Page 27 of Devlin

Devlin listened, the weight of Alain’s words settling in his chest. The story was all too familiar—ordinary people forced to make impossible choices just to survive.

Alain's eyes were now filled with tears, but he smiled. Dena reached out her other hand, clutching his as they lay on the table.

"It takes a helluva lot of courage to do what you did," Devlin said, admiration in his tone. "I'm glad for you and your family." Devlin glanced over at Jonan then, knowing there was more to Alain’s situation than hearing about his daring escape to freedom.

Now, with lowered voices as they finished their meal, Jonan whispered, "You are curious about the black market and the Congo. You will find that Alain knows a great deal about medical supplies that find their way there. With his knowledge, they were able to stem the flow of a lot of the products moving from arefugee camp across the border to be sold. I thought you would find his story interesting."

Devlin nodded, now understanding. He looked at Alain and Dena as they stood. "It'll be nice talking to you more at another time."

Alain dipped his head. "I look forward to it. Jonan will arrange a time.”

Jonan stood with his tray in his hand. "I'm going to drive Margarethe around this afternoon as she works on inventory. I know Mia will be at her office before visiting some of the villages. Alain will walk his wife to the medical clinic and meet us at Mia's office."

Devlin nodded, then watched as Jonan walked away. He glanced toward Cole and Todd. "He seems eager."

"Can't get a read on him," Cole said. "Can't tell if he's here to lead us in one direction or is working with us."

"We'll talk to Alain and find out what he has to say."

"Maybe Mia will have more information on him for us," Todd added.

Devlin agreed, but the more he thought of Mia in the middle of a black market investigation, the more his breakfast sat like a rock in his gut.

12

Mia sat at the long, worn wooden table, surrounded by the quiet hum of morning conversation. The scent of strong Ugandan coffee mixed with the earthy aroma of fresh bread, but her appetite was nonexistent. She lifted her cup, fingers wrapped around the warmth, but her mind was elsewhere as her gaze constantly flicked toward the entrance of the dining hall. She wondered if Devlin had already had breakfast or would be coming in soon.

She exhaled sharply, inwardly chastising herself for the attention she was giving to a man she had walked away from. Why should it matter? But she was nothing if not self-aware, and deep down, she recognized the truth. A decade with Devlin wasn’t something she could continue to pretend had never existed. No matter how much pain came at the end, she had loved him for too long to simply erase him.

She shook her head and scoffed quietly to herself. Years together, then years apart.Maybe we’re destined to have something different happen to us each decade.

“Are you okay?”

She jerked slightly, pulled from her thoughts. The three people at the table were watching her now, their expressionsexpectant. Damn. She had completely tuned them out and had no idea what they’d been discussing.

“Yes, I’m so sorry,” she said, forcing a small smile. “I slept poorly last night, so my brain is a little foggy.”

“Well, that explains the blank stare,” one of the women across from her teased before her expression shifted. Her eyes widened as she sat up straighter. “Holy shit. Who the hell is that trio?”

Mia didn’t have to turn around to know exactly who had just walked in.

A strange, familiar energy settled in her chest, prickling along her skin, and even though she told herself she wouldn’t, she gave in and turned. Devlin. Her gaze locked onto his immediately, as if pulled by an invisible tether, and just like yesterday, she found his eyes already pinned on her.

Unlike their first unexpected encounter, she felt no shock today. No jarring realization that he was suddenly here, in this world she had built without him. But the emotions coursing through her were impossible to name.

A rush of heat flooded her as last night’s dream came roaring back, so vivid it made her stomach tighten. Then there was the conversation. He had said he wanted to talk. About what?

Did he want to rehash the past? She wasn’t sure she could do that, not without reopening wounds she’d carefully stitched closed. Was he here to apologize? That thought stirred something bitter inside her. She didn’t need an apology—she needed to move forward.

But a darker, more vulnerable fear slithered through her mind. What if he wanted to tell her abouther? The woman he’d been with that night. Or worse—about all the women who had come after. Or maybe he was still with her.

She swallowed hard and forced herself to study him with a clinical eye. He wasn’t the same man who had left her. The sharpedge of testosterone-fueled arrogance that had defined him in his early SEAL years had softened. He looked… deeper. More introspective. As if the years had forced him to stop running headfirst into every situation and actually think first.

She hadn’t realized how long she’d been holding his gaze until she suddenly jerked, breaking the moment. Devlin dipped his chin in acknowledgment, his lips curving into the hint of a smile.

For a second, she thought he would come over. But then Jonan leaned in, murmuring something to him, and just like that, Devlin turned.

Mia watched as he and the other Keepers moved toward a table where Alain and Dena were seated. Instead of relief that she wouldn’t have to talk to him just yet, disappointment crept in. Her eyes lingered on them as they quickly fell into deep conversation.

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