Page 157 of The Fallen One

“Ireland,” he answered. “The McGregors will take care of you, keep you safe. Mya and Oliver will be joining you. Dallas, too.”

It was somewhat comforting to have people I now knew with me, but I still hated leaving Carter’s side. “Ireland. You’re sure?”

“Given we aren’t dealing with criminals behind this, but the alleged good guys—who probably have their own spot reserved there—the Montana bunker is likely compromised,” Mya said before Carter could answer. “So, we can’t go there.”

The lines aren’t even gray at this point. They’re just gone, aren’t they?

“The McGregors are like the Irish version of Carter,” Oliver said, drawing my eyes. “Especially Holly McGregor’s husband, Sebastian.” He stroked his jaw with his good hand, a hint of humor in his tone as he added, “Hell, they even kind of look similar, now that I’m thinking about it. I suppose everyone has a doppelgänger.” Still eyeing me, he added, “You and Gwen could be twins, minus the almost decade age difference.”

“Is triplegänger a thing?” Jack asked, eyes shooting back and forth between Griffin and Carter. “Because Griffin also kind of looks like Carter.”

I inwardly smiled at their ability to make jokes under the circumstances. I couldn’t fault them for it. I could use the humor, too.

It felt like the tide was finally turning, the momentum shifting. As scary as it still was, it felt good to be finally going in that direction.

“I mean, they’re not wrong,” Mya remarked with a small smile. “Shocking, I know. But I think everyone has a double, or even a triple, out there. Have yet to meet mine, though.”

“God help us all if there’s ever more than one of you.” Oliver winked, and she flicked her wrist. “Of course, maybe we all have a bad twin out there in the world, a yin to our yang. Well, in Mya’s case . . .”

“Smart-ass.” Mya whacked his chest with the back of her hand, still careful to avoid his bad shoulder, and he was quick to catch her wrist before she pulled her hand away.

While they remained locked in some type of exchange, I pulled my attention to Carter, finding his brows drawn, silently staring at the floor.

“Change of plans,” Carter said a beat later, eyes back on me. “I’m not going to D.C.”

“Okayyy,” Mya said, dragging out the word while pulling her hand away from Oliver. “Care to enlighten us on the rest of that thought?”

“Your ridiculous back-and-forth nonsense got me thinking,” Carter started, never losing sight of me, “and it reminded me that most people only know one side of me.”

“Your devil face?” Jack piped up, his tone more serious than joking, though. “Ohhh shit,” he added. “You’re right. You’d never willingly fly Diana back to the States without knowing it’s safe for her. Not even if the President told you to. Karl would know that about you, so if you were to return to the U.S., he’d realize you’re trying to set your own trap.”

Carter reached for my hand, drawing me closer to him as I asked, “What are you saying? What am I missing?”

“He’d take you somewhere off-the-grid. Somewhere no one would think to look for him,” Mya answered. “Somewhere a man with Carter’s reputation would be safe from both criminals and authorities. A place like?—”

“The Sapphire Hotel,” Carter finished for Mya, offering a familiar-sounding name.

Had it been discussed on the jet? Along with something about a fork? “And you’re actually taking me to this place? Or are we just letting the Novaks think you are?”

Carter cut his eyes to me. “I’ll never even have to make it to the hotel. Once our jet lands, the Novaks’ mercenaries will do a vehicle interdiction to stop us before we get there.” Why’d he sound okay with that plan? “You won’t be with me, no. But they’ll think you are.”

“And if they still want me alive, they won’t risk an aerial attack.” What if they change their minds, though? What if you dangle yourself as bait and die?! “How will you convince them I’m with you? Security footage being altered at the airport doesn’t seem like it’ll cut it with who we’re dealing with and how good they are at all this stuff, too.” My free arm banded across my stomach, nausea returning.

“Your doppelgänger,” Oliver said as it all clicked for him. “Gwen will play the role of you.”

66

DIANA

The sun had yet to rise, and we’d be leaving for the airport that afternoon, but Carter had woken me up twenty minutes before my alarm and requested I dress in something warm. He’d helped me into his jacket before leading me downstairs and outside.

An old-school Land Rover Defender had been parked out front, and he’d been a gentleman, opening the passenger-side door for me as if we had all the time in the world.

And there we were, quietly driving along a dirt road on the property, our hands locked over the console, the quiet sounds of nature stirring to life to keep us company.

“Where are we going?” I finally asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

“I want a few minutes alone with you before we leave.”

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