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“Maybe not. I’m a bit older than you, Sadie.”
“You aren’tthatmuch older. Wait—how old are you now?”
“Thirty-four,” I answer.
“You’re right. Practically a grandpa,” she teases. “Seven years really isn’t much.”
“Not now. But seven years when you were twelve and I was nineteen feels a lot more significant.”
“Oh wow. Yeah, good point.” She leans back in her chair. “And I was too busy playing spy, watching to see if I could catch Merritt and Hunter kissing so I could tattle.”
I laugh. “Did you ever catch them?”
“I did. But then I was too embarrassed to tell Gran. Or anyone else.”
Our server quietly takes our empty plate and leaves our second appetizer. We waste no time digging into the pan-seared scallops, which make Sadie groan.
“So, spying,” I say. “You never outgrew that, huh? Just turned it into a lucrative—and sometimes dangerous—job?”
Sadie devours another scallop before answering, clearly mulling over what she wants to say. “It’s not exactly spying,” she hedges.
“Hacking?”
Her slight wince tells me I’ve hit the nail pretty darn close on the head. “It’s really whatever is needed. Getting into servers, accessing data and information. Not the kind of cool stuff people typically think of or what’s in the movies. Usually.”
“And this time?”
She sighs and sets down her fork. “This time, I couldn’t help crossing some lines. I don’t always know what I’m looking into, orwhoI’m looking into. The information isn’t always clear or in a context I can grasp. But this assignment, I saw more.”
Her pause stretches on, and her gaze moves to the window. I take her hand. “And you couldn’t let it go.”
She meets my gaze and shakes her head. “No. I couldn’t. Not when it’s human trafficking.”
Now, I’m the one wincing. Not just because trafficking—whether labor or sex trafficking—is despicable, but because I know exactly how ruthless those involved can be. I’m equal parts proud and terrified this is what Sadie got into. It’s honestly no wonder she has agents assigned to her.
I wish there were more.
Giving her hand a squeeze, I say, “I think you’re pretty amazing, Sadie girl. Fearless.”
“Reckless?” she suggests, taking a sip of her water.
“Something tells me you weighed the cost before making your decision.” I stroke my thumb over the back of her hand.“Which means it wasn’t reckless but more of a calculated risk to yourself. Some might call it sacrificial. Or selfless.”
I know I would. Even if this information makes me more than a little eager to get back to the yacht, back to our little bubble of safety until German gets whatever reassurance he needs that it’s safe for her again. I’m not going to allow myself to worry more, though my mind could easily spin out with fears and worst-case scenarios. Especially considering the agency handling all this goes by the acronym SUCS.
I lift her hand to my mouth, leaving a lingering kiss on her knuckles. For a moment, I could swear I see her blinking back tears. Then, her sharp, beautiful smile is back.
“Is it weird I wasn’t scared of this, but I’m scared of you, Benedict King?”
“That is a little … surprising. I don’t usually inspire fear. Even if I do fly a pirate flag on my boat.”
Sadie laughs. “Yacht.”
After a beat, I catch her gaze, trying to read the expression there. “You know you don’t need to be afraid of me.”
“Don’t even think about promising not to hurt me, Ben.”
I frown. “But I won’t.”
