This was a whole different level of brotherhood Steele never expected…or knew existed.
They stood side by side, gazing out the window at the back yard.
“What if someone has kids who want a pony? Kennedy seems like she could be a horse girl.”
Con snorted. “I’m sure she already has the riding boots. And if some kid wants a pony, there’s plenty of room for a stable.”
Steele’s chest heated as he thought about the possibilities for the team.
For Izzy and him.
He and Con shared a look overflowing with understanding. Hell, he got the feeling that his leader knew what he felt more than he did himself.
All he knew was he needed to be with Izzy. To make sure she was safe and happy. To give her the space to feel in control…to heal.
He reached out and clapped Con on the shoulder. “If that’s everything, I’m late for a date.”
“A date?”
“Don’t worry. We’re not leaving base. As you said, there’s plenty of space right here.”
As he walked away from the window, Steele felt something shift inside his chest—a lightness he hadn’t experienced in years. The conversation with Con had opened up possibilities he’d never dared to consider before. Not just the idea of a future beyond the next mission, but a real future, one where he could have both the work that defined him and the woman who was rapidly becoming essential to his existence.
She’d spent three years rebuilding herself after Syria, learning to trust her instincts again. Reclaiming her independence.
With time and space and the safety his team could provide, they could actually explore what existed between them. She could write her book, process her ordeal, figure out her next career move—all while getting to know him as more than just the guy who’d jumped in to protect her during her latest crisis.
And he could learn who she really was beyond the quick-tongued journalist and survivor of unimaginable trauma.
They could take their time. Build something real and solid, something that could withstand whatever came after Cipher was neutralized and normal life resumed. Something that was their choice, not circumstances forced upon them by danger and desperation.
For the first time since Izzy had shown up at their gates, Steele felt genuinely optimistic about their chances. Not just for survival, but for something much better than that.
Something worth fighting for.
* * * * *
Izzy stood back to study her handiwork. The folding table she’d discovered in the storage cupboard was set up in the middle of Hudson’s room with two chairs positioned across from each other.
She’d managed to swipe a deck of cards and poker chips from the team’s stash. She was proudest of the finishing touches she just added to the setup. Bowls of mixed nuts and two cigars she’d managed to convince Sinner to give her after explaining her mission, by way of a promise of a replacement box as soon as she could get them.
The lighting was perfect too. She dimmed the overhead chandelier and pilfered a lamp from another room to place on Hudson’s bedside table. The result was a warm glow that set the tone for a cutthroat game of cards…while still managing to give the romantic vibe of a boudoir.
When she heard footsteps in the hall outside the room, she quickly darted to the table and took a seat, clasping her hands in front of her.
He stepped through the doorway and stopped short, taking in the transformation to his stark military-issue space. The surprise on his face melted into a smile that tugged at her insides with a sensation she was beginning to crave.
“What do you think?” She couldn’t manage to keep the nervous dip from her voice.
Slowly, he closed the door…and twisted the lock.
Her insides seized.
“You nailed it. This looks like a scene from a classic movie.”
“I thought if we were going to have a rematch, we should do it properly.” She gestured toward the cigars lying beside the bowl of nuts. “Sinner said these are the good ones. Cubans.”
Hudson neared the table, his brows shooting upward. “You convinced Sinner to give up his cigars? I’m impressed. The man guards those things like they’re made of gold.”
