Shattered Lies (Web of Lies #3)(20)

Grant stood, stepped out of the seat, and began walking down the aisle, leaving Valeria once again sputtering.

“Major Washington?” a soldier asked as if it were common for two people to come off a plane at four in the morning.

“Yes,” Grant said to the fake name, with all the command of an officer.

“Here are the keys to your car. It’s sitting over there.” The officer pointed outside the gates surrounding the airfield.

“Thank you.”

Grant walked off leaving Valeria, his assistant, to follow. She let out a deep breath of annoyance and followed. “I’ll drive.”

“No, I will,” Grant countered as he opened the driver’s door.

“You don’t know where we’re going. I do.”

“Then you can tell me. Now get in. We’re being watched, and you’re injured.”

Valeria looked over her shoulder and saw the soldier watching them as he made his way to one of the nearby buildings. “Fine,” she grumbled.

Grant winked at her again, and she flipped him off. At least she’d be back with her team. The thought surprised her. She was never a team player, but she found herself wanting that camaraderie. She shoved it aside. With what she was going to show them, they didn’t have time for warm fuzzies and bonding.



* * *



At this time of morning, the drive went quickly. Val hated to admit it, but Grant drove like he flew—with utter confidence and competence, and she found herself relaxing into the seat as they talked about their Scottish histories.

“I’m so jealous you competed in the Highland games. I always wanted to see them, but our trips to Scotland were rare, and I never got to see one,” Val told Grant.

“I’d spend every break from school there with my grandparents. I’ll show you around if you’re ever up for going.”

Val was about to say her automatic no, but taking in Grant’s profile and sincerity, she said instead, “This is the place.” Val pointed to Lizzy’s townhouse.

“We’ll park a block away and cut through the back,” Grant said before she could suggest the same thing. “Has anyone ever told you that you are cute when you make that pissed-off face?” Then Grant touched the wrinkled bridge of her nose and smiled. “Cute as a button.”

Valeria growled. If she had a gun on her, she’d have shot him right then. No one had ever called her cute before.

Grant parked and looked around as he got out of the car. “You can jump that, right?” he asked, pointing to the privacy fence. Valeria responded by pulling herself over despite the recent wounds and flashing him a victorious smile before dropping to the ground on the other side.

“There’s my lass,” she heard Grant chuckle as he easily bounded over it. For being such a large man, both height and muscle wise, Grant certainly had moves.

“Val!” Lizzy cried as she pulled open the sliding door and raced out into the backyard. Valeria stood stiff as Lizzy wrapped her in a hug. “I am so glad to see you. I was so worried about you.”

Val brought her arms up and patted Lizzy awkwardly. “I should have told you where I was going. I’m sorry.”

Lizzy pulled back, her blue eyes flashed with annoyance. “I won’t lie and say it didn’t piss me off. But I figured you thought you were doing what was best. But now that attacks have been made on the group, I think it’s time to be all in. If you can’t be part of the team, it would be best if you left.”

“But there’s so much to do,” Val blurted out, realizing she let her tough demeanor slip.

“Then no more lone-wolfing it. Are you ready to be part of the team or not?” Lizzy stepped back, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared her down.

“After I show you what I have, you’ll need all the help you can get. You’d have to kill me to get me to quit.”

“Good. Then before you do anything, run it past me.” Lizzy held up her hand as Val opened her mouth to complain. “In or out?”

Val closed her mouth and took a deep breath. Lizzy wasn’t her ex-boyfriend, Anthony. Lizzy was maybe the only person who truly knew Valeria’s pain after being scapegoated and dumped from her life’s calling. Valeria had to take a step of faith and trust again. “In.”

“Good. We’re all inside.”

Grant was already at the door pounding Dalton on the back before his grin grew. “Jason! You old pain in the arse. I’m damn sorry to hear about Michelle. She was one hell of a woman.”

The light quickly dimmed in Jason’s eyes at the mention of his wife. Val knew that look all too well. It was a look of not caring about life any further. She’d had it before Humphrey had broken into her house to recruit her. There was never an option to simply block out the pain. But she had learned to move forward when she became a part of this team. Maybe the team would give Jason something to live for as well.

Val walked into the small kitchen and headed for the living room as she said hello to Jason and got a hug from Dalton. Alex sat on the couch with his head bent and his hair falling in his eyes as he worked on the computer. He looked up at her and frowned. “Hey, dude.”

Val stopped dead in her tracks as the normally hyper Alex went back to work. Apparently he wasn’t ready to forgive her for leaving yet. “Hi, Alex. What are you working on?” Val asked, taking a seat by him.