Page 98 of Known By You
I followed him into his office and took a seat. Wilder was there, too.
“Hey, Saint.”
“Barbie.”
“Elizabeth was pretty subdued at the family dinner last night.”
Pain lanced through me. “Yeah. Leaving has to be hard.”
Wilder nodded. “Especially when you’re leaving loved ones.”
Loved ones.Why did everything he said make this hurt worse, not better? “Yeah, I bet.”
“And especially since she’s leaving a place I don’t think she wants to leave.”
My head snapped up to inspect him. “What does that mean?”
He waited like he thought it might occur to me naturally, but acquiesced and explained. “She clung to Jo and Darcy with everything she had. She was as close to distraught as I can imagine that woman being.”
My heart hurt. Mysoulhurt. “I hate that.”
He nodded. “Yeah. It was awful.”
Bruce clapped as though we’d gotten off-track and he was redirecting, as though he was completely oblivious to the gut-wrenching conversation going on directly in front of him.
“Not sure what you’re thinking for my next assignment, but?—”
“Did you know there’s a listing for Europe right now?” Bruce asked.
I blinked.
“Hijack’s popping back for a bit and we need someone out who’s flexible. But that person could, should they have a reason to stay in one place, choose to live in any city that’s near a major airport.”
A glimmer of light slipped into the darkness in my chest. “That’s… interesting.”
Wilder just stared, but Bruce nodded meaningfully. “Isn’t it?”
“But I’m not sure if… um, well, if the city would want me there.”
Wilder huffed softly and said, “The city wants you.”
Bruce grinned. “I think the city wants you any way the city can get you. And we want you, too. So we’ll work with you to make this work.”
Throat tight, I swallowed hard. “What are you saying?” I couldn’t afford to misunderstand this.
“They’re saying you can be with her and keep your job at Saint, too.” My head snapped to the doorway where Cookie leaned in. “They’re also about to say that you’re booked on a flight to Budapest first thing tomorrow, so you better go pack.”
Everything clicked into place and I knew. They were right. I couldn’t leave my family at Saint Security, but the idea of living without Liz was unbearable. I didn’t know if she’d want me, but I had to try. I had to offer up this compromise that didn’t take from her and allowed me to keep the things dearest to me.
I cackled and shot out of my chair.
“I’ll take it.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Elizabeth
Somehow, I’d survived the last forty-eight hours in one piece.
