Page 58 of The Veteran

Heart pounding, I sent a reply.

Sage: See you then.

I deleted our messages, placed the phone back on the nightstand, and snuggled against Kade’s chest, praying to the universe that I wasn’t about to make the worst mistake of my life.

24

SAGE

Kade woke when I tried to edge out of the bed.

“Where are you going?” he asked, immediately alert. That seemed to be one of the downsides of being with a military veteran. He didn’t need much of a waking up period. He could be ready for action in two seconds flat.

I drew in a slow, steady breath, afraid he’d be able to sense my nerves. “Just making breakfast.”

“I’ll join you.” He swung his legs off the bed and strolled around it stark naked. I tracked his movements, unable to look away. He truly was a magnificent man, and he wore the signs of a dangerous life proudly on his body. Scars decorated his back, torso, and arms. I wondered if he’d tell me about them one day.

He stopped, noticing me staring, and cocked a brow. “You get a good look?”

My face flushed. “I like looking at you.”

His expression softened and he tilted my chin up and brushed his lips over mine. “Same goes, sweetheart.”

My heart jumped wildly and I tried not to melt against him. I couldn’t afford to lose my wits when I was intending to sneak out soon.

“Are raspberry and cacao oats okay?” I asked a little more briskly than necessary.

A flicker of longing crossed his face—no doubt for a staple like bacon and eggs—but he nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

I dressed and put on a pair of sneakers, hoping he wouldn’t notice. I didn’t want to have to stop and grab my shoes later. He tugged on a pair of sweatpants but no shirt. In the kitchen, I heated oatmeal in a pot while preparing other ingredients, then poured it into the bowl and layered raspberries, cacao nibs, and seeds on top.

Kade and I ate at the table. I stayed quiet, mentally running through what I’d need to do in order to meet Mick. We no longer had an additional bodyguard inside since Kade had told Sean not to bother sending anyone else, but there was one at the door and another stationed at the building’s main entrance.

“Hey.”

I glanced up at Kade’s sharp tone. “Yeah?”

“You okay?” He looked concerned. “You’re hardly eating.”

I flashed my teeth in an unconvincing smile and nodded. “Just worn out.” I made myself eat a few mouthfuls so I’d at least be fueled for whatever might come, and then tidied away my dishes. When Kade started to do the same, I took his bowl from him. “Let me.”

He hesitated, his dark eyes searching mine, but he seemed to find whatever he was looking for. “I’ll have a shower and then we can decide what to do next.”

“I’ll be here.” Shame seethed in my gut. I didn’t want to lie to him, but I couldn’t afford to miss out on the opportunity to make this the mess from my past go away, and Kade needed to focus on his family.

I strained my ears as he left the room. The instant I heard the shower start, I scrawled a quick note and left it on the counter, then I grabbed the gun from my purse and stuffed it into my pants. The mace went into one pocket and my black tourmaline protection stone into the other, along with my phone and a credit card.

I opened the window closest to the adjoining apartment and perched in the frame, wondering whether I was about to make a terrible mistake. I wasn’t cut out for behaving like some kind of cat burglar. But then an image of Craig flashed through my mind, quickly followed by the faces of Kade’s family members, reminding me I had to keep him safe and keep them all together. I rolled up my metaphorical sleeves, clambered through the window and onto the balcony next door, then leaned over to push the window shut.

I glanced into the old lady’s apartment but there was no sign of her. She must be still in bed. I leaned over the edge of the balcony, relieved to see that the apartment below had a similar balcony. I climbed over the railing, sweat beading on my upper lip as I fought not to look down. My arms burned as I lowered myself to the balcony below. Thanks to years of yoga, I was able to land without hurting myself.

I looked around, taking stock. If I recalled what Sean had said correctly, the apartment below ours was empty. Unfortunately, it didn’t have a balcony so I couldn’t climb over easily. I could try dropping down another couple of stories the same way I’d come to this one. But when I reached ground level, the guard at the entrance would no doubt notice me as I dropped from the sky.

I pursed my lips and glanced at the window of the apartment next door. I needed to act quickly in case someone saw me. Making a decision, I yanked off my sweater and used it to cushion the butt of the gun. I double-checked that none of the metal was exposed, then reached over the balcony and smashed the covered gun into the window of the empty apartment. The glass cracked but didn’t shatter. I frowned. They made this look easier in the movies. I tried again. On the third attempt, a starburst of glass crumpled inward. I tucked the gun back into my waistband and covered my hand with the sweater so I could remove the loose glass, then I gingerly took hold of the window frame and pulled myself across.

A hot slice of pain across my palm let me know I’d cut the skin, but I kept going. When I was safely inside, I took a moment to mentally apologize for the damage and promise to replace the window before hurrying to the exit. There was every chance somebody had heard the break-in, so I didn’t have long to get away. I unlocked the door and let myself out, then hurtled along the corridor until I reached a door labeled ‘Fire Exit’. I raced down the external stairs until I reached the ground.

Pausing to catch my breath, I wondered whether to keep the jacket around my hand or if I’d be better off using it to mask the gun. Hiding the gun was the more pressing matter, so I unwrapped my hand and tied the sweater around my waist. Not much of a fashion statement, but it should hide everything important. I glanced down at the cut on my palm, which was trickling a steady stream of red. Unfortunately there wasn’t much I could do about it, so I curled my fingers into a fist to cover the injury and fell into step behind a group of pedestrians.