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Though the movement sent a shaft of pain through her wounded shoulder, she clung to Paige, her face buried in her friend’s shoulder. “I feel like I should have….”
Tai leaned forward, his voice gentle but firm. “Welcome to the real world. No one wants to admit they got taken. Happens to the best of us, though.”
Graham nodded, his expression solemn. “Tai’s right. Loving someone’s not a crime. No one can fault you for that.”
“Do you remember BlackOut Squadron? We have literally all done things we’re ashamed of. More than once,” Fenn added.
She pulled back from Paige’s embrace, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy. None of them gave her the blank, distant looks of men sickened by her actions. If anything, they ached for her.
“But what if… what if you all see me differently now? What if you can’t trust me anymore, knowing what I did? And how easily I got fooled.”
Fenn’s hand tightened on her shoulder, his voice unwavering. “Kate, we know who you are. We know your heart. This doesn’t change anything.”
Mason grunted his agreement. “You’re still our Kate. Nothing’s gonna change that.”
Bridger raised his glass, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “To Kate, the best pilot in the outfit.”
As the others raised their glasses in a toast, Kate felt a wave of emotion wash over her. The love and support of her friends, even in the face of her deepest shame, was a balm to her battered soul. Yet, even as the weight of her secret lifted, she couldn’t shake the fear that lingered in the depths of her heart. The fear that, despite their assurances, things would never be quite the same again.
Because she had more to confess…
Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked around the table, her gaze settling on each of her friends in turn. This might be the last time they sat around a table together, once she finished.
She drew in a deep breath, steeling herself for the final revelation. “Guys, there’s something else.”
The others leaned in closer, their expressions a mix of concern and wary curiosity. She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. “I… I sabotaged the landing gear on our de Havilland. Hawk had left me a threatening message about LoitaBay. I couldn’t let you get involved in my old mess, so I figured I’d make sure you all left without me.”
A stunned silence fell over the group, their eyes widening in shock. Paige was the first to find her voice. “Kate, you… you did what you had to do. You were protecting us.”
Tai nodded, his expression solemn. “We’d have done the same thing in your shoes. You know that.”
Graham leaned back in his chair, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, except you’d have no idea how to do it,” he teased, shooting a glance at Tai.
Tai grinned, the tension in the room easing slightly. “True enough.”
Bridger leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table as he fixed her with a steady gaze. The room quieted again, everyone waiting. “That’s exactly the kind of thing you would do. Protect your friends at all costs, even if it means leaving yourself shut in the Arctic with an unknown enemy.” His tone was calm and sincere, but there was an underlying firmness to his words. “Don’t ever do it again,” he chided gently, a flicker of concern in his eyes.
Fenn moved his hand from Kate’s shoulder, and found Kate’s hand beneath the table. He intertwined their fingers, his touch warm and reassuring.
Graham lifted his drink in another toast, his eyes locking with Kate’s. “Let me put it another way. It’s nothing Tenaya wouldn’t have done to protect the people she loves.”
Graham comparing her to his own daughter was the highest praise she could imagine. She basked in the love and support of her friends, her found-family, the warmth of their acceptance enveloping her like a comforting blanket.
Yet, even as the weight of her secrets lifted, she couldn’t shake the hollow feeling that had settled in her chest. If shehadn’t seen through Hawk all those years ago, how could she ever trust herself to make a better choice now?
And how could Fenn possibly still care for her, knowing the truth of her past?
The sound of a plane overhead drew their attention. Kate recognized the deep throb of the props.
Bridger’s eyes widened. He met her gaze.
“Military grade,” he said, and jumped to his feet. “Transport, most likely. Let’s hope it’s the good guys.”
The team rushed outside. Hampered by her shoulder, Kate trailed behind.
By the time she got out the door, the aircraft was lost in the darkness.
Exposed skin instantly freezing, she squinted at the black horizon. Light bloomed in the distance, faintly yellow at first, then, as the light arced into the sky, the base burned a bright orange, a fireball blooming on the horizon, like a thunderhead building behind a mountain.
