Page 121 of The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold
King leaned down and picked it up just as the goon on the screen pulled his mask off. Sawyer’s hair was a mess when he leaned close to the camera and said, “We good?”
“We’re good,” Alex said, but she kept her gaze on King’s—even as the woman on the screen shouted—
“Oh my gosh! I’m so good at decoying!”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Twenty-Four Hours Ago
Switzerland
Alex
Alex had thought the cabin would be larger? Or maybe smaller? Nicer? Or maybe more rustic? Honestly, Alex didn’t know what to expect from the place she’d spent the last year trying to locate. She just knew that nothing was how it had been in her mind—not the place or her reason for being there and certainly not the man beside her.
“Are you sure about this?” King was still holding her hand.
“I should go in first.”
“But—”
Alex smirked up at him. “What would you do if Jake Sawyer showed up on your drawbridge and said he needed me to go away with him?”
“Good point.” King gave her a gentle nudge toward the door. “Go forth. Conquer. I’ll wait right...” He tugged her back and placed a kiss on her lips like he still couldn’t quite believe he was allowed to do that. “Good luck.”
Then Alex sauntered toward the door.
Her sister was laughing when Alex slipped inside—that was the first thing she noticed. The voice still sounded like Zoe—but freer. Lighter. Happier. She sounded like someone whose heart wasn’t broken anymore.
Sawyer, on the other hand, had the look of a man for whomeverythinghad changed, so Alex tried to keep her movements slow, her voice even as she said, “Get off my little sister.”
Instantly, Sawyer pressed Zoe into the couch cushions and shielded her with his body while he pulled a gun from somewhere and pointed it in Alex’s direction.
At first, it was like he was looking at a ghost. But then shock gave way to wariness, and he sounded like the operative she used to know when he said, “Hey, stranger. Why don’t you put that gun down?”
Alex hadn’t even realized she was holding one, but she’d heard her sister cry out and... yeah. Old habits. Old dogs. Something about new tricks or fresh leaves, but Alex couldn’t turn over anything. Not until this was finally finished.
So she just smirked and asked, “Why don’t you?” Sawyer cocked an eyebrow like he didn’t want to hurt her—and hereallydidn’t want to hurt her in front of Zoe—but if he had to...
Alex looked at her sister. “Hey, Zo.” She slipped the gun back into her pocket. “Had to make sure he wasn’t killing you.”
“Nope. Very much... uh... alive.” Zoe was looking back and forth between Alex and Sawyer like she didn’t know if she should initiate a group hug or find shelter. But she was leaning toward hug?
“So...” Sawyer started slowly. “Where’ve you been?”So many places.“Who’ve you killed?”So many people.
Zoe tried to get off the sofa, but Sawyer pushed her back down, keeping his body in between them like Alex was a danger to her sister. Alex wanted to snap that she would never, ever hurt Zoe—but the truth was simple: she already had.
“Alex?” She could hear her sister talking, sense her moving closer. Alex didn’t just feel the weight of all that had happened—she felt the ache of all that she had missed. Her sister had grown up and fallen in love and gotten married. She’d built a life on that mountain and with that man. Zoe was so, so happy, and Alex was so, so jealous. Sawyer used to say that people like them don’t get happy endings, but he was living proof that he was wrong. And if it could happen for Sawyer and Zoe, then...
“Long story short, I’m in an enemies-to-lovers situation. And I think I’m gonna need your help.”
It seemed to take forever for Zoe to shout, “I knew it!”
“Enemies to...” Sawyer shook his head. “What?”
“Enemies to lovers!” the sisters said in stereo.
“Sweet mercy, there really are two of them,” a voice said from the door, and Sawyer whirled, but King already had his hands up. “Hi, Jake.”
