Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
She leans into my touch. “Tell me.”
I’d hoped I’d have more time to woo her before I told her about my past. Then again, it’s important for her to know who I am–who I really am–before she decides to be with me forever. Because that’s what she is to me–my forever.
“I started out as an analyst for the CIA, but I only did that for a few months before I was plucked out and put into a black ops division. Dark stuff. The government has a lot of secrets, and they’ll kill to protect them.” I clear my throat and force myself to meet her gaze. “I killed, Maggie. And it wasn’t always the right choice. At the time, I thought it was, but I was fooling myself. I did bad things to protect people in power.”
Her face falls a little, but I keep going. I have to come clean with her. She’s the only one I want to truly know me.
“A few years ago, I was on an op that went bad. Real bad. We were in the sandbox, overseas. I was in the field to hack a localized server setup, download the data, then trash the servers. Run-of-the-mill for me back then. I was in the middle of copying the files when the family who lived in the compound arrived home unexpectedly. Now if it had just been the man–someone wanted by the US for terrorism or other acts–I would’ve taken him out, no problem. But it wasn’t. It was him, his wife, and their two daughters.” I swallow hard, the memories rising up. “My squad got the order to take them out.”
“Oh, shit.” Maggie’s eyes are wide.
I shake my head. “I refused. I wouldn’t do it. But my squad, the other two guys on the mission with me, they took the order and were going to run with it. I tried to talk them out of it, but they turned on me. Said I was siding with the enemy.”
“Owen.” The understanding and compassion in her eyes almost kills me.
“I had to take them out. My own men.”
She scoots up and kisses me softly. “It’s okay.”
It’s not, but the more I’m around her, the more I think it will be. “After that, I cut ties, changed my identity, and left that life behind. But … I guess I still carry the guilt of everything else I’ve done. That’s why I do this now. I help people. I try to, anyway.”
She just looks at me, and the emotion in her eyes is full of so much warmth and hope–and no judgment. It melts me even more, and I was already a puddle for her.
“You’re kind, Owen. I can tell. And you’re more than those things in your past.”
“I can be. With you.” I pull her up my body and kiss her, needing to feel her so close to me that we become one.
A slight hum sounds outside.
She pulls away, her eyes going wide.
“What is–”
“Oh, shit!” She sits up and looks around frantically. “I know that sound.”
“What?” I reach for the bedside table and the gun hidden inside it. Then I recognize the noise. Drones. Several of them, by the sound of it.
“This is bad! My phone? Where’s my phone? Ocean is going to–”
“I know you have her in there! Send her out now, and I won’t have to hurt you.” Ocean’s voice, stern and deadly, sounds through some speakers. “Refuse, and I’ll burn this whole place down, starting with these chickens! Who wants some barbecue?” she yells.
Maggie puts a hand to her forehead. “Hell. Here we go.”
21
MAGGIE
I scoot out of bed as quickly as I can and throw clothes on. This is bad. She’s going to start blowing crap up if I don’t put a stop to it. Or even worse, she’ll call my father, and then he’ll be showing up here. That is not how I want Owen and my dad to meet. It would be really freaking awkward.
“Slow down.” Owen grabs my elbow when I trip trying to pull my shorts on.
“She’s not bluffing. I might be like a crazy stalker, but Ocean is well…” I trail off, trying to think of a nice way to say it.
“Bloodthirsty?”
“Yes! The sort of person that shoots now and asks questions later.”
“She’s not going to shoot anything with you inside.”
I wish that were true, but I know without a doubt it’s not. “Oh, she will.” I get the rest of my clothes on. “I bet she did a heat scan and knows where we’re both standing.” The blood drains from my face. “Oh gosh, she probably knows ...” I glance toward the bed. I’ll have to worry about that later. Ocean knowing Owen and I were in bed together is the least of my worries right now.
“It’s all right, Ace. Calm down. Nothing is going to happen.” Owen drops a kiss on the top of my head before he starts getting dressed himself. I take off downstairs, not bothering to find my freaking phone. I go straight outside. Once Ocean sees me, she’ll calm down. The second I step out of the house, the drone lowers in front of me.