Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
“Never with you,” he said softly. “I know it doesn’t count for much right now, but I’m sorry for losing my temper earlier.”
I sent a dose of side-eye his way. “You didn’t.”
“I did. You just didn’t know it.”
“Green,” Sergeant Gray called out. “I’ve got something.”
Nate stood, and I went back to staring at the television.
“Izzy,” Nate said a minute later.
I looked over my shoulder and saw him holding up a clunky-looking phone.
“It’s Serena.”
I scrambled off the couch and nearly tripped on the end table to get there. “Serena?” I said into the phone after taking it from Nate.
“I’m on my way, Izzy,” she said. “I don’t know who your man knows, but I’m in a car with this snazzy phone and Taj.”
“You’re okay?” I covered my face and ducked my head as my eyes watered.
“I’m okay. But it’s four hundred miles and a hell of a lot of checkpoints to Kabul. My credentials should get us there, but you can’t wait for me.”
My stomach twisted. “I can’t leave without you.”
“You can and you will. I’ll be on the first plane I can get on, but you have to get out of here. Promise me.”
“I don’t even know if I can get out before you get here, so it might be a moot argument,” I tried, lifting my head to see Nate shaking his head.
“I want to conserve the battery on this thing, so I need to go. But Iz, promise me you’ll go.”
“I promise,” I whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I handed the phone back to Nate, who lifted it to his ear. “I found a flight for her for tomorrow night.” He locked eyes with me. “I will personally throw her over my shoulder and strap her into the seat myself.”
My eyes narrowed at him.
He flashed a dimple.
Ugh.
“Serena, don’t get yourself killed. Izzy would never recover from the guilt of you not putting your ass on the helicopter when you had the chance.” He ended the call and handed the handset back to Gray.
“Thank you,” I said to Nate. “Whatever you did. Thank you.” It didn’t even come close to what he deserved to hear, but it was all I could get out.
He nodded once. “I meant what I said. I will strap you onto that flight myself tomorrow night.”
Which meant I only had twenty-four hours left with him.
I rolled over and stared at the clock just like I had every hour since I’d come to bed a little after midnight. Once the State Department had gone home for the day, there was no point continuing to call and follow up on visas, but in a few hours I could be useful helping with the interviews until Nate decided it was time to leave for the airport.
Four a.m. meant he was probably just waking up.
I flopped to my back and stared up at the ceiling, letting my thoughts run haywire.
Nate thought I’d turned his proposal down because I didn’t love him, and then he’d taped my engagement ring to a dog tag and carried it with him everywhere. What was I supposed to do with that?
Staying here, wasting the only hours I might have with him, wasn’t going to get me—or us—anywhere.
My heart pounded as I swung my feet over the side of the bed and then walked into the living room of my suite, turning on the lamp with the switch as moonlight poured in through the windows.
I turned near the kitchen area and folded my arms across my tank top as I stared at the ring. It was perfect. Simple. Exactly what I would have picked out if I’d been at the jewelry store with him. And he’d bought it after Fiji. After I’d resigned myself to living for the moments I had with him. He’d seen a future for us.
It took me three attempts before I actually managed to pick it up. It was slightly sticky from the tape’s residue, and all the more perfect for it. My heart hurt at the life it represented, the life we could have had.
I grabbed my key and walked out of my room before I could think twice and then stop myself.
Sergeant Rose blinked at me from where he stood next to Nate’s door. “Everything okay, Ms. Astor?”
Well. Shit. It wasn’t like I could storm across the hall and knock on Nate’s door now.
“You’re on babysitting duty.” I wrapped my arms across my chest, more than a little self-conscious that I didn’t exactly sleep in a bra.
“I’m on guard, yes.” He smothered a smile behind his beard.
“Right. So I’m just going to . . .” Go back into my room and pretend this never happened.
“You know what?” he said, whipping out a room key from his front pocket. “I’m in the mood to stir a little shit this morning. Why not.” He shrugged and tapped the key against Nate’s lock.