Heart of a Hunter
Page 22
Shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his parka, Sebastian sneered. He’d thought he could do anything as long as his motives were good. What had that gotten him?
A rising plume of smoke made the summit of the mountain appear to dance.
He’d filed his report. Sutton hadn’t called. Instead, he’d grasped every lie Kershaw told and used them to cover his own mistakes and to end Sebastian’s career. The truth would come out. Eventually.
In the meantime, he was finished.
Mittened hands wrapped around his waist, taking him by surprise. Where had all his instincts gone that he hadn’t even heard Liv’s approach?
“We can rebuild,” she said. He hooked one arm around her and cuddled her against his heart, shielding her from the sight of the burnt shell of their home.
The insurance would cover the cost of reconstruction. But he wasn’t sure that was the best course of action. Especially now that he was out of a job. “The house was a wedding present from your father. I chose the spot. You chose the design. Your father paid for the construction.”
“We can rebuild, Sebastian. We can start new. Your own specialized Special Operations Group. Your own seekers. Your own rules.”
“I wouldn’t have all the access I have now.” The badge had opened doors that were now forever closed.
“You would if you surrounded yourself with the right people.”
He chuckled at her optimism. No one with the right skills would want to associate himself with someone with a tarnished reputation. Not a good career move.
Self-absorbed. Self-righteous. Self-important. That’s what he’d been, and he was now paying the price. “And who would you get to pay for those services?”
She ticked off the possibilities on her mittened fingers. Red to match her hat and scarf. She looked good in red. Full of life. “You hire yourself out as a consultant to the Service,” she said, “to other law enforcement agencies or to investigative firms. You charge hefty fees to civilians who can afford you, and that pays for the people who can’t. You get to do what you’re good at.” She smiled up at him—a smile so bright, it nearly stopped his heart. “And I get to work with you. I’m good at finding the information in the haystack of your files.”
“You’ve given this some thought.”
“I’ve given it a lot of thought. We make a good team, Sebastian. You can’t deny that.”
Could he really start over? Determine his own course. The idea was an aphrodisiac. Could he really give up the adrenaline high of the chase and settle down to a quieter life?
“We’d need more space.”
“So?”
“I have no money,” he said.
“But I do.”
Money he’d carefully invested for her over the years.
He’d refused to let her use it to support them. Providing for her was his job. He shook his head. “No, I can’t let you—”
“Why not?”
Olivia had stood by him. She’d endured the possibility that he’d die on the job. She’d endured his long absences. She’d endured the barriers he’d put between them as he sought to keep work and home separate. And she’d died for her loyalty.
He’d always thought of himself as strong, competent, self-reliant. He saw now that Olivia had held the true strength in their marriage. Liv was willing to give him—give them—a second chance. How could he deny her?
He thought about the high closing a time line could rush through him. But the high never lasted. The cuffs went on, then the high rang hollow—until he got home to Olivia. How could he keep forgetting something so important?
“We’ll need a bigger office.” He closed his eyes to the skeleton of their home. He held Liv close, imprinting the vitality of her spirit into him. She believed in him. He would believe in her.
“I have ideas.”
“I’ll bet you do.” He laughed and, for the first time in a long time, it felt real, rumbling all the way down to his belly. He kissed her long and hard, and she melted into him, opening all the possibilities before them. “I love you.”
Smiling, she pushed back in his arms. “You’re trying to distract me.”
“As I recall, it used to work well.” He rubbed his thumb over her ringless finger under her mitten. “We’ll need to do something about getting a new ring on your finger.”
“I love you, too, but we have a couple of things to decide on before we make wedding plans.” She raised an eyebrow and her eyes twinkled with mischief. “I won’t let you dismiss me.”
He held up a hand as if to ward off evil. “Never!”
She hooked her arm around his elbow. “I was thinking of a compound.”
“A compound?”
She led him away from their scorched past. “Yeah, you know, a place not just for strategy, but a base of operations…”
Her voice was a melody that warmed his heart. And as they walked down the snow-covered path back to the gatehouse, he knew he was heading into the best part of his life.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-3760-5
HEART OF A HUNTER
Copyright © 2004 by Sylvie Kurtz
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Visit us at www.eHarlequin.com
* Flesh and Blood
†The Seekers