Risky (Torn Between Two Lovers #2)(63)

He’d lost the only thing that had ever mattered.

Slowly, he retrieved a sheet of paper, creased and worn though it wasn’t old. He’d handled it so much, it was almost falling apart. As many times as he read the words, they never changed. They were still ugly and final.

He could still feel his heart break every time, thought surely the shrapnel would kill him very soon. Smoothing the paper, he read it again.

Gray,

By the time you read this, I’ll be on a plane. I need to get out of town for a while, get my head together. I know you’ll think this is an attempt to hurt you like you hurt me, but that’s not the case at all.

You were doing your job. I understand that. You had to catch the men involved in the drug ring, and I’m glad you did. In the end, you saved my business.

But it’s the rest I can’t put out of my mind. I was falling for you, hard. If I weren’t, I wouldn’t be so lost at finding out you weren’t who I thought. That I was just a suspect you needed information from, at least in the beginning. I know you fell for me, too, but you still played me. You went too far.


As for what happened in my office, seeing you kill two men frightened me. Worse, seeing you almost die—that terrified me more than anything. So much that I can’t sleep. Even if I can forgive you, even if I can give us another chance, you’re still Grayson Sloane, FBI agent. Your enemies will try to kill you.

And one day, if one of them succeeds, I wouldn’t survive losing you. Not like that. I don’t have it in me to take that chance with my heart.

Maybe I’m a coward for cutting my losses, but I can’t deal with all of this. I need time to think, and as hard as it is for me to say, I don’t expect you to wait for me. I honestly hope you find what you’re looking for.

Heal fast, please. I’m so glad you’re going to be okay.

Love,

Anna

The words blurred, and he wiped his face. No, he couldn’t let go just yet. He had to know if they were truly finished. If so, he’d take care of loose ends and then hand in his resignation. After that, he didn’t want to think too hard about how little he cared what happened next.

And the biggest loose end was Joaquin Delacruz. As much as he hated Delacruz, especially now, there was absolutely no evidence tying him to the drug ring working through Anna’s restaurant. So he was innocent of that, at least. Maybe the man really was trying to sweep the criminal element out of his businesses. If that was true, most of Joaquin’s business partners would go kicking and screaming. The others with guns blazing. Things were going to get very ugly, and fast.

And Gray was going to place himself right in the middle of it. He sort of relished the fight.

Shaking himself from his stupor, his picked up his cell and called the one person who would climb aboard the ship and bring a harpoon, no questions asked. Simon King answered the phone, failing to mask the worry in his voice with false cheer.

“Hey, partner! What’s up?”

“I need you, Simon.” Quietly spoken, that was all he had to say.

“I’ll be there in less than half an hour. Hang tight.”

With that, Gray hung up and waited. He and Simon had plans to make.

***

The subtle threat, presumably from Santos, cast a long shadow over Joaquin’s afternoon.

At least he could distract himself by playing in the sand with Anna. With her, he found it easy to let go and just be himself for a while. Funny, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever known what “being himself” meant before. There was always too much work and no fun in his life, but that was going to change.

That brought him back to the idea that had been niggling at his brain all day. Maybe it was impulsive—perhaps it was foolish, for several reasons—but the more he thought about it, the more he was determined to have his way. Now he just had to persuade Anna to accept.

After a particularly vigorous game of beach volleyball, he grabbed her hand and dragged her back to their grass umbrella shade. Pulling her down onto the blanket, he kissed her breathless, not caring about the sand and salt covering them both. Or who might be watching, including Henry. When he broke the kiss, she laughed. It was a musical sound that went to his soul.

“You’re really good at kissing,” she said, smiling. “But I’m better at volleyball!”

“Rub it in, why don’t you?” Looking into her gorgeous, sun-kissed face, he couldn’t be grumpy, though. “I’ll get my revenge during bingo.”

“Bring it.”

Sitting close to her, he was silent for a few moments, mentally preparing himself. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Anna, something has come up that I need to discuss with you.”

Her joy deflated. Making a face, she looked away. “I figured this was too good to be true. What, you’re married with six kids? Maybe you’ll want to top that with the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech?”

“Nothing like that. I have a business matter that can’t wait, and I need to get home.” He was gratified to note that she seemed instantly disappointed. “The thing is, I’m not ready to end our fun so soon. So I have a proposition.”

She visibly brightened. “Oh?”

“I’d like you to be my guest at my estate in New Jersey. I have a place just outside Atlantic City that’s huge and lonely, with so many empty bedrooms, you could take your pick and never even run into me.”