Page 52 of Black Reign

Nobody answers.

For years, Vesper has existed in fragments.

Caramel hair.

A mouth I haven't kissed.

A teardrop on paper.

Italian words against a black screen.

A mind I can't predict.

I've imagined finding her.

I've imagined catching her.

I've imagined asking why she left me standing on London Bridge.

What I've never imagined is Vesper walking into a room where people know Xavier Blackwell instead of Ghost.

Two worlds touching.

Maybe that's why the thought is suddenly difficult to dismiss.

Drew destroys the moment, as usual.

“If she turns out to be Sergei, I'm leaving the wedding early.”

Jalen's muffled voice comes from beneath the towel.

“Who's Sergei?”

Vale starts laughing.

Haverhill reaches for another beer.

Leo begins explaining.

I lean back beneath the stars with my Scotch and watch the Mediterranean move around us.

Weeks from now, an invitation may appear inside NULL.

Maybe Vesper accepts.

Maybe Miss London Bridge disappears again.

Either way, the possibility exists now.

For the first time since that bridge, she knows Ghost wants to see her again.

And for the first time, I'm beginning to admit just how much I want her to show.

2

The man sitting across from me scratches his armpit.

Not discreetly.