Page 97 of The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold
And then Alex leapt into the air, diving deep as the goons fired overhead, bullets piercing the water like falling stars until—
One.
Flames filled the sky, and Alex dove deeper beneath the waves, hiding from the heat and the debris that fell like rain.
She gasped when she finally surfaced, but all she saw were floating pieces of smoldering rubble and smoke so thick, it blocked the stars. The dark waters of the sea lapped against her, and Alex’s mind grew foggy from the smoke and the trauma and the knowledge that she was a long, long way from shore.
Maybe someone would see the flames. Maybe someone heard the explosion. Or maybe it was all too late, but that didn’t matter.
The flash drive was safe.
The backup was gone.
Even if Alex didn’t make it out of this, it wouldn’t all be for nothing. People would know that her good heart and her strong body hadn’t been wasted. She wasn’t just the girl who had almost killed her sister; she was also the woman who had taken down Viktor Kozlov, so a deep sense of peace came over Alex as she floated on the inky black water and watched the smoke swirl across the sky.
She crawled onto a piece of debris and closed her eyes. She was starting to drift—on the waves and in and out of consciousness, when—
“If you need me, press the stone and I’ll find you. I’ll always find you...”
The voice filled her mind as Alex reached for the bracelet and pressed against the emerald. She felt theclickand watched it start to glow—a green light flashing in the dark. Beating like a pulse, the only thing keeping her alive as the stars grew brighter and the night grew later—
And later—
And later—
Until a low distant hum filled the air, and, suddenly, the moon was too bright—too close—beaming down on Alex like a spotlight as the water got rougher and the sound got louder and—
There was a shadow in the moonlight, falling from the sky and getting closer. And closer.
And closer.
Strong arms wrapped around her. Lips pressed against her skin. And a familiar voice said, “I have you. I have you. I have you.”
Alex felt her body start to rise as the arms squeezed tighter.
“You’re safe now,” the voice said, and for the first time in a long time, it was true.
Chapter Fifty-Three
One Year Ago
Scotland
Alex
Alex lay in bed for a long time, staring at the man asleep in the chair beside her. His hair was mussed and his clothes were wrinkled, and he couldn’t have been further from the dude in the bar at the airport Ramada. In short, Michael Kingsley had never looked worse, but he’d also never looked better, and for a while she just nestled into the soft sheets and warm blankets and watched a soft ray of sunshine streak across a jaw that was rough with stubble.
She must have made a sound, though, because he bolted upright, as if mad at himself that he’d fallen asleep and left her alone and unguarded.
“Did I ever thank you for the bracelet?”
He started to lunge for her but held himself back somehow. Like he didn’t want to scare her. Like a part of him thought it might still be a dream.
“Hi,” Alex told him.
“Hi.” His voice cracked.
There were a million things to say in that moment but only one that mattered. “You came for me.”
