He was rather proud of himself—his voice didn’t crack at all when he said Eva’s name. And his heart had ached only a little, as opposed to the excruciating sense of being sledgehammered in the chest, which he’d felt earlier as he’d watched Nick drive away in that Jeep with Eva and Rafe.
“They’re trying to shut us up then,” Sebastian said, sounding confident. “Our government is experimenting with biological weapons and testing them on human beings. When they sent us to the village, they probably knew all along that we’d have to die, just in case.”
“That’s what Eva suspects,” Tate admitted.
Sebastian got a funny look on his face, but it disappeared fast. “They can’t be sure what we saw in the village, or whether we had contact with the doctor before he died. Either way, they need to silence us.”
“So what’s our next move?” Nick asked. “Find out who authorized Harrison’s project? Maybe take this to the White House? Alert the media?”
He rubbed his hand over his freshly shaved chin. “I don’t know yet. Let’s sit on this for a while, let it settle, before we figure out a plan.”
Nick nodded. “Sounds good.”
Sebastian offered a nod of his own. “Agreed.”
A flash of lightning lit the sky, drawing his gaze back to the steadily falling rain. The wind continued to pick up speed, and the sky was so black and cloudy you couldn’t even see the moon.
No flights will be leaving here tonight.
Tate swallowed. He had no idea why that thought had crept into head.
Okay, fine. He knew exactly why he’d thought it.
“Hey, Prescott, give us a minute, will ya?” Sebastian said lightly.
Although his brows furrowed, Nick didn’t object. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll head inside and see if the wireless is working. I wouldn’t mind doing a little online digging about that lab Harrison worked for.”
After Nick disappeared, Sebastian didn’t pull any punches. He simply crossed his arms over his broad chest and said, “Why the hell did you let her go?”
Tate blinked. “Pardon me?”
“Don’t play dumb, Captain. Why did you let Eva go?”
“Because there was no reason for her to stay,” he muttered. “We both got what we wanted. Cruz is dead. She and her kid can go back to New York now.”
Sebastian’s gray eyes flickered with irritation. “She doesn’t want to go back to New York. She wants to stay here with you.”
“Yeah, what makes you say that?”
“The woman is in love with you. Any idiot can see that.”
Tate stared out at the rain sliding down the crumbling stone walls of the fort. Ignoring Sebastian’s frank words, he shrugged and said, “We were right, by the way. She was lying right from the start. Cruz was her kid’s father.”
“I kind of gathered that. I heard what she said to him.” Sebastian cocked his head. “Is that why you told her to get lost? You can’t stomach the idea of raising Cruz’s kid? Because if that’s the case, shame on you, Captain.”
He gaped at his fellow soldier.
“I’m serious,” Sebastian said angrily. “I’m not much of a kid person myself—they’re bratty and annoying and grubby—but even I know better than to blame an innocent child for his father’s sins.”
“I’m not blaming anyone for anything,” Tate grumbled.
“So it’s not that you can’t raise Cruz’s kid?”
“I can’t raise any kid, Seb. I’m not father material.”
“Bull.” Sebastian actually had the nerve to laugh. “You’d make a good father. You wanna know why? Because you’re a good man. Any kid would be lucky to have you as their old man, Captain.”
He arched a brow. “What’s with all the compliments? This is unlike you.”
The other man shifted in embarrassment. “Look, I was following you and Eva for days. I couldn’t risk getting too close, but sometimes, well, sometimes it couldn’t be helped. And sound carries in the jungle and in the woods, so I’d hear things, whether I wanted to or not. But there was one thing in particular that I kept hearing, something I couldn’t wrap my head around.”
“What?” Tate said gruffly.
“Laughter.” Sebastian grinned, and his white teeth gleamed in the darkness. “She made you laugh. A lot.”
Gnawing on the inside of his cheek, Tate stepped toward the edge of the tower. Instantly, a gust of wind blew rain into his face, but he didn’t bother wiping it off. He welcomed the cool drops, wishing the rain would wash away all the confusion plaguing him at the moment.
“That’s when I knew that she was good for you,” Sebastian went on. “The woman challenges you. She makes you come alive.”
Tate gritted his teeth. “Where are you going with all this?”
“Will’s dead, Tate.”
A jolt of pain smacked him square in the chest. “I know that.”
“He was the only person in your life that you opened yourself up to. I’d like to think that me and Nicky are important to you, too—”
“You are,” he said roughly.
“But we both know you’ve always held a part of yourself back.” Sebastian shrugged. “I get it, and I know why you do, but face it, it’s not healthy. You can’t close yourself off to people, otherwise you’re in for a damn lonely life.”
“Maybe it’s the life I want.”
“No, you don’t. Nobody does.” Sebastian blew out a frustrated breath. “Let’s say you let her in, man. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Uncomfortable, Tate shifted his gaze back to the rain, but Sebastian didn’t take the hint and drop the subject.
“If you feel something for Eva, don’t ignore it. Don’t shove it aside and pretend she doesn’t matter.”
Tate sighed. “What’s your point, Seb?”
“All I’m saying is...if you wanna go after Eva, and bring her and the kid back here, I wouldn’t stand in your way. And if you want my opinion? I think that’s exactly what you should do.”
With that, the other man drifted toward the door, disappearing through the threshold and leaving Tate alone with his thoughts.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Sebastian’s question continued to float through his head, and the answers came in the form of images.
His mother’s bluish skin as she lay OD’d on the floor.
His father’s meaty knuckles coming toward his face.
When you let people in, they either betrayed you or abandoned you. People were selfish. They pretended to care, pretended to love you, but in reality, they only loved themselves. Selfish.
Not Will, a little voice pointed out. Not Ben.
And not Eva.
His breath caught as he glimpsed the truth in that. Eva wasn’t selfish. She’d lied to him, yes. Convinced him to help her kill Cruz, yes. But not for her own self-interests. She’d done it for her kid. Ever since her son was born, she’d put that little boy first, which was something neither of his no-good parents had ever done.
Eva wasn’t selfish. She was smart. Sassy. Determined. Courageous.
Not only that, but she was in love with him. For some asinine reason, that woman actually loved him.
And he was just going to let her walk out of his life?
Idiot.
* * *
Eva smoothed a lock of hair off Rafe’s forehead and smiled at her sleeping son, who’d conked out the second she’d put him down and hadn’t stirred since. Apparently he’d had the “bestest time ever” with Nick this past week, though he’d admitted to having a few nightmares and wetting the bed twice. Hearing that absolutely killed her—it broke her heart that she hadn’t been there to comfort her son.
Because she’d been too busy killing his father.
God, what would she do when Rafe asked her about his father? Surely he would, at least when he got older. What on earth was she going to tell him?
Her heart pounded as she imagined that inevitable conversation. She definitely needed to decide h
ow much to tell Rafe, but she knew one thing for sure, she would never, ever tell him that she’d played a part in killing his father.
Swallowing, she stroked Rafe’s cheek one last time, then stood up and headed for the kitchenette. She doubted she’d get any sleep tonight, not with the windows rattling and the walls shaking from the wind and rain, but maybe a cup of decaf tea would make her drowsy.
The motel had an electric kettle in the cabinet beneath the sink. She filled it with water and plugged it in, clicking the button just as a sharp knock sounded on the door.
Her pulse immediately sped up, her first instinct to grab the gun sitting on the table, but she quickly berated herself for it. Hector was dead, damn it. His men weren’t behind that door. Neither was his ghost.
Only one person could be out there, and Eva’s heart raced even faster as she hurried to the door. She undid the chain and threw open the door, and sure enough, there he was. Soaking wet, his black Windbreaker plastered to his chest, droplets clinging to his clean-shaven face. He was ruggedly handsome, undeniably sexy, blatantly masculine.
“What are you doing here?” she said, having to raise her voice over the din of the wind.
“Asking you to stay,” Tate answered sheepishly.
She stared at him in surprise. “What?”
“You heard me.” His voice came out gruff. “Now, are you going to invite me in or should I grovel out here in the rain?”
Overcome with both shock and amusement, she opened the door wider so he could step inside. As he entered, he unzipped his jacket and carefully draped it on one of the kitchen chairs, then turned to shoot her an apologetic look. “Sorry, I’m dripping all over the place.”
“It’s okay.” She smiled. “So, what was it you were saying about groveling?”
Remorse flickered in his green eyes. “I shouldn’t have let you go like that. Without telling you that...uh...” He exhaled shakily. “You matter, okay? You matter to me, Eva.”
Her heart somersaulted. “Really?”
Tate nodded in earnest. “My whole life, I’ve tried to keep my distance from people. It was the only way to guarantee I wouldn’t get hurt, but over the years, I’ve let a few people in. My brother. Ben. Sebastian and Nick. And you. I let you in, Eva, and now that you’re under my skin, I can’t get you out.”
When she narrowed her eyes, he held up his hand. “I don’t want to get you out. My entire life has been one bleak, miserable mess. I’m surrounded by violence and death and darkness, and I was okay with that, at least before I met you.”
He offered his trademark shrug, which brought a smile to her lips and tears to her eyes.
“You brightened everything up for a short while, and then you left and the darkness was back, and I realized I didn’t want to live like that anymore.” He shifted awkwardly. “I’m in love with you, and I don’t want you to go.”
Tate’s sandpaper-rough voice made her heart skip a beat. She wanted so badly to throw her arms around him and tell him she wasn’t going anywhere, but one thing held her back. Her gaze shifted to the little boy sleeping on the bed. Her little boy. The only person who mattered more than Tate, more than life itself.
Tate followed her gaze, and his green eyes softened. “I know it’s a package deal, sweetheart. If you’ll let me, I want to be a father to your son.”
Astonishment slammed into her. “Are you serious?”
He offered another nod. “I don’t know if I could ever be a good role model for a kid, but I’ll try to be the best man I can be, for you, and for your son.”
Before she could answer, Rafe chose that exact moment to wake up. With a loud, childlike yawn, her son sat up like a light, rubbed his eyes and said, “Mommy, I’m thirsty.” Then he noticed Tate and wariness widened his eyes. “Mommy?”
“It’s okay, little man. This is Tate. You remember him, right? Tate’s the one who took me on that trip.”
Wrong thing to say, she realized, as Rafe’s expression turned cloudier than the sky outside.
As Rafe glared at the man responsible for taking his mother away from him for so long, Eva suppressed a sigh and took a step toward the bed, but Tate swiftly moved in her path.
“Let me?” he murmured.
Intrigued, she hung back and let him approach her son, watching in bewilderment as he lowered his big body on the edge of the mattress. Rafe stared at the intruder with suspicious blue eyes, but Tate wasn’t perturbed.
“You’re mad at me because I took your mom away, aren’t you?” he said gruffly.
After a second of reluctance, Rafe nodded.
“Yeah, I kinda figured. I’m sorry I did that. I guess I was a little greedy, huh? I just wanted your mom all to myself, but that wasn’t cool at all, was it?”
Tate flashed that crooked grin of his, and Eva hid a smile when she noticed her son fighting hard not to grin back.
“Well, I promise you right here and now that next time your mom and I want to go on a trip, we’ll bring you with us. Your mom said you like adventures, so what kind of adventure should we pick? River rafting? Rock climbing?”
And just like that, Tate won her son over.
“I wanna see giraffes,” Rafe blurted out. “And a big castle. And a dragon. And snow.”
As her smile reached the surface, Eva drifted toward the kitchenette to get Rafe a cup of water. He was still babbling a mile a minute, reciting everything he’d ever wanted to see or do, but he stopped talking to gulp down the water.
“All right, we’ll continue thinking of adventure ideas tomorrow,” she said firmly as Rafe handed her the empty cup. “Right now, you’re going to bed, little man. Say good-night to Tate.”
“G’night, Tate.”
Rafe didn’t give her any arguments as she tucked him back in and read him a quick story. As usual, he passed out the second his head hit the pillow, which earned her a mystified look from Tate. He’d been sitting at the table while she’d put Rafe to bed, but now he stood up and quietly approached her.
“Your kid doesn’t put up a fight at bedtime?”
She grinned. “Never. I must be the only mother in the world whose kid loves bedtime. I’m lucky.”
Tate’s sensual mouth curved in a smile. “I think I’m the lucky one.”
Their eyes held for a moment, and then his expression turned serious again. “Do you forgive me for the way I acted at the bunker?” He swallowed. “When I hesitated about leaving you behind, it was my anger talking. I felt—”
“Betrayed. I know. And I forgive you.” She searched his face. “Do you forgive me for not telling you the truth about Hector?”
“Yes.”
Their gazes locked again.
“So what now?” she asked softly. “How will this work?”
Unhappiness creased his features. “I want to make you so many promises, Eva, but I can’t. Not while I’ve still got a target painted on my back. I need to find a way out of this mess, figure out who ordered the hits on me and my men.”
“I can help,” she said immediately.
“I’d appreciate that. But I’d also understand if you want to go. You’ve been running for three years, sweetheart, and now you don’t have to anymore. You can go to New York, reunite with your family, build a life for yourself and Rafe.” His voice grew hoarse. “It’s not fair of me to ask you to hide out with me, because that’s what I’m going to keep doing, at least until I can be sure my life is no longer in danger.”
She gave him a gentle smile. “I’m not going anywhere, Tate.”
Frustration crossed his face. “I have no right to ask you to stay. I’m a total ass for doing it.”
“Like you said, I’ve been running and hiding for three years. What’s a few more months?”
He stepped closer and stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “Are you sure?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she repeated. “You helped me get rid of my demon—it’s only fair that I help you get rid of yours.”
His hand continued to cares
s her face, and she covered it with hers, running her fingers over his rough-skinned knuckles. She lifted her other hand to his chest and placed it directly over his heart, feeling it beating beneath her palm. Strong and steady, just like Tate.
They stared at each other for a moment, and then he lowered his head ever so slowly and kissed her. Their mouths fused, lips parted, tongues explored. Tate drove the kiss deeper, fueling the fire building in her core, and she was gasping by the time they broke apart.
“Are you sure?” he asked again.
“I’m sure. I love you, and I want to be with you, even if it means hiding out for a while longer.” She leaned on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his smooth jaw. “I just have one requirement.”
“What’s that?”
“We relocate to a better hideout. I love the outdoors, but I also love indoor plumbing. And real beds.” She flashed an impish grin. “With that said, I’ve still got a lot of money.”
“Stolen money,” he said dryly.
She shrugged. “I like to think that I earned it, after everything Hector put me through. And I can think of nothing better than using Hector’s money to find the five of us a secure place to lie low until we get you out of this mess.”
“The five of us?”
She shot him a “duh” look. “Rafe and I are a package deal. Nick and Sebastian are your package. We’re not leaving them behind.”
The emotion shining in his green eyes took her breath away. “You’re an amazing woman, Eva Dolce.” His voice roughened. “And I promise you, I’ll protect you and Rafe with my life.”
“I don’t need your protection,” she murmured. “Just your love.”
His mouth curved in a smile. “Well, that you’ve got. Anything else?”
“Yes, actually. One more thing.”
Tate arched one dark brow. “Which is?”
“Your trust.”
He reached for her hand. “Remember when I said that trust and sex don’t have to go hand in hand?”
She nodded.
“Well, trust and love? Now, that’s a whole different story, sweetheart.” He slowly brought her hand back to his heart and held it there, flattening his palm over her knuckles. “You’ve got my heart, Eva. You’ve got my love. And you’ve got my trust.”