The Line: The Complete Series

by Nikki Rose

  “Thank you.” She lowered herself to the couch with the grace of a debutante. I swear she could have balanced a book on her head and not dropped it once. “I needed to discuss something with you.”

  “About?”

  “I have a case I was assigned recently. I was hoping you might be able to help me with it.”

  I was intrigued by the mention of a case and sat in the armchair angled to face the couch to encourage conversation. “How can I help?”

  “I’ve been assigned a case in Lesbos to locate and acquire a valuable asset.”

  “I’ve been assigned a lot of worse locations. What do you need from me?”

  “The cover is a honeymooning couple.”

  “Oh.”

  “The agency is letting me pick my partner. Maybe it was my imagination but I thought we had good chemistry at the theater. I want you.”

  A loud clanking noise drew my eye to the hallway entrance. Addy stood like a deer in the headlights. My miniature globe had been knocked off the side table and rolled at her feet. She was dressed in nothing but my white button-down shirt. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt. I didn’t know you had company.” She stumbled back toward the hallway.

  “Addy, this is Olivia. We work together.”

  “Nice to meet you. If you’ll excuse me.” Addy’s cheeks were bright red with embarrassment as she stuttered and backed away down the hall.

  “She’s not the witness I heard about, is she?”

  “She is.”

  “Hunter, what are you doing?”

  “That’s none of your concern.”

  “It is foolish to get involved with someone who isn’t in our world. Especially with all the muddied water surrounding this whole situation.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You have a bright future ahead of you still at the agency. Don’t throw it away on some fling that’s going to blow up in your face.”

  “You don’t know me and you don’t know the situation. I think it’s best you leave now.” I walked to the door and opened it for her. She followed, pausing just inside.

  “Fine. But you should seriously consider my offer. We’d make a good team and it could be fun.”

  “Goodbye, Olivia.” She stepped out into the hall and I closed the door without looking back.

  I locked the deadbolt and went back toward the bedroom to find Addy. She was sitting on the bed, staring out the window.

  “Hey, she’s gone. I’m sorry about that.”

  “I am mortified.”

  “Don’t be. She was the one intruding on our time.”

  “You work with her?” She finally turned to look at me and I stepped closer.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you two... involved?”

  “God, no.”

  “But she said—”

  “She was hoping I’d join her for a mission.”

  “Is that what they are calling it these days?” She snipped and I raised my brows.

  “Are you jealous?”

  “Jealous? What do I have to be jealous of? This was just one last night before we went back to the way things were before, right?” Was she angry that another woman showed interest in me or that I’d accused her of being jealous?

  She was making me mad. I felt like we were becoming more than just that but clearly, she felt different. “That’s what we said, yes.”

  “Then why would I be jealous of how you spend your time? I was just embarrassed to be half-dressed in front of your guest.”

  “Don’t worry about it. She’ll get over it. I need to check on dinner.” I spoke coldly and turned to walk out.

  I cast one last glance back at her. Was she wiping a tear away or just a strand of her hair? I went back into the kitchen and stirred the pot of sauce, grateful I’d remembered to turn it to simmer before going to the door. I stirred the sauce and tasted it. It was nearly ready.

  Cooking calmed me. It helped center me, but it didn’t take away the sadness I felt knowing Addy would be leaving tomorrow.

  CHAPTER 25

  Addy

  I wasn’t exactly sure why it bothered me so much that Hunter might be going off with Olivia. Hunter and I weren’t together. He accused me of being jealous and I denied it but I just couldn’t admit to him or to myself that a man who kidnapped me and held me against my will had somehow made his way into my heart.

  I didn’t want to admit it but it was true. I had fallen for Hunter. Tomorrow I returned to my old life. The one I had left home excited to start but now dreaded. The idea of going back to my normal life seemed lacking somehow. But Hunter had his own life to get back to—his job, his friends, his new exotic mission with Olivia.

  Just the thought of that woman made me want to claw her eyes out. Things were perfect before she showed up. I’d acted immature about the whole thing. I needed to clear the air.

  I walked out of the bedroom and down the hall but there was no sign of Hunter. “Hunter?”

  I glanced in the living room but it was quiet. I followed the hallway to Hunter’s office and could see the glow from his computer on his desk. “Hunter?”

  I stepped inside but he wasn’t there either. He couldn’t have been gone long. His computer hadn’t even gone to sleep. It looked like he’d been on Skype and the account name at the top of the screen caught my attention. DarkPrince.

  “Addy, what are you doing here?”

  I nearly jumped out of my own skin as I spun around guiltily. “I was looking for you. What is this?” I pointed at the screen, demanding an answer.

  “We need to talk. Will you sit?” Hunter motioned to his chair and I sat while he leaned against his desk.

  “Explain. Did you hack into DarkPrince’s account?”

  “No. I didn’t hack into the account. Addy, do you remember the first night you were in witness protection?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you remember what you did that first night?”

  “I painted then got online for a while to take my mind off of everything. Oh, my G—Were you spying on me?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Then what?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were doing okay after everything so I had a friend run a trace on your computer to find out what you were doing. When I found out you were in a chatroom, I couldn’t resist...”

  “You were in the chatroom?”

  Hunter nodded but something told me that wasn’t the full story. He swallowed hard and my heart pounded against my chest bone as I waited for his admission. “I’m DarkPrince.”

  Blood roared in my ears as I sat there staring at Hunter in disbelief. DarkPrince and I had spent hours chatting. I’d confided in him about witness protection. “No, you can’t be—you couldn’t...”

  “I’m so sorry, Addy. I just planned to check on you but then we connected so perfectly. You were so easy to talk to and I found myself smiling and laughing like I hadn’t done in years.”

  “You lied to me on so many levels. How could I ever trust you?”

  “Don’t you see? I was more honest with you behind that screen than I could be any other way. You saw a side of me not many have.”

  “I just...I can’t. I need to be away from you right now.” My brain needed time to digest everything Hunter had just confessed and it couldn’t do that in the same room as him. I stormed out, locking myself in the bedroom again.

  We ate dinner in near silence. I hated it. Tonight, was my last night with Hunter and it was spent in uncomfortable silence stewing over the fact that... Well, I didn’t really know. Yes, Hunter had deceived me about being DarkPrince, but after locking myself in the bedroom for two hours with nothing to do but think, I realized it was far from the worst thing he’d done and yet somehow it felt like the biggest betrayal.

  I understood why he’d gone to check on me. He felt guilty for uprooting my life and it was the only way he knew that I was okay. I even got why he’d kept it from me. Out of everything he’
d done, I should have been able to forgive that, but the deception hurt.

  “Is your dinner okay?”

  “It’s fine. Thank you.” I forced a smile and took another sip of my wine.

  “Do you still want to watch that movie?”

  “I’m pretty tired. I was thinking of just turning in.” The uncomfortable conversation between us was more than I can bear after everything we’ve been through together. I just wanted to curl up close my eyes and pretend things were the way they had been between us.

  “Oh okay.”

  I stood from the table and placed my napkin beside my plate. “Thank you for a delicious dinner.”

  “You’re welcome.” He stood with me. “I’ll be on the couch if you need me—If you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” I retreated into the bedroom and closed the door. I cried myself to sleep that night thinking of everything Hunter and I had been through where we had seemed to be heading and where we ended up.

  Sometime after the sky had turned dusty pink, I finally dozed off.

  I woke up to the sound of muted voices coming through the closed bedroom door. After staying with them long enough, I could recognize Hunter and Chris’s voices anywhere. I got out of bed and walked to the door when Chris’s words stopped me.

  “We think we’ve got all the players involved with Stevenson.”

  “That’s good.” Hunter sounded distracted.

  “So, she’s going home today?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You thinking about taking that assignment with Olivia?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know.”

  That asshole. He made it sound like he’d never considered taking that mission. He really was done with me. Well, that was just fine. I kept trying to convince myself not to care about him and he was making it that much easier. We had a moment together, that was it. A moment and now it was over.

  It was time to move on with my life. Starting with getting the hell out of Hunter’s apartment. I grabbed a couple of bags and shoved my things into them before slinging them over my shoulder. I almost left the gun Hunter had given me, but at the last minute decided to take the gift with me. He was right about one thing. I needed to learn to protect myself. Both men stood at opposite ends of the kitchen counter and turned to look at me when I entered.

  “Addy. Good morning.” Chris offered a smile.

  “What’s that?” Hunter inclined his head toward the bags in my hands.

  “My stuff. I figured I’d go ahead and get out of your hair. Get an early start trying to find a job.”

  “You still have a job at the spa if you want it.”

  “How? You called them?”

  “I called in a few favors. It was no big deal. I wanted you to still have your life when you got back.”

  “Thanks.” I wasn’t sure what to say. I was still mad at him but it was really sweet of him to take care of everything for me.

  “I thought we could have some breakfast before you go.”

  Tears stung my eyes. I wanted to stay with Hunter, to let him take care of me, to sit and laugh and watch movies like we had. But I had to go. What I had with Hunter wasn’t real and the sooner I got out of his apartment the sooner my heart would learn what my brain was already figuring out. “Thanks, but I really should be going. I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on with work and everything.”

  “Oh, okay. Well—uh be safe.”

  “Yeah, you too.” I tried not to look at them as I walked toward the door.

  “Take care, Addy,” Chris called out but Hunter remained silent.

  “You too, Chris.” I forced a smile and fought back tears as I walked out the door.

  When I left Hunter’s apartment, I vowed to never look back. Everything had fallen apart in the end and maybe it was best that way. It made it easier to dive back into my old life. I contacted my mom, Theo, and Stephanie as well as work. It turned out that Hunter had pulled a lot of strings. Everyone thought I was filling in last minute as a volunteer art teacher for a disadvantaged youth camp. A youth camp in the middle of winter? But everyone seemed to buy it.

  Even after weeks, being back felt empty without Hunter. I dove into my work, taking any shifts available. On the bright side, I was able to accumulate a nice little nest egg working so much. I took advantage of the firearm training classes Hunter had bought for me. I knew he’d want me to use it and I had started gaining confidence with the gun quickly, even managing to get my concealed carry permit.

  Wednesday after work, I decided to walk to the park instead of heading straight home. I missed being surrounded by nature like I was at the cabin and every now and then, I had the need to visit the park as a poor substitute. I found my favorite bench and pulled out a sketch pad from my bag.

  A young girl was bundled up in a fluffy jacket, gloves, and a knit hat with a puffball on top. Her mom pushed her on the toddler swing. Every time she reached the highest point, she would squeal with delight. I found myself sketching furiously to capture that look before I lost my chance and her mom decided to take her in from the cold.

  I was focused on my drawing when a familiar voice startled me.

  “You have such a talent for that.”

  I glanced up to meet Eddie’s seafoam green eyes. He towered over me, looking down at my drawing.

  “Eddie? What are you doing here?”

  “We live in the same city, Adeline. Frankly, I’m surprised we haven’t run into each other already. How have you been?” He sat down beside me and turned so that our knees touched.

  How had I been? I’d been put in witness protection by a dirty cop who ended up drugging me and holding a gun to my head after being kidnapped by one of the most wonderful guys I’ve ever met. That’s how I’ve been! “I’ve been okay. How about you?”

  “Work’s amazing. The promotion I got when I moved here has been fantastic. I make a ton of money now.”

  “That’s great. How’s... sorry, what’s her name again?” I very well knew her name but I wasn’t going to let him think that.

  “Gabriela? Oh, we aren’t together.”

  “Oh? What a shame.” I tried not to take too much pleasure in that but I failed miserably as I fought back a smile.

  “She was—shallow. Not much below the surface, you know? Not like you.” He tucked a stray hair behind my ear and I shuttered but not in a good way.

  “I’m really sorry for how things ended between us. I was a real jerk.”

  “At least we can agree on that.”

  He chuckled nervously. “Okay, I deserved that.”

  “And a lot more.”

  “Fair enough. Let me make it up to you then? It’s freezing out. How about we get a coffee and talk?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Come on, Addy. We were together for years. You can’t give me half an hour?”

  “I don’t know.”

  His hand enveloped mine and he tilted his head and looked into my eyes with his pleading gaze I never could say no to and he knew that. “Come on, Addy. For old times’ sake.”

  “Addy?” Another deeper voice made me jump. Hunter. He walked over to us dressed in casual jeans, a black button-down shirt, and a black winter coat.

  “Hunter?”

  “How are you?” He looked so good and his eyes instantly heated as he looked at me.

  “I’m good. How have you been?”

  “Oh, you know, staying busy.” His eyes dropped to Eddie’s hand still resting on top of mine and his jaw clenched. I wanted to jerk my hand away but the image of Olivia flashed in my mind.

  “I thought you’d be on that business trip by now.”

  “There was a delay. We’re scheduled to leave in three days.” His voice was tight and he had to force the words past clenched teeth but they still stung. He was going on the trip with Olivia—as newlyweds.

  “Oh.” I tried to hide the hurt in my voice. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes but I batted them back. I needed to get out of there and fast. “W
ell, we were about to head out for coffee. Enjoy Greece.”

  His brows knitted together as he studied Eddie for a long moment. “Thanks. You take care.”

  “You too.” I forced a smile before Hunter walked away.

  “So, ready for coffee?”

  I turned quickly toward Eddie, pulling my hand out from under his but he left his hand where it fell on my thigh.

  “What really happened with you and Gabriela? Why’d it end?”

  “I told you, she’s not like you. She’s not marrying material. There’s only so much time you can spend with someone with no brain.”

  “You got bored,” I said drily.

  “Something like that.” He looked down at his hands then back into my eyes. His expression was intensely serious. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find another shiny new toy soon.” I packed my sketches into my bag along with my pencils and went to stand.

  “I’m serious, Addy.” His grip tightened on my thigh to stop me from standing and I froze. “Have dinner with me.”

  “I don’t think so.” I tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let go.

  “Addy, come on. We were always so good together. I had a fling. So what? A lot of guys have flings. They aren’t wife material, they’re just a little something extra on the side.”

  I scoffed and yanked away from him. “You can’t be serious.”

  I slung my bag over my shoulder as I left the bench and headed down the tree-lined walkway. Eddie ran up behind me, catching me by the arm and pulling me to a stop. “Addy, give me a minute. Think about it. We could have the whole package. Kids, a house with a white picket fence just outside the city, —”

  “I told you no before and my answer isn’t going to change.” I moved around him and stormed away. I’d had it with men. And just in case I had any doubt about the piece of crap he was, Eddie’s last words to me sealed the deal.

  “You’ll never find someone better than me.”

  I kept walking without turning around.

  CHAPTER 26

  Addy

  Friday night was karaoke night at the bar around the corner. It had become a tradition for Theo, Stephanie, and me to go out and listen to all the horrible singers. Sometimes, Mark—the guy who’d helped deliver my furniture or their other employees would join us.