Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
He’s dead.
I let out a breath, one I didn’t realize I’d been holding, as the weight of everything settles over me. The threat that’s haunted Eva, Nate, and so many others is neutralized.
I glance over at Vin. He’s already slapped cuffs on Enzo, who’s kneeling on the ground, defeated but alive. Enzo glares at me, his eyes burning with hatred, but he doesn’t say a word. He knows this is over, too.
"Enzo’s secured," Vin calls out, his voice steady but with an undercurrent of relief. He shoots me a quick glance, nodding in silent acknowledgment.
We did what we came to do.
Now it’s time to go home.
Chapter 40
Evangelina
They’ve been gone for hours, and each tick of the clock feels like an eternity. Sleep is out of the question. Every time I close my eyes, my mind conjures worst-case scenarios. So, I pace the small kitchen of the safe house, the worn linoleum floor creaking under my feet. The other agents must think I’ve lost it, but I can’t stop moving.
I run my hands over the counters, wiping them down for what must be the hundredth time. There’s no mess. There hasn’t been a mess for hours. But my hands need something to do, some outlet for the swirling storm inside me. If I stand still, the anxiety will swallow me whole.
I glance at the clock again. Midnight. They left at what… eight? It feels like days have passed. Where are they? Where’s Benedict?
Nate’s asleep in the back room, his little body curled up under the covers. I checked on him about ten times, just to make sure he’s still breathing, safe and sound. I envy his ability to sleep through all of this. But I’m stuck here, my thoughts a whirlwind of everything that could be going wrong. What if Benedict doesn’t come back? What if Christopher gets away again? What if this never ends?
I try to imagine what they’re doing right now. Benedict, moving through the shadows, taking down the men who’ve ruined our lives. I think of his face, the way he looked at me before he left—so much intensity, like he was silently promising to come back. I have to believe him. I have to believe he’ll keep that promise.
But doubt creeps in, slithering through the cracks. I scrub at the counters harder, as if I can erase the worry from my mind along with the nonexistent stains.
The agents stationed here with me try to make small talk, but I barely respond. Their words sound distant, like they’re underwater, muffled by the chaos in my brain. I nod and smile when I’m supposed to, but they must see right through it. I’m not really here with them. I’m out there with Benedict, hoping, praying he comes back in one piece.
I stop pacing and grip the edge of the counter, breathing deeply to keep the panic at bay. He’ll come back. He has to. I tell myself that over and over, clinging to the thought like a lifeline.
But the silence of the safe house feels suffocating. The walls close in around me, the weight of uncertainty pressing down.
And when he comes back, then what? The mission will be over. No more undercover priest. No more lies about who he is. His cover has been blown, and with it, any pretense we had of keeping things simple. Will he just pack up and leave, head back to wherever agents like him come from, moving on to the next assignment like nothing happened?
And if he does, what does that mean for us? Was there ever really an us, or was it all just a lie wrapped in layers of danger and secrets? My mind races with all the questions I’ve been pushing down. I want answers, but I’m terrified of what they’ll be.
The kitchen feels colder all of a sudden, and I wrap my arms around myself, staring at the spot where Benedict stood just hours ago. We’ve been through so much together, but I still don’t know if what we had was real or just part of the mission.
I catch myself imagining what life would look like without him. A part of me aches at the thought of him just walking away. Leaving me and Nate behind, like a ghost disappearing into the night. I hate that I’ve gotten so used to him being here.
But what if he doesn’t want the same thing? What if, when this is all over, I’m just another assignment he has to move on from?
Suddenly, headlights cut through the darkness outside, flooding the kitchen with harsh white light. I freeze for a second, my breath catching in my throat. The car pulls into the driveway, and I recognize the SUV. It’s the same one Benedict left in to meet the chopper earlier. My heart stumbles in my chest as I rush to the window, peering out from behind the curtain.