Page 88 of Hidden Attraction

She rushed forward, standing in front of the screen, hands covering her mouth as she stared at the caller.

* * * * *

Tears brimmed in Alyssa’s eyes. The face on the screen was shockingly familiar because it haunted her dreams. The hard-hitting freelance journalist she had freed that long ago day.

“Callie Northwood. It’s so good to set eyes on you.”

The woman’s smile widened. “Miss Vargas.”

“Please call me Alyssa.” She hugged herself, shaking her head in disbelief.

She looked softer somehow, more human than the image Alyssa held in her mind all these years.

“I searched for you. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“Special Operative Chase told me. The reason you couldn’t find me was because I changed my name.”

Alyssa gaped in astonishment.

“Callie Northwood was my pen name. A little dramatic, I know. But I thought it gave me an edge in print and in the media.”

“I understand. You do what you have to do in this world.” Never could those words have rung so true as they did in this surreal moment.

She pushed a wave of dark hair over her shoulder. “After you freed me, I decided it was important to return to my roots and my real name. Izzy Cruz.”

“Izzy,” Alyssa repeated, testing the name against the image of the woman. It fit her much better.

“When Chase reached out…I thought it was important for me to connect with you. If not for you, I wouldn’t be here. You saved my life, and I never got a chance to thank you.”

A lump lodged in Alyssa’s throat. “You were incredibly brave. I’ve thought about you every day since. I never got to say goodbye.”

They continued to talk about how that day changed both of them for the better. They even discussed the bombing at the Red Cross and how the woman who died in that explosion had a son who took his life afterward and how they were hoping to find more living members of her family or anyone else connected to the son.

Interest lit Izzy’s face. “I never knew this angle of events. With your permission, I’d like to investigate this further.”

Alyssa nodded, eager to have more assistance in finding the woman’s family.

All the while, Julian stood back, listening and watching. He didn’t contribute, just allowed Alyssa to have the moment to herself.

He’d given her the closure she craved all these years.

She and Izzy ended the call with a promise to stay in touch. After the screen faded to black, Alyssa turned and walked straight into Julian’s arms. Her lover wrapped her tight against him, face bowed into her hair.

“I needed that so much, Julian. But you knew that. I needed to see the good from that day. Now I can bear the weight of what happened to the poor woman at the Red Cross a little easier. Ididhelp people that day. My efforts made a difference in the world.”

He nodded against her hair. “You did. I hope you have a little more peace of mind now.”

She withdrew from his arms to search his face. “I’ve been thinking, and now is a good time to bring up the topic.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’ve been thinking about us. We both said things.”

“I meant every one, baby. I love you. I don’t want to let you go.”

She smiled up at him. “I feel the same way. After you left on the op, I did a little soul-searching, and not only about my career. I know that in Blackout, you’re not supposed to have people who are close to you.”

He cradled her face in his hands. “That’s true, but rules are made to be broken. And I plan on demolishing every last one to have you, Alyssa.”

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