Page 45 of Fighting for Lucy

“Thank you for coming with me, thank you for at least being willing to give me this. I won't ask you for promises, Zander, but I'm making you one. I'm here. Right here. For as long as you’ll let me be. I’ll wait, I’ll give you space, or not, whatever you want. I'm just here. For you.”

Curling his arms around her, he pulled her into his lap, uncaring of the fact that they had an audience. How could thiswoman possibly be making him promises after what she knew about him?

Could he find a way to extinguish the darkness that raged inside him? Or if he let Lucy in, would it wind up destroying her along with him?

CHAPTER TWELVE

January 25th

2:32 A.M.

He picked her.

Lucy was still smiling about that when they finally started their descent onto the landing pad on the top of Prey’s building.

She knew she still had a long way to go convincing Zander to give them a chance, to prove to him that he would never knowingly hurt her, but at least she had this. Because for a moment there, she knew he had been all ready to sacrifice himself in the jungle to get her on that helo. For some strange reason, she seemed to be able to sense what Zander was thinking even when he didn't verbalize it, or even give it away with his expression. So, she’d known he was going to stay behind, and allow the men to capture him if it meant getting her up onto the helo and safe.

But she didn't want him to sacrifice himself.

Even though she knew he felt like he did, he had nothing to make up for. What had happened to his team was nothing short of tragic. It was horrific, the thought of anyone dying that waywas almost too much, but each one of those men understood the lives they had chosen. She wished they had made it home alive, that help had come sooner, but what had happened was not Zander’s fault.

How did she make him understand that?

Could she?

Or was she being majorly naïve?

Regardless, she wasn’t giving up on Zander. Not now. Not ever.

He was a warrior who fought for his country, fought to get rid of evil, and fought to make the world a safer place. But right now, he needed her to fight for him. He needed her to be the same kind of warrior he was, strong and brave, tough and smart. It might be the biggest battle of her life, but she was ready and willing to fight it.

Because if she was successful then the payoff would be more than worth it.

She was absolutely counting it as a win that Zander had held her the entire flight. The SEAL team who had come in for them was the same one that had helped to save Scarlett just a week or so ago when she had been kidnapped by Raul Castillo the second time. She didn't know the guys on Blake “Rocco” Wise’s team very well, but she liked them. They were smart and fair, they hadn't judged Scarlett by the false evidence against her, and it was partly because of them that her friend was still alive.

Other than when the guys had been tending to their injuries, giving her fluids, antibiotics, and painkillers, she’d been in Zander’s lap. Even when she was sitting on her own seat, he’d been scowling at whichever one of Rocco’s team was touching her, even if it was just checking her pulse, cleaning and bandaging wounds, and setting up an IV.

Now the IV was gone, a Band-Aid on the inside of her elbow covering the tiny puncture wound, and they were all waiting toland. As excited as she was to get back home because she had been so sure that it would never happen, she was apprehensive, too.

Right now, she had Zander, but what happened when they landed?

Would he stay?

Leave?

Did he have a choice?

If whoever he was working for called him back in, he would have to go, she understood that. But she was also hoping that Eagle Oswald—founder and CEO of Prey Security—had enough sway to have Zander stay and help them take down Raul, since he likely had more intel on the man than they did. Maybe something he knew might even point to the identity of the mole at Prey.

When the rotors stopped spinning and the guys all stood, Lucy did, too. She was surprised, but pleasantly so, when Zander took her hand and laced their fingers together. Hand in hand, they stepped out of the helo onto the roof, and almost immediately, three figures were rushing toward them.

The next thing Lucy knew, she was being wrapped up in the embraces of her team. Ella, Cassie, and Scarlett were all crying, all talking over the top of one another as they asked how she was, where she’d been hurt, what had happened to her, and if she was okay.

Since there was no way she could answer all those questions at once, she simply held onto them and soaked up the feel of their hugs. For someone who wasn’t much of a crier, she was a little surprised to find a fresh wave of tears tumbling down her cheeks. Maybe the toll of the last week was catching up with her. A hot shower, a call to her family to hear their voices, and comfort food were all high on the list.

But Zander was on the list, too.

Time with him when he wasn’t undercover and lying to her, where they weren't in danger and running for their lives, when they could just be together and get to know one another, that was what she wanted. And she definitely wouldn’t say no to another round of amazing sex.