Spy Games (Tarnished Heroes #1)(74)

“How much trouble are the two of you in?” Matt asked softly.

“I can’t—”

“On a scale of one to ten?”

“Twenty.” It wasn’t just her and Matt…it was more than that.

“I’m going to want answers someday, but for now I’ll drop it. I don’t know how you got involved, and I wish you hadn’t. Sarah…whatever Rand’s doing, whatever he’s into, it’s bad. Real dangerous shit. I don’t have to know the job description to know that.”

She hoped she never had to tell him that she and Rand were in the same kind of work, just different pay grades.

“What’s going to make this the easiest for you guys?”

“What?” Sarah wasn’t following Matt’s line of reasoning.

“You keep looking at the clock, the door, then Rand. All night. Something’s up. You’re worried.”

“Just…” Sarah blew out a deep breath. “Can you, Mom, Dad, Emily, and the kids…go visit the lake house or something for a few days?”

The lake house was where their father had grown up and their grandparents had lived until they’d passed. The house had been willed to Sarah’s family, with each member technically owning a quarter. They treated it as a communal vacation home. It had the added benefit of being an hour and a half away in a medium-sized town on a busy stretch of road. Easy to watch, more remote than their houses, and farther away from this mess.

“I suppose we could do that,” Matt said slowly.

“Tell Mom and Dad that’s where we’re going.” She hated the lie, but her parents hadn’t stopped riding her ass about not having time to come visit them the last two trips through the U.S. If they thought she was going out there, they’d be easier to trick into safety.

“You’re going to be in hot water.”

“At least there will be water to boil.”

Matt stared at her, but she didn’t recognize him. This wasn’t her brother, or Emily’s husband. He was someone else.

“Rand?” Matt didn’t shift his gaze off her.

The floor creaked right behind Sarah. She flinched and glanced over her shoulder at Rand. The damn man moved like a freaking cat.

“Take care of Sarah, will you?”

“I will.”

Matt’s gaze flicked up to Rand.

They stared at each other and it wasn’t entirely hostile. All in all, their meeting was going better than she’d expected. There was no blood, nothing was broken… If it were under better circumstances, she’d call this a success.

“Good to see you.” Matt held out his hand.

“I’m ready,” Emily announced. “Don’t be a stranger, Rand.”

Emily hugged Rand, then Sarah. Which left her no option but to hug her brother. Matt squeezed her a bit tighter than usual, and it was clear he wanted to say more, but didn’t.

In a matter of moments, they were out the door and on their way home. It was all so surreal.

“Their detail’s been here since before we got here. They’re safe,” Rand whispered. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

She leaned into him, needing his strength. What were they going to do? She was exhausted, dead on her feet, and now what?

“We’ve established this location is about as secure as we can make it. Detail’s outside. Let’s crash and clear out early. Come on.” Rand tugged her toward the patio.

Had she spoken out loud? She must have.

They said their thanks and good night to Julie and let themselves out. It was all so peaceful, so otherworldly.

“How’s your arm?” Rand peered around them, no doubt on the lookout for danger.

“It’s okay. Aches a little every now and then. Matt and Emily didn’t see it, so that’s a blessing.” She didn’t want to explain her stitches on top of everything else.

Rand let them into the carriage house and did a quick sweep from the ground floor up. She appreciated his unending strength, his experience… Hell, she just liked having him close.

“We’re good. Let me see your arm.”

She held out her arm and watched him peel her shirt sleeve up.

“You think Irene’s okay?” She couldn’t stop thinking about her handler, the blood, that nail-biting drive to Walter Reed.

“I think her chances are good.”

“You never even saw her.”

“Was she breathing when you got there?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I bet she’ll be okay.”

“Should we check in or something?”

“Checking in is what got her hurt in the first place.” Rand pressed his lips together.

“Someone burned me. Sold me out to the Koreans and Chinese, who knows who else? And now…” Sarah closed her eyes. “Because of me, because I called Irene, I might have gotten her killed. Her sister just had a Hail-Mary surgery, you know that? What if she lives and Irene dies?”

“You can’t obsess about what might happen. It’ll blind you to what’s happening.”

“I know, but—”

“No buts, Sarah.”

“Are we doing the right thing?”

“Yes.”

“How can you be so certain about everything?”