Page 81 of Broken Trust
“Evolution,” she whispered.
He nodded, chest welling with pride at the world he was part of. After all the times he felt like he stood on the outer ring of Charlie, he’d really been standing with his brothers the whole time.
“As you learned tonight when you saw those guys from Alpha team, we are not alone. I don’t just have my brothers in Charlie. I have all the other teams in Blackout. It’s a big family. And it’s growing, Elin. You saw that ultrasound. You know what’s possible.”
A tear tracked down her cheek. It hurt him to see it…but it brought hope to the surface too, that she was listening to him and finally reacting to what he had to say instead of bottling it all up.
He reached out with his good arm and brushed his fingertip over the tear, wiping it away. “I didn’t say the words when you needed me to. Two years ago, I wasn’t sure we could make it work. I closed that door and then I couldn’t find a way back. But you did.”
“Liam…”
“Elin, I’ve been in love with you before I was a ghost. That love didn’t die when I did. And it only grew when I saw you again.”
Her eyes shone with fury and relief and fear all braided together. “You should have said so sooner.”
“I know,” he admitted simply. “I’m saying it now.”
Tears streamed down her face, but she turned to him with a smile that cut through the shadows of the moment, making him believe he had a fighting chance.
“Good,” she breathed. “Because I love you too.”
* * * * *
Elin’s lips still tingled from the words. They hung between them, a fragile bubble that felt brand-new. She had wanted to say them so badly she’d stopped believing it possible. After Liam was gone…she spent every breath she took wishing she could still tell him.
When she saw him alive, she only wanted to punch him. And the wall of pain between them prevented her from letting herself feel. But being faced with the possibility of losing him again—for real this time—tore down every brick.
She sat quietly for a second longer, breathing in the moment as if it were oxygen after holding her breath underwater for a long time.
Liam didn’t speak either, and she darted a glance at him to ensure he was okay. He’d lost a lot of blood. His shirt sleeve was soaked in it, the black cloth inky and wet.
Where the hell was the team? Without looking at a clock, she didn’t know how much time had passed. It felt like a month had passed at least. Definitely more than the ten minutes the team planned. They should be here by now.
She tried to picture the team in the tunnels, waiting for her and Liam to return. Con making the decision to go after them. The team in full gear, weapons at the ready, rushing through the tunnels and entering the Pentagon.
Those men had become her friends. She was closer to some than others—some were the kind of comrades she nodded to or smiled at as they passed in the hallway. Even those men—the ones she’d only ever shared a nod with—would have her back without hesitating.
The idea surprised her as much as steadied her. Now she understood the force behind Liam’s statement that they would come.
Then there were the women on base, a sisterhood created by their common purpose to support the team behind the scenes.
And she was part of it.
All the ladies had become her friends, something she hadn’t experienced in many years.
“They’ll come,” she whispered.
Liam gave a nod, too weak for her peace of mind. She grasped his hand and found it cold. Too cold.
A colder panic swept through her. What if Kent stopped Charlie team from reaching them? One office worker was no match for SEALs, but what if Kent managed to block their way into the Pentagon?
Or Cipher did.
A shudder rippled down her spine.
“We’re cut off without our comms. But the contingency’s in place. Where the hell’s the team?” he muttered to himself.
She brought a fist up, pressing it into her lips to keep a cry inside. They were helpless. Without any way to defend themselves. She had only a rudimentary knowledge of self-defense, and Liam was weakened.
