Page 121 of Unexpected Redemption

“The call is coming from inside the house,” Mia jokes humorously. “All we know is it’s someone still in the mafia.”

I join Boss by the whiteboard. “This is what Yuri meant when he was talking about collateral damage. Whoever this is wants out, but if we take the mafia down, they’ll go down too. That’s why he’s guarding the intel so closely instead of handing it over. The architect needs more time to cover his tracks.”

Klein begins pacing in small circles. “Again, how does knowing this help us?”

“Here’s what you’ll type.” Boss points at Mia. “You ready?”

She holds her hands over the keyboard. “Go.”

“We can help Daedalus escape the labyrinth. You don’t have to die there, Alexei.”

Mia’s fingers rapidly type the message verbatim. “Anything else?”

Boss looks at me, his brows lifted. “T?”

That simple glance and one uttered syllable hit me dead in the solar plexus.

This.

Thisis what I’ve been waiting for. What I’ve needed.

For the only man who’s ever protected me to look at me like I matter.

The whoosh of the air flowing through the A/C vents blends with the whir from the CPU cooling fans.

Two seconds pass.

Then three.

Until I finally find my voice. “Yes, Mia. That’s all. Send the email.”

“Done.” She flounces back into her chair so energetically it rolls a few inches from the desk. “Now we wait.”

Klein’s gaze oscillates between Big Al and me, a grin gradually lifting the corner of his mouth.

Captain Compassionover there sees it. He knows what just happened. And how symbolic it was.

Finding my courage, I meet Big Al’s eyes, offering a scant tip of my chin. It’s all I can muster since words have failed me.

He repeats the gesture back. It’s the slightest movement, barely discernible. Yet it confirms the magnitude of his small gesture. It mattered to him as much as it mattered to me.

No clue where to go from here.

For the first time in my life, I want to hug him.

To communicate how much he means to me. How thankful I am for what he’s done for me. Not today. Not this month or this year.

But what he’s always done for me.

For being the father I never had. For loving me.

Why the fuck didn’t I see it until now?

I need to tell him.

The only problem is we aren’t alone, so I can’t very well do that now.

Secondary problem is he’s slowly creeping toward the door.

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