With his thumb he pulled her lip free and kissed her quick. “You don’t have to choose today. You can take as much time as you need. Just know, that whatever you decide, I’ll support you one hundred percent.”
“Okay…so, what are my options?”
“Open them and find out.”
She smoothed her hand over the top envelope before lifting it and dumping the contents onto the desk. She looked at the documents created by Jay. Picked up the California driver’s license. Flipped to the name on the passport. “I can have my old life back?”
Adam nodded. “If that’s what you want.”
“My practice. My apartment. My name.”
“Yes.”
“But not you?”
“No. Too much risk. I won’t take any chances where you’re concerned.”
She reached for the second envelope and tipped it upside down. Two documents slid out. She opened the passport, stopping on the blank page with her picture. “You’ll give me a new identity?”
“You saw the LAPD press conference. The authorities believe Eve Langley is dead. If you don’t want to go back to your old life, you can have a new one.” He tapped his finger on the numbered bank account statement. “There will always be money in this account. You won’t have to work unless you want to. You can be whoever you want to be. Go wherever you want to go. The choice is yours.”
“But I won’t be with you.”
“Not at first, but maybe someday if that’s what you want.”
“When this is all over?”
“If everything works out, and it’s safe enough, I’ll come find you.”
She took the third envelope and held it in her lap. “I choose option three.”
Adam’s heart rate kicked up a notch. “You don’t even know what option three is.”
“Doesn’t matter. You suck at this game, and I’m not playing anymore.”
“You can’t say I suck until you open the envelope.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Eve—”
“Nope.” The stubborn little minx hugged the thin envelope to her chest, and he would have laughed if his insides weren’t rearranging themselves into a mass of knots.
“Open the envelope, baby.” He left a trail of coaxing kisses from her mouth to her ear. “Please.”
“What if I don’t like option three?” she whispered.
“Then we’ll discuss option four.”
She breathed deep. A long inhale followed by an even longer exhale. When her lungs were empty, she pulled the trigger and upended the contents of the third envelope on top of the other two.
Silence.
He waited.
An eternity passed.
She picked up the passport. Flipped to the information page.
