Page 87 of Duty Unbound

“I never said you were.”

“Where will you take her?”

“My family’s ranch in Colorado,” I said. “It’s remote, peaceful. Just what she needs right now.”

Nova brightened. “I can charter you a plane! Get you there faster.”

“That’s not necessary?—”

“Please. It’s literally the least I can do. And I mean that both ways—it’s the absolute minimum I can do for Mel aftereverything, and it’s also the least difficult thing for me to arrange.” She was already pulling out her phone. “I’ll have it ready in three hours.”

I shook my head, bemused by this unexpected side of Nova. “Thank you.”

She looked up from her phone, her expression suddenly serious. “You’re good for her, you know. You really see her.”

“She’s easy to see when you’re paying attention.”

“That’s probably true.” Nova’s gaze drifted to the window. “Thousands of people see me every night, but sometimes I feel like nobody really knows me at all.” She gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. “Not that I’m complaining. It’s what I wanted.”

“Fame has its price,” I acknowledged.

“So does being in the background.” She refocused on me. “Don’t hurt her, okay? Mel’s…special. She pretends to be tough, but she’s not. Not really.”

“I know.”

Nova studied me for a moment longer, then nodded, apparently satisfied with what she saw. “Good. Now, go get her out of here for a while. I’ll be fine with your team watching over me.”

As I left to find Mel, I realized that maybe we’d all been misjudging Nova Rivers. Behind the diva antics and demanding personality, she might have more depth than any of us had given her credit for.

On the way to Mel’s suite, I passed Jace’s mobile command center. He was hunched over his computers, monitoring security feeds.

“Everything quiet?” I asked, pausing in the doorway.

He glanced up. “All clear. Just doing a routine facial recognition scan of everyone who’s been on the property in the last week.”

“Good.” I stepped inside. “Logan fill you in?”

“That you’re taking Mel away for a few days? Yeah.” Heswiveled his chair to face me. “It’s the right call, boss. She needs a break from all this.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.” I leaned against the desk. “You’ll keep me updated if anything happens here?”

“Of course.” He nodded toward his equipment. “I’ll have a secure line set up for you. Daily check-ins, immediate alerts for anything suspicious.”

“Thanks.” I straightened. “I should check on Mel.”

Jace returned to his monitors, and I continued down the hallway to Mel’s suite. When I knocked, there was no answer. I tried the handle and found the door unlocked.

Inside, I found Mel standing in the middle of the room with an empty duffel bag open on the bed. She hadn’t packed a single thing.

“Need some help?” I asked gently.

She turned, and the lost look in her eyes made me want to pull her into my arms and never let go.

“I don’t know what to bring,” she said, her voice small. “I started, but then I just… I don’t know. I couldn’t decide anything.”

I crossed to her closet. “Let me.”

With efficiency born from years of packing for missions, I selected a couple pairs of jeans, comfortable shirts, a sweater, practical shoes. I added toiletries from her bathroom, making sure to include the vanilla-scented lotion I’d noticed she used.

---