Page 30 of Dangerous Protocol
He set two plates loaded with food on the table and slid her chair out for her.
“Thank you.” Maya sat and draped her napkin across her lap. “This looks incredible.” She leaned over the plate, closed her eyes, and inhaled a deep breath. “Mmm, and it smells amazing.”
“So, tell me what happened after you left the hotel that night.” Jeffrey cut a chunk of chicken and put it in his mouth.
What happened?
Maya had held back tears during the entire flight to England as she’d mourned the loss of the only man she ever loved. But she opted not to share that part of her journey with him.
“Our intel folks intercepted some chatter that seemed to indicate I was in imminent danger. Per standard protocol, I was immediately ordered back to London. But notbefore receiving very specific instructions to avoid my flat and report directly to the SIS Building.” The impressive concrete and glass structure on the banks of the River Thames in Vauxhall Cross was the headquarters for the Secret Intelligence Service, aka MI6. “By the time I arrived in London, my flat was sold, most of my belongings had already been placed in storage, and three boxes of clothing awaited me in my office. Well, whathadbeen my office until it was decided I needed to go underground.”
“You know you could’ve told me what happened. You didn’t have to drug me.” He didn’t sound angry so much as disappointed.
“I was ordered not to say anything to anyone. And let’s be honest, Jeffrey, you would’ve asked questions, and I probably would’ve ended up answering them. Which would’ve put you in grave danger.” She’d checked the news the following day, terrified that the people after her might’ve learned of their relationship and hurt him in some way. “I am so terribly sorry I did that to you. I hope you believe that and that you can find a way to forgive me.”
The weight of what she’d done had been like an anvil on her heart.
“I believe you, and there’s no forgiveness necessary.” He reached over and covered her hand with his. “Then what happened?” He speared lettuce with his fork and put it in his mouth.
“From there, I was flown via one of the agency’s private jets to Salzburg, Austria. Then I took a cab to a cottage in a small town about thirty kilometers away called St. Gilgen.” The first of many towns they’d lived in. “By the time I’d returned to London, Nigel had already made all of the arrangements. New identity, passport, birth certificate, personal history, furnished housing, everything. He hadn’t missed a detail.”
She’d read and reread the paperwork to familiarize herself with who she was. Which sounded incredibly odd. All of the studying in the world never could’ve prepared her for what happened soon thereafter.
“A short time later, I found out I was pregnant.” And her entire focus shifted from self-preservation to protecting her unborn child.
She took another bite of chicken and was struck by hownormalit felt to be sitting at the table chatting and eating with him. Other than the fact the topic of conversation was uniquely serious.
“We always used protection.” He dragged his fingers through the condensation on the side of his glass.
“You know as well as I that condoms are not one hundred percent foolproof.” And they’d gone through a lot of them.
“That’s true.” Jeffrey nodded. “Was Isla born in St. Gilgen?”
The ice shifted and clinked in his glass when he lifted it to finish the last of his water. She was transfixed by the movement of his throat.
“You okay?” he asked.
“What? Oh, yes, I’m fine.”Focus, Maya. “Yes, she was born at a small hospital in St. Gilgen. The doctor and nurses who delivered her were wonderful.”
What appeared to be a look of pity darkened his features.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She pointed her fork at him. “Don’t you dare feel sorry for me. It’s not like I gave birth to her all by myself in a hay barn or something.” She stuck a forkful of salad into her mouth. The tangy sweet flavor of the raspberry vinaigrette dressing was a delight to her tastebuds.
“Maya.” He dragged her name out with a slight scolding tone. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
She finished chewing, set her fork on her plate, and wiped her mouth. She took a sip of water, using the time to fashion a proper response.
“Having friends or family around isn’t exactly something you can do when you’re trying to stay a step ahead of a maniac who has vowed to kill you. Besides, I had a trouble-free delivery, and Isla was born perfectly healthy.”
What more could she have asked for? For starters—to have him there with her to see their daughter’s beautiful face the moment she took her first breath.
As if he’d read her mind, he said, “I’m sorry you had to go through that alone. That you’ve had to go throughallof it alone.” Jeffrey curled his hand around the back of her neck. “But you’re not alone anymore.”
“Jeffrey, it’s too dange—”
“No, Maya. The running stops now.” He leaned close and gave her one of those piercing blue determined looks of his. “I will do whatever it takes to ensure you and Isla are safe. Understood?”
“Even it if means risking an international incident?” Which would be the case if this operation failed.