Page 125 of Protecting You
Maybe. But it would only drive the wedge between her and them deeper. That wedge was her fault. She’d avoided them. Feeling like a failure, feeling like she had to succeed in order to matter, she’d kept her distance. Now, more of her failure would be evident. Her foolishness, getting involved with a terrorist.
“There’s got to be a better?—”
“Fine. You tell me what we should do.” He halted in the middle of the yard. Arms crossed. Scowl on his face. “Please, give me your plan B. Because I have zero ideas. I can tell Malcolm you’re calling the whole thing off. You didn’t want to go into hiding before. Are you willing to now?”
“I can’t?—”
“And even if you did, Ghazi knows who you are. He knows your family. Do you think he’ll leave them alone? Do you think he’s tooniceto use your sisters to get what he wants? Or your mother?”
His words were darts, and she felt the sting of each one.
“This isn’t a game of Scrabble, Alyssa. You can’t just walk away. It’s too late for that.”
“I know that. Just…shut up and let me think.” She started walking again. “Malcolm could just take Ghazi into custody. That’s what Michael thinks he should do.”
“I’ll pass that along.” Callan deadpanned the words. “I’m sure Malcolm will be very open to your cousin’s advice.”
“He knows what he’s doing.” Didn’t he? Michael was a good agent, a great agent. As far as she knew, anyway. Not that she’d have any way to know.
“He’s not unbiased.” Callan softened his tone. “Not only does he love you and want you to be protected, he has a personal vendetta against Ghazi. He wants to stop the terrorist. Malcolm wants to know—needs to know—the bigger picture.”
“Okay, then. You and Peri stay here. I’ll go to the party myself, and?—”
“I’m not leaving you alone. Forget it.”
He would soon enough, though. When this was over, he’d leave her alone again. Which should be fine. She’d been alone before he’d barged into her life.
But the thought of it left her feeling bereft.
And admittingthatmade her feel like some frivolous heroine from a sappy British romance.
“I’ll be with my family. I’ll tell them all about my boyfriend and how he was going to come, but his father had a heart attack.” Her feet squished into the damp grass, then sank in the sand until she reached the wooden dock. She hopped onto it, then marched to the end. “I’ll be fine.”
Callan followed, his footfalls heavy on the boards behind her.
All she wanted was to get out of this situation. She wanted to get back to where she’d been a week before. Safe and happy.
Well, safe, anyway. And lonely, though she hadn’t realized it at the time.
She reached the end of the dock, and Callan stopped beside her, looking out at the water.
“Ghazi’s men will be there. Anything we do outside what’s expected puts you and your family at risk.”
“I could call him and tell him…” Was she really going to call her terrorist employer and make up a story? What would that sound like? Maybe she could sell it, but that was a big maybe. And in calling, she’d indicate to him that she feared she was being watched, tipping her hand.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, then Ghazi would have every reason to expect her back in Boston immediately. Then she’d have to make up another lie, and every conversation they had increased the possibility that he’d see right through her.
Callan stared out at the water, handsome and strong and beautiful in a way she couldn’t articulate. This was a place he’d probably stood a thousand times. This dock, this lake. This property and all the peace that surrounded it.
He’d brought Alyssa here, to his sanctuary, to keep her safe. He was doing all of this to keep her safe.
His gaze flicked to her, catching her staring. He squinted the slightest, as if he was trying to figure her out. As if she were the confusing one. “I wish there was another way.”
She looked away, knowing the truth. There wasn’t another way, not one that didn’t put her and her family in danger.
“Peri has to come with us? There’s nobody else?”
“Mom doesn’t want her here.” He shook his head. “That’s not fair. I shouldn’t… Mom’s done so much, and Hannah has some important event this weekend at the university.”
