Long Road Home(39)

“Just a misunderstanding,” Manuel said.

“Look, it’s obvious to me you’re protecting your girl. Damn it, Manuel, you’ve put me in a hell of a predicament. I’ve got the higher-ups breathing down my neck wanting to know what the f**k is going on with a suspected terrorist on the loose.”

Manuel closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“You be careful, Manuel. You’re officially on your own. I’ll do what I can to keep the heat from you, and I’m sure Tony’s doing the same, damn his computer geek hide, but there’s nothing I can do if you’re apprehended, you got me?”

“Thanks,” Manuel said quietly. “I won’t let you down. I’m just trying to figure this mess out. Things aren’t as they appear.”

Sanderson snorted. “That much is obvious. Watch your back, Manuel. Your girl is bringing down a lot of heat.”

The line went dead. He clenched his fist around the cell phone and squashed the urge to fling it across the room.

He needed coffee in the worst way.

As he padded into the kitchen, he wondered in a brief moment of horror if there was a coffeemaker. Tony wouldn’t do that to him, though. He wouldn’t send him to a place that had no coffee.

After scrounging around the cabinets, he located a coffeemaker and a canister of coffee. He sniffed it cautiously, but it didn’t smell stale. Soon the aroma of the heavenly brew filled the kitchen. God, he needed three cups to make up for the last few days.

He was on his second when Jules shuffled into the kitchen. He smiled when he saw she had pulled his shirt on. It hung to her knees, but on her it looked adorable.

She looked nervously at him. He set his cup down on the counter and moved toward her, enfolding her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head.

“Good morning.”

“Morning,” she returned, her voice muffled by his chest.

He pulled her away and stared down into her eyes. “Are you all right? How’s your shoulder?”

“I’m good. Shoulder hurts, but not bad.”

“Sit down.” He gestured toward a nearby barstool. “I’ll rustle up some breakfast for us.”

She pulled the barstool up to the bar that separated the kitchen from the small dining area and sat down. She put her elbows on the hard surface and rested her chin in her palms, studying him as he puttered around the kitchen.

“When do we leave?”

Manuel placed a skillet on the stovetop and turned to look at her. “I hoped to stay here a day or two. Let things calm down before we hit the road again. It’ll give Tony time to sort out this mess on his end. But I’m waiting for him to call. We’ll do what he thinks is best.”

A flare of alarm crossed her face. He narrowed his eyes as he took in her reaction. What was going through her mind now?

“Is that a problem?”

She shook her head. “No, I mean that is, I thought we were in a hurry to get to D.C. I don’t want you out here with me…where you can get killed.”

That wasn’t all she was thinking. He’d bet his life on that much, but damned if he knew what. He sighed. Would he ever get to the bottom of things? Would he ever know what truly happened to her or was it destined to remain a mystery?

He cracked eggs to make an omelet and a few minutes later set a plate in front of Jules. “Eat up. You’re too thin.”

She smiled slightly, but dug into the omelet with her fork. “You didn’t seem to mind how thin I am last night.”

His body stirred to life as he remembered just how much he hadn’t minded. He set his own plate on the opposite side of the bar from her and stared directly into her eyes.

“There’s nothing about you I mind, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you.”

She flushed pink, her pupils flaring for a moment. With desire?

She put her fork down, her fingers still wrapped tightly around it. She didn’t raise her head to look at him, and he had to strain to hear what she said.

“I would have, you know.”

He cocked his head sideways. “Would have what?”

“Married you,” she said in a quiet voice. “I adored you back then. Worshipped the ground you walked on.”

His chest clenched, silent agony squeezing him until he struggled for breath.

“And now, Jules? How do you feel about me now?”

She uncurled her fingers from her fork and put her hand in her lap. She still refused to look at him. When she did raise her eyes to meet his, they were awash in anguish.

“Isn’t it obvious? That you mean more to me than anyone else in the world? It’s why I can’t allow anything to happen to you. I let Mom and Pop down. I won’t let you down. I won’t let you get killed because of me.”

In that moment, he knew. He knew without question that she hadn’t joined the NFR of her own volition. Her agony was clearly written on her face. Which meant she had joined because of him. And it made him want to puke.

Maybe it was his fault. If he had just come clean before she left that he had joined the CIA, maybe she would have had faith in his ability to help her. And she wouldn’t have spent the last three years in hell. She wouldn’t have thought him some helpless computer geek she had to protect.

He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “We’re in this together. No matter what you may think, no matter that you endured the last three years alone, the point is you will never be alone again.”