“Jesse? Kevin?” Noah shut the front door behind him and twisted the locks.
Two men ambled through the arch from the kitchen.
“You finally decided to show up?” Jesse asked.
Lillian stared at her long-time friend. Her sofa was gone. Holes were in her walls. Furniture was broken. She was willing to bet this was a better version of what it had looked like before the other two men collected what was now trash.
“Have you swept the house for bugs?” Noah asked.
“Five times,” Jesse replied.
Kevin came over and gave her a friendly side hug all while Noah glared. “We were hoping to have more done before you got here.”
“How bad is it?” Her throat tightened.
“Kitchen’s the worst…”
Lillian tuned the guys out and walked into the kitchen.
Cabinet doors had been torn off the uppers. There were holes in the drywall. Most of the insulation had been pulled out from the looks of the space inside. Her kitchen table was gone and only two chairs remained.
She’d assumed at the very least the police would have been here to search for her once her name was released. This much damage? It had to be other people. Probably on Dave Campbell’s order. It was going to take weeks, maybe months, to fix things up. Who knew if her insurance would cover this? Did she still have a job?
“What about Camie?” Lillian asked the empty room. “Have you guys seen my family?”
The guys stopped speaking.
For a moment the house was completely silent.
Boots thumped the floor. Jesse entered the kitchen. It made sense he’d have seen her sister. Lillian was half certain Jesse was in love with her.
“She’s good,” he said. “She has a lot of questions.”
Lillian dreaded the questions she was going to have to answer. “How mad is she?”
“I wouldn’t say she’s mad… More like hurt.”
Lillian had a lot of explaining to do. She’d underestimated the impact to the lives of those around her when she’d signed on for this job. Her sister had a right to be angry at her.
“Do I still have a job?” she asked. What was she going to do? What were her options?
Jesse frowned at her. “You’re a Matthews. You’ll always have a job.”
Lillian sucked down a deep breath and nodded. She owned part of the company though Camilla had the final say in everything. All of that was too much for Lillian to think about right now.
She stared at Noah peering out the window.
Right now she wanted to focus on him.
They’d shaken some screws loose and with everything going on, they’d had to hold it together. He’d saved her. It was her turn to put him first.
“Jesse?” Lillian turned back toward him. “Thanks for all this. I’d really like to just be at home for now.”
“Okay.” He nodded as though it were normal. “We made sure everything locks, all doors are secured, and the system still works. There’s an air mattress upstairs made up for you. If you need anything else, call.”
“Here’s hoping we don’t.” She ran her fingers through her short hair. If she had a list of things to do, she’d add see stylist to it. “Go. Check on Camie. Get some rest. I know you haven’t slept much, either.”
Just because they were home and the bad guys were in jail didn’t mean this was over. She’d have to explain herself to her family and handle whatever came her way in the fallout of the situation. There’d be trials in the courts of law and her family. Lord only knew what her aunt was going to say about all this, but Lillian wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Except, maybe she’d have gone with Noah sooner.
She hadn’t known him back then. All she’d seen was what he wanted her to see.
Noah locked the door after Jesse and Kevin.
Lillian let her heart lead her. She was still numb in a way. It was all over, and her life was moving on. She walked straight into Noah’s arms, gently hugging him. He liked to play at being Superman, but he was mortal. And she’d nearly lost him. The hours spent in that ambulance, driving around while they worked on him, were some of the worst in her life. But he was bouncing back.
“I’ll walk through the house, double check it’s safe,” he said.
“That can wait, please?” She sighed and let go of him.
His hand slid down her arm until he could link his fingers in hers.
Though everyone had a plan for where to go and what to do next, it had taken them all several days to get their affairs in order, line up documents and means of leaving the country quietly. Noah and Lillian were the only ones staying. At least that was what she assumed.
She had told him she loved him. He’d said it back.
What came next?
“Are we going to talk?” she whispered.
“About?”
“What are you going to do next?”
“I was going to walk through the house.”
She glared up at him. He was feeling better if that was his answer. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
Noah stared back at her. His face was blank, his eyes unreadable.
This adventure had changed both of them.
“I don’t know,” he said finally.
“I want you to stay—”
A hard knock cut off what she was trying to say.
…
Noah frowned at the door.
“Go into the closet under the stairs.”
She squeezed his hand. “No.”
Another knock rattled the hinges.
“Lily, just because Dave’s in custody and the president says we’re the good guys doesn’t mean we’re out of hot water. Go.” He nudged her toward the hall.
“Fine.”
Lillian strode through the living room and into the hall. She opened the door and glanced at him.
“Go.” He reached under his shirt and pulled his gun out of the holster clipped to his belt.
Noah crossed to the windows and peered out onto the street.
Black SUVs had everything blocked off from intersection to intersection.
Six men in uniform black suits stood on the porch. One glimpsed him and flipped open a set of credentials.
Secret fucking Service.
Noah crossed to the door, unlocked the deadbolt, and cracked it open.
“Whatever you’re selling, we don’t want any,” he said.
“Step back, Mr. White. We’re going to need your firearms,” the imposing man in the lead said. Noah thought he remembered that guy.
“Can’t you at least buy me dinner first?” Noah took a step back and unclipped the holster at his belt, laying it in the flat of his hand.
The first man through the door took his gun and did a pat down, removing Noah’s knives, phone, and even the change in his pockets.
“Check the house.” The lead man stared around the space. “Where is Ms. Matthews?”
“Lily? Come out,” Noah yelled.
The hall closet door creaked open.
“Mind telling us what this is about? We’re in the middle of a little renovation project.” Noah never took his eyes off Big and Imposing.
“Basement is clear,” someone called out.
Lillian came to stand next to Noah. There was a touch of annoyance in her voice. The post-op shock was finally wearing off. “What’s going on?”
“Upstairs is clear,” another person called out.
Big and Imposing finally looked at Noah. “You will stand here, hands where we can see them at all times, understood?”
“Yeah, I got it.” He was beginning to wish he’d insisted on taking Lillian to a hotel or something more public.
“Bring in Big Bird,” Big and Imposing said.
“Big…Bird?” Lillian looked at Noah.
Those words meant something to her, where Noah was only dealing with an educated guess.
Two more Secret Service agents entered, and right behind them President Fowl
er.
Fowler spread his arms and grinned. “There they are.”
“Sir?” Big and Imposing edged into the space between Fowler and Noah.
Fowler patted the man on the shoulder. “You know, why don’t you give us some privacy?”
“That’s—”
Fowler lost the smile and good humor. “Take a hike.”
“Entry team, take the back. Everyone else, out front.” Big and Imposing stalked out to the porch while the others dispersed.
“What now?” Lillian crossed her arms over her chest.
Fowler strolled across to the gutted sofa and leaned on the armrest.
“Have a seat?” Noah gestured to the missing cushions.
“You’re the only ones who came home to roost. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell you thanks in person for everything you’ve done for your country.” Fowler gave them that winning smile, the one that’d made a nation trust him as the honest politician.
“What do you want?” Noah asked.
Fowler shrugged. “That’s it.”
“Bullshit,” Lillian said and finally Noah saw the light back in her eyes. “If you wanted to say thank you, you’d send one of those sausage and cheese baskets. People love getting those from you. You want something, so spit it out. We’ve had a long couple of weeks.”
Fowler had the good grace to study his cuticles for a moment. He was the president. He wouldn’t admit that he’d just been caught.
“I’d like to know that if your country ever needs you again, you’d be open to the call.” Fowler dropped the smiling act. This was the shrewd man behind it all staring back.
“Sir, I do my country a service every day by doing my job well. As do you.” Lillian drew herself up.
“I’ll be a little more blunt, sir. You need us, feel free to call, but don’t expect that we’re going to risk our lives like this again.” Noah nodded at the door. “Maybe next time be a little more careful about who you want to run the CIA.”
“Dave?” Fowler pushed to his feet and shook his head. “That was all an act.”
Lillian met Noah’s gaze. Was it really? Or had Fowler been playing both sides?
It was impossible to tell.
“Well, it looks like you’ve got some home improvement work going on. I’ll leave you to it.”
Noah opened the front door. “Have a good night, Mr. President.”
“You, too.”
Fowler strolled out through the front door into the arms of his Secret Service agents. Noah shut the door and locked it behind them. The idea of re-sweeping the house for listening devices or other surveillance equipment was exhausting.
“What just really happened?” Lillian peered through the window at the SUVs rolling out.
“He wanted to recruit us for something.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
Noah’s career with the CIA was over. It would be a mutual parting of ways. An opportunity to work for a newly sitting president could mean a higher profile, better pay, and more opportunities. Whatever decision Noah made, he wanted it to include Lillian. She was everything his heart desired.
“Are you going to take him up on it?” Lillian asked softly.
“Should I?”
She straightened the coat hooks hanging by the door. “Do you want to?”
“Not really. I don’t trust him. And whatever work I’d do for him might put you at risk.”
“Me?” She glanced at him, uncharacteristically nervous.
Noah had lived facing one direction, with one goal, and never realized how unhappy he was. The thrill of the job only lasted for so long.
“Yes, you.” Noah reached out and took her hand, pulling her to him. “I do remember you told me you loved me. Quite a few times. You’re stuck with me, Lillian-fucking-Matthews. I love you.”
Her cheeks flushed pink and she let him pull her in so he could wrap his arms around her. The last time they’d stood here like this she’d thought he was going to kill her. Foolish him thought he had a choice.
“Oh.” She blinked up at him, eyes wide, lips parted.
He chuckled. Talk about delayed reaction. “That’s all you’ve got to say? Oh?”
“I was trying to figure out how to convince you to stay put for a while. I thought there were more steps to go through to get there. I’m kind of playing catch up.” She smiled up at him and he breathed an easy breath. She was herself again. “I love you.”
He bumped her nose with his.
“What does that mean? For us? How does this work?” Her beautiful mind was spinning away once more, no longer caught in the mire of post-op fog.
“It means we figure it out one day at a time. I’m going to need a job. I am handy with a hammer and drywall, so if you’re open to me working for my half of the bed I’m game.”
“Half?” She tossed her head back and laughed. “When do you only take up half?”
“Okay, two-thirds. Whatever.” He buzzed her cheek with a kiss.
She leaned back and studied him for a moment. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious.”
“You really only work for two-thirds of a bed? You don’t even know if I have a bed anymore.”
He wagged his finger at her. “Touché.”
Lillian wrapped her arms around his neck and he met her in a kiss.
This was his future, and it was the best it had ever been.
Epilogue
Washington, D.C.
Lillian took a deep breath and smoothed her hands down her thighs. A pair of strong arms slid around her waist, holding her better than the corset.
“We could elope,” Noah whispered.
She snorted a laugh and stared at their reflection in the mirror. The man at her back looked younger, more relaxed than the Noah from a year ago. It was amazing what loads less stress did for a person. He was still the same adorably irritating man, but he was her man. And he looked damn good in a suit.
She pulled his arms around her just a little tighter. “You know my family would lose their minds if we did that.”
“You know I’m going to lose my mind if this circus gets any crazier, right?” He bent his head and kissed her shoulder.
“Just three more months. I promise.”
“And then every day for the rest of my life.” He wrinkled his nose. “This deal is starting to sound a little off.”
Lillian tossed her head back and laughed. He talked a mean game, but deep down she knew he liked it. Her family had closed ranks around Noah the day he brought her home, sat them all down, and explained things. Her mother especially thought Noah hung the moon. He belonged with them. In her life, at the firm, he was the final, missing piece. The wedding was for everyone else. She already had her prize.
“Okay, so—what do you think?” She let go of him and turned, gesturing to the dress.
It wasn’t traditional for the man to see the wedding dress before the big day, but early on Lillian had realized that the only person she cared about pleasing was him. To drown out the loud opinions of her family and make sure it was the wedding she and Noah wanted, they were doing a lot of things differently.
Her dress was only one of them.
Noah’s gaze went serious for a moment. He wouldn’t lie to her and he had a good eye. After all, he was the one who’d pushed her to try on the body-hugging mermaid-style dress in the first place.
His gaze traveled down then up her body, his smile widening. “It would make for a beautiful elopement dress.”
Lillian shook her head and laughed yet again. That was the biggest change over the last year. They did a lot of laughing and a lot more enjoying life. She was looking forward to doing more of that in their future.
…
Noah was the luckiest bastard alive.
Lillian turned to examine her reflection, probably playing the imagined criticism of the females in her family through her mind. To him, she was the embodiment of perfection. Everything he’d wanted and bee
n afraid to reach for. And now, in a few short months, it would be official on paper.
She’d have to kill him to get rid of him once that was done. He didn’t think it would come to that, but for him, she was it. His future. His home. His joy. And he’d be damned if he allowed one person to make her feel less than perfect on their wedding day.
A knot formed in his throat.
Were men supposed to get emotional over this wedding nonsense?
What the hell was wrong with him?
It was an undeniable fact that Lillian was beautiful. He’d been attracted to her on sight, but that wasn’t what made him refuse a kill order. In that hour or so they’d spent walking a dark tunnel, he’d gotten to know a little about her, what made her tick, and she’d impressed him.
Now he’d spend the rest of his life keeping her safe and happy.
“What if we did elope?” Lillian asked.
His gaze snapped to hers in the mirror. “No.”
She turned to face him, her mouth twisted up. “But—”
Noah stepped in and grasped her by the shoulders. “Your family would never let either of us live that down. And you wouldn’t be happy. I know you, Miss Matthews.”
“Family” had been a throwaway word in his life. But not anymore. He’d learned just what and how far family would go for you.
“Yeah, but—”
“But nothing.” He slid his hands down to hold hers.
He had to tell her.
They’d all been sworn to secrecy after lunch, but if Lillian was this stressed she wouldn’t enjoy the next few months.
“If I tell you a secret will you promise not to tell anyone I told you?” he asked.
Lillian’s eyes narrowed and she leaned in. Gone was the worried bride. This was the spy master who’d orchestrated a global take-down. “What kind of secret?”
“I might have taken your aunt, mother, and sister to lunch while you were at that client thing yesterday. Perhaps we had a conversation about boundaries and you and stress and…” He shrugged.
Lillian’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. “You did not…”
“I’m not saying I did, just that it could have happened.”
“What did you say? How? Noah.”
“Come here.” He pulled her in and rested his forehead against hers. “I don’t care if you are badass Lillian-fucking-Matthews. It’s my job to look out for you. If that means taking on your family like you took on the President of the United States, I’m going to do it. I just won’t look as good as you. I can’t pull off skinny jeans and boots.”
Traitor Games Page 35
