Page 38 of Home Free

She didn’t give herself enough credit. She might still get scared when she got lost or was in an unfamiliar situation alone, but when it counted, when keeping herself safe depended on thinking clearly, she’d more than risen to the occasion.

He wanted to talk to her about their future, needed to ask the question that had been lurking at the back of his mind for weeks.

Will you come with me?

The thought scared the hell out of him. Not because he wasn’t sure he wanted her with him, but because he wasn’t sure she wanted to go, wasn’t sure she was willing to say goodbye to the life she’d built in Boston.

And because he wasn’t sure his heart could take it if she said no.

The uncertainty was killing him, but when was he supposed to bring it up? After he’d killed a man? While they were dodging bullets at the Boxgrove gala?

The fight they’d had in the park hadn’t been right either. He didn’t want her to think he was asking her to come with him under pressure. She had to know that he wanted her with him, that he didn’t want to live without her.

A knock sounded from the bedroom door and Elise startled awake.

Finn smoothed her hair. “Yeah?” he called out.

Ronan opened the door and a column of light leaked into the shadowed room. “Clay’s on the line.”

“Be right there.”

Elise scooted off the bed. “That was fast.”

“It’s probably preliminary,” Finn said. It would take awhile to dig deep, but no time at all to give them the basics on Aldrich Cromwell.

“Better than nothing,” Elise said.

Ronan and Julia were already set up at the table by the windows, Julia’s laptop open to an image of Clay. He looked even younger onscreen, like a teenager about to talk to his bros about their latest video game exploits.

Sometimes Finn really couldn’t believe Clay was a hacking wunderkind.

“Hey, Clay,” Finn said, placing himself in view of the camera.

“Can’t even go to London without getting yourself shot up huh?” Clay joked.

Finn forced a smile. He hoped Clay wasn’t going to draw this one out. “We managed to avoid getting shot up, thanks for asking.”

“What do you have?” Ronan asked.

“The easy stuff,” Clay said. “I sent it to the encrypted account, but the short version is that Aldrich Cromwell is an old-money recluse with an interest in prehistoric history.”

“What kind of interest?” Finn asked.

“Well, interest might be putting it too mildly,” Clay said. “Apparently, the man is obsessed. He donates to organizations like Boxgrove, but he also funds private expeditions where they seem to be promising.”

“Interesting,” Ronan said.

“Know what else is interesting?” Clay asked, the gleam in his eyes visible on the screen.

“No, but I hope you plan to tell us,” Ronan said.

“Cromwell is on the Omni board of directors.”

Ronan shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”

Back when they’d been tailing Isaac Fleming in Scotland, Clay had traced the private jet Fleming was using to the Omni Group, which was why Elise had tried to gain access to her former boss’ computer.

“That’s not all,” Clay said. “Sit tight. I’m sending you a satellite image.”

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