“What happened?”
“He doesn't think I should keep doing what I do,” I murmured.
“He's right.”
“What?” I snapped.
“Since I've been in Louisiana with you two, I've seen you in your natural habitat and quite honestly, I can't see why you would ever leave.”
“I've never felt as a part of things as I do now. With you and the government. Just.... I don't know. Things feel right here.”
“Do they?”
I glowered at him. “What are you trying to say?”
“Things only feel right for you because this life allows you to keep running. It stops you from facing yourself.”
“I belong here. I'm good at this.”
He shook his head. “No you don't, Jeanine. If anything, you belong with John. However much it hurts for me to admit it.”
I groaned, crossed my legs and curled my fingers into fists. The car felt as if it were shrinking. No matter how hard I breathed, I couldn't get enough oxygen to quell my feelings, to calm the hurricane happening in my gut.
The car slowed as we came to a red light. I stared across the intersection with watery eyes. I could feel Liam's gaze as the tears slowly began to roll down my cheeks. I held my breath to keep myself from erupting into the sobs that had lodged themselves in my throat.
“Jeanine,” Liam murmured in a soothing voice as he entered the intersection. “Let it out. It's okay.”
I buried my face in my hands, completely aware that I was smearing all of my makeup but too upset to care.
“Shit!” Liam's voice shook me out of my own emotions.
I looked up and out of my window just in time to see headlights racing toward us. My forehead hit the dashboard with a thump as Liam slammed on his brakes. Yet, even as we sat motionless on the street, the car doubled back and rammed into us.
***
Chapter Nine
I woke up in a ditch to the sound of Liam's awful singing. Every part of my body was sore, from my legs to my feet, even my lips. I could feel the salty residue of blood on my tongue. Through the darkness, I could see Liam's shadow. There was something bright in front of him, like a fire. As I stared, his head moved. Then he was staring at me. I blinked twice, hoping that would help.
“Hey. Are you okay?” His voice sounded as if we were in water.
I continued to blink, taking deep breaths. “What happened?” I breathed, wincing at what pain that little bit of talking caused. I brushed my fingers against my abdomen, not at all surprised to find that I had been shot. My brow furrowed in worry. “Did you get the—”
“Yes. You bit me twice and threatened to kill me. But yes, I got the bullet out.”
I nodded as my eyes flickered shut.
“Well okay.” I heard a shuffle in the grass as he got up. “I'll leave you to it.”
“Wait,” I croaked, grabbing his ankle.
“Yes?” he asked, and I heard him lowering himself back to the ground.
“What happened?”
“We were ambushed.”
“Who?”
“The government.”
I released one long, deep breath. Then a smile played at my lips. “Good job,” I breathed.
Liam laughed. “Yeah, well. I can't say getting away from the government was exactly easy.”
“Did they get the information?”
“Yeah. The hard copy. I knew they'd come back for the jump drive, so I emailed everything and then destroyed the laptop, and the drive.”
I nodded. “So, it's over?”
“Yeah. It's over.”
***
Epilogue
Dear John,
You were right. It doesn't have to be this way.
I love you.
I placed the letter, and a one-way ticket to Argentina under his pillow.
THE END
Memoirs of a Retired Assassin (Trilogy Bundle) (Romantic Suspense) Page 9
