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The way her eyes bored into him made his chest tighten just a bit. He’d never forget that day, those tense moments in the ER waiting room, not knowing when Caden would wake up, or how to stop an explosion that no one knew when, or how, was going to happen.
Blake nodded. “I remember.”
She smiled sweetly at him. “This is me telling you that it’s not your fault. We might not know how or when, but we know who, and we’ll figure this out, too. Just like we did before.”
Blake found himself struggling to draw in air. He looked from Hallie to Caden and back to Hallie. “It’s going to be okay,” she insisted.
“I told her everything you told me,” Caden said.
Blake winced at that. “I’m so sorry, Hallie. I had no idea Vivian wasn’t who she said she was at first. And what pisses me off the most is that if I hadn’t almost screwed up that night, I probably still wouldn’t know. I hate that she even knows who you are now.”
“It’s okay and it’s still not your fault,” Hallie repeated. “And for the record, I’m going to tell you what I told Caden. I’m not worried. You guys covered my tracks at the FBI, so the only way she'll find out who I am is if she talks to your boss.”
“Avery,” Caden said. “I don’t think she will. He’s on personal leave for three months. Something to do with his kid, and I don’t think she has any reason to reach out to him. And we buried the interview he had with you, so it shouldn’t be a problem either.”
“I hate this,” Blake huffed out. “If saving my life somehow puts yours in danger, I’ll never be able to live with myself.”
“It won’t,” she assured him. And even though they both knew she had no basis for her optimism, he admired her for having it nonetheless. “I’m fine. We’re fine. And if someone from some weird secret division wants to look into the people you know in search of something no one will ever be able to prove, then let them look. Let her look all she wants. It’s not like she can read my mind, and most people don’t even know when I’m having a glimpse. I doubt she’d be able to pick up on it even if she was standing right in front of me when I have one.”
Blake sighed. “You both know I’ll do anything in my power to get her off my back and as far away from you as possible. She can dig into my life all she wants, as long as she stays away from yours.”
“That won’t work,” Hallie said. “You’re part of our lives. If she digs into your life, she’ll eventually find us. Me. But that’s okay. My greatest fear used to be someone finding out what I could do. What I could see. But I told Orly, then Caden, and then all of you. And it all worked out. I’m not going to live my life in fear of someone else finding out. If she does, then so be it. I trust Caden and you to make sure nothing bad happens to me. Other than that, I’m not going to spend another second worrying about her, or any of this. Okay?”
The knot in Blake’s throat was large enough to nearly cut off his air supply. After everything they’d been through with Hallie, the way he’d gotten between her and Caden, accusing her of being in on his shooting, it was hard to believe she was putting so much trust into not only Caden, but him. “Thanks,” Blake said softly. “I would never let her hurt you.”
Hallie smiled. “Never a doubt in my mind. Now,” she clasped her hands together. “Caden and I are still celebrating our engagement, so how about something to drink?”
Blake nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll be right back,” she said, and hurried into the house.
He turned his attention to Caden who seemed uncharacteristically calm given the predicament he was in. The woman he loved more than anything in the world was being threatened by his own place of employment and he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world. Of course, this was Caden Dobbs, one of the best agents at the bureau. He could be a raging sea on the inside and portray the epitome of calm on the outside. “How are you doing with all this?” Blake asked.
Caden worked his jaw, not hiding the tension in his expression. “My fiancée is definitely handling it better than I am. I think she’s trying to put on a front for me so I don’t go bat shit crazy and try to stash her in the farthest place in the world from here. And if she is, she’s doing a damn good job of it.”
“She’s strong,” Blake said, but he still couldn’t get the idea of someone researching people like Hallie and Orly out of his mind, and how Vivian had said it…it implied everything Blake knew he’d never allow Hallie or anyone like her to endure.
Caden crossed his arms over his chest. “Strong and fierce. But if anyone tries to take her from me, she’s not going to be the one they have to face.”
“You should know, I told Orly at your barbecue. I had to. Couldn’t risk her blurting something out in front of Vivian,” Blake confessed.
Caden nodded. “Just got off the phone with Luke a few minutes before Hallie texted you. He said Orly told him last night. We’re going to play it by ear. For now. I don’t want to be the first one to make a move and show our hand too soon.”
“Let’s hope Vivian comes up empty, grows bored, and moves on,” Blake said, as Hallie came out with three beers.
“What should we drink to?” She asked, her smile radiating a kind of joy and ease that a woman had when she knew her man would burn the world down for her.
“Us,” Caden said, drawing her close to his side. Blake met his gaze and didn’t miss the fierce determination in his friend’s eyes. Yeah, Hallie would be just fine, because Caden would make sure of it. Blake just had to figure out what to do about Skyla.
“We’re celebrating us, so we’re toasting to us, and to you, my beautiful fearless, brave, amazing fiancée.”
Hallie beamed at his words as they all took a sip of their beers. It was a good night, and Blake always enjoyed hanging out with his friends outside of work.
Caden lowered his head to kiss Hallie, memories of his time with Skyla tonight in her office popped into Blake’s mind. He’d gotten close to her. In her face, feeling the warm puffs of her breath on his chin kind of close. It was wrong on every level. And yet, as he sat here, chatting with his friends, the echo of a thought still haunted him.
Blake had never wanted to kiss anyone more than he wanted to kiss Skyla tonight. He’d done his best to push the thought aside, desperate to strangle it out of his mind. But even after driving to Caden and Hallie’s house, and spending the last half hour with them on their deck, the desire to kiss the dark haired, exotic beauty lingered with a persistent gnawing, like it had taken on a heartbeat of its own.
.***
