reception area, where Viktor was lying on the floor, writhing in pain. She went to Andre, who was standing over two men trying to help the younger man as the ambulance sirens blared from outside. She pressed the vial into his hand and saw the recognition in his eyes.
The ambulance was just arriving as she rushed back to Steele to find him and Tina still arguing.
Honestly, she felt like tossing water on the two of them to calm them down.
"Hey, Steele? Enough. If we don't get her out of here, we're all going to have some serious explaining to do. Right now they think Viktor's sick, but it won't be long before they realize it's poison."
Inclining his head to her, Steele looked less than amused as he grabbed Tina's arm and hauled her down a back hallway that led to a side entrance reserved for the help. It wasn't until they were out of the building that he finally slowed his long, angry strides.
"Get her in the van," Syd said, "before someone sees the cuffs."
"I'd rather beat her."
"Beat her later."
He glared at Syd before he complied. He placed Tina down roughly on one of the seats. Tina sat stiffly, her entire body rigid as she glared at her brother.
"I can't believe you'd do this to Mom and Dad," he said between clenched teeth. "How could you?"
"Me?" she snapped. "What about you? Dad won't even go near a military post because of you. He's so embarrassed that he's terrified of running into one of his Army buddies who knows what you did."
Steele clenched his fist as if he'd like to backhand her. "Why would you throw away your entire life for something so stupid?"
Her eyes narrowed on him. "Why did you?"
"I was angry."
"So was I. It's not fair that I can't do what you do because I wasn't born with a dick."
"You watch your mouth."
"Fuck you."
Syd stepped between them. "Okay, children. Stop fighting, or I'm going to put you both in your rooms."
"Who the hell are you?" Tina snapped.
"You don't talk to her like that, Tina. I mean it."
Syd appreciated his defense of her, but she didn't need it. "Don't worry, Josh, I can hold my own. If she wants to tangle with me, I'll be more than happy to kick her skinny little ass."
Tina jerked herself upright. "Try it." But even as she said the words, there was no denying the shame in her eyes.
Steele met Syd's gaze, and she saw the pain inside him. "How many people have you killed, Tina?" he asked quietly.
She looked away from her brother.
But Steele wouldn't let her. He took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "Answer me."
"More than you, less than Dad."
He cursed. "Why?"
"Why did you do it?"
"Because the Army told me to. I was doing my job."
"So was I, J.D. So was I. They were all political targets. None of them were innocent. What I did, I did for God, country, and duty."
"How do you know that?"
She didn't flinch as she stared at him. "How do you? What's the difference between Wallace telling me who my target is and a captain telling you?"
Damn her for her blindness. "Did it never occur to you that Wallace might be lying to you? I talked to Viktor earlier, Tina. He's the one who wants to disarm his country. Not his father. He's the only thing standing in the way of keeping us safe."
To his relief, she actually paled. "What?"
"You heard me."
"No," she breathed. "You're lying. My intelligence showed that Viktor was ready to sell his country out. He was going to kill his father if I didn't kill him."
"Excuse me?" Syd asked.
"His father contacted us to kill him after his father had learned that Viktor had contracted with a group of mercenaries out of Europe to assassinate him at home. The president had sent in a group of soldiers to arrest them, and then he decided an eye for an eye."
Steele exchanged a stunned look with Syd. Were no one's hands clean in this?
"That must have been what Yuri was trying to tell us," Syd breathed, "when he got killed. Damn it!"
Before he could comment, the back door to the van swung open. Syd turned to see Carlos climbing in. He paused as he saw Tina in handcuffs. "Is she our man?"
Steele nodded. "How's Viktor?"
"They don't know yet. But he stands a good chance of surviving, since they can test the vial and see what ails him."
Steele wanted to weep at what his sister had done. And he was angry at her for putting him in this position. How could he live with himself if he put her in jail, when the very mission that would condemn her was the one that had set him free? "Damn you, Tina."
She looked away from him.
"You know her?" Carlos asked.
"She's my baby sister."
Carlos snorted at that. "Hell of a family you got there, Steele. And I thought mine was bad. Anyone in your family not a killer?"
Steele felt his jaw out of joint, but he couldn't blame Carlos for asking. "I don't know. After this, I'm beginning to wonder if I don't have a serial mom."
Tina curled her lip at him. "I wish. She should have beaten you to death with a turkey leg."
Syd had had enough. "Carlos, watch Blondie. I'm taking Steele outside to cool down."
"Gotcha."
Syd literally had to shove Steele out of the van. He paced around outside it like a caged lion. She truly felt for the man and the pain he must be feeling. "Look on the bright side. At least it wasn't your father."
"That's not a bright side, Syd," he said sullenly. "I'd much rather have faced my dad than turn my sister over to the authorities." The torment in his eyes made her ache for him. "You have no idea how horrifying prison is. What it does to you. How can I do that to her?" He raked a tormented hand through his hair. "I'm her brother, Syd. My job is to protect her."
"And you have always done your job, Josh. With dignity and honor."
Funny, he didn't feel that way right now. All he could think of was what this would do to his poor mother. It would kill her.
"I want to know who her targets were."
Syd nodded. "We can find out."
Maybe he could find some solace if Tina wasn't lying to him about who they'd assigned to her.
Syd pulled him into her arms and held him. "It'll be all right."
"How, Syd?"
Syd paused at his question. Odd how a few days ago she hadn't believed in people, or in miracles. But Steele had taught her a few things.
Most of all, he'd taught her to believe in him.
"How, I don't know, Josh. But I have faith."
Steele closed his eyes as he let Syd's embrace ease the fury and pain inside him. It was strange how such a simple act could make him feel better.
He would do what was right by his sister.
But most of all, he intended to do what was right by Syd.
Epilogue
Six months later
S teele sighed as he rolled over with a very naked and well-sated Syd in his arms. His body was sore from their marathon, but he loved the feeling of it almost as much as he loved the woman draped over him.
Joe wasn't happy about the fact that the two of them were living together, but he didn't give a damn what Joe thought.
All that mattered was having beautiful days like this, where he got to wake up to Syd's sweet face.
And better yet, her hot body.
She pressed her cheek to his chest as she traced idle circles over and around his nipple. "That was a nice wake-up call," she said with a laugh.
"Yep. Hard to be irritated on a Monday after that."
She laughed at him before she placed a kiss on his chest, then pushed herself away.
Steele actually whimpered. "Where are you going?"
"Terrorism waits for no one, Josh. We have work to do."
He made a face at her. "Work, work, work. It's all you think about."
She raked a heated look over his body. "Of all people, you know better than that."
Yes, he did.
Thrilled at how much he knew the truth, he followed her into the shower.
Syd didn't speak much as she bathed Steele. They had fallen into an easy relationship that still amazed her. She wasn't a doormat with him. They were partners. Never in her life had she expected to find someone like him...and definitely not where she'd found him.
Who knew men like him could be real?
No sooner had they left the shower than she heard a knock on the door. Out of habit, she grabbed her gun and tucked it in the back of her pants before she answered it.
No one was there.
Irritated, Syd shut the door and started away from it. She'd only taken four steps when the knock came again.
She pulled the door open to find a small bouquet of roses on the porch. "What on earth?"
She looked around the yard, but saw no one. Frowning, she bent down to pick up the roses.
There was no card.
Weird. She closed the door and started away again. And yet again, she'd only gone a few steps when the knocking sounded.
Totally agitated by it now, she snatched the door open to find a small box right where the flowers had been. As she bent over to pick it up, she sensed Steele coming up behind her.
"What'cha got there?" he asked.
She shrugged. As she stared at the box, she realized it looked like a box of chocolates that had already been opened. "I don't know. Maybe I should call a bomb squad or something."
"Hmmm..." Steele stepped past her and reached for the lid.
Before she could stop him, he pulled it open.
Syd's heart stopped as she saw a beautiful solitaire diamond ring resting in the center of the chocolates.
"It's definitely for you."
Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at it.
Steele pulled the ring out before he knelt down on the porch in front of her. "Sydney--"
"Yes! I will!" she screamed as she launched herself at him.
He laughed. "I didn't ask the question."
She felt heat creep over her face. "I'm sorry."
He cleared his throat as he took her hand into his and stared up at her with those beautiful dark eyes. "I love you, Sydney, and I don't want to live the rest of my life without you in it. Will you marry me?"
"Hell, yes!"
He laughed as he slid the ring on her finger, then kissed it.
She bent to kiss him when the knocking started again...only this time it was from the back door. Cursing in frustration, she marched over to it and ripped the door open to find Tina standing outside in the backyard.
"Did you accept?"
She held her hand up to show her soon to be sister-in-law. Now she'd just have to think of some way to break it to Steele's father and mother, who were still a little cool toward the two of them.
Neither of his parents really believed that his case had been overturned in the courts. But they were so grateful to have their son listed as an honorable discharge that they didn't question it...much.
Tina did a two-thumbs-up before she opened the door wider. "Good, 'cause now you're both late to work. Huch, huch. Time's a-wasting, and Joe's going to be mad enough at you two as it is."
Syd laughed at Tina's reference to Joe's memo about agents not fraternizing. "That's okay. If he says anything, I know where we can get some good strychnine."
Tina grimaced at the reminder. But she couldn't really be angry. As Steele had asked, they had looked into her prior contracts and learned that Tina really had chosen her targets with care. She hadn't gone after anyone BAD wouldn't have targeted.
God love the woman, she was a compatriot. That alone was what had made Joe offer her a job.
Syd held her hand up to stare at the beautiful diamond that sparkled on her finger.
"What are you thinking, Syd?" Steele asked as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against him.
"How much I love you."
He kissed her gently on the cheek. "Good. 'Cause however much you think it is, it's nothing compared to what I feel for you. And if you want, you don't have to wear the ring at the office. I know how much you hate that." He started to pull it off her hand.
Syd balled her hand into a fist, trapping his fingers between hers. "You take that ring off, and you'll be limping, Josh Steele. There's nothing about you or us that I would ever want to hide. In fact, I want the world to know exactly how much you mean to me."
Because in the end, she knew he would never hurt her. And that meant more to her than anything else.
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