Page 43 of Free to Fall

“No, seriously. I swear to you nothing will ever happen to cause your heart to die.” Her dark eyes bore into mine before they start to twinkle. “Unless Alice runs out of chocolate.”

As the echo of my laughter fades in my mind, I’m brought back to the present by the sun moving behind the clouds. I push to my feet and stare down at my wise friend. Wrapping my arms around myself, I rub vigorously even as I make a vow. “No, my heart’s not dead, Karimat. I promise. Now, don’t tell anyone, but there’s a reason it’s beating out of control.” Then I confess the truth. “Yes, I’m attracted to him. No, I’m not going to do anything about it. Why? I work for him.”

In my mind I hear her say, Only for a few months. Then what?

Good question.

Really good question.

“Maybe Alice knew exactly what she was doing when she suggested I take this assignment.”

The gust of wind that sweeps through the cemetery is as effective as Karimat’s laughter. I lift my face and drink it in.

I don’t know how long I lay out my heart to my friend. When I’m done, I lean forward and press a kiss to her tombstone. “I’ll be back soon.”

Gathering my blanket, I make my way to my vehicle. Partway there, I see there’s a new “gift” on my windshield. Heart pounding, I call my father.

He answers immediately. “What is it?”

“Dad ...” My voice is shaking.

My father curses so fluently, I’m certain they must offer a course on this. “Where’s your detail?”

I look around and try to search for them. Unable to spot them, I bite my lip before saying, “Umm ...”

“Don’t tell me you can’t see them.” When I don’t respond, he bellows, “They’re supposed to be in your sight at all times unless you’re in a cleared location.”

“I know.”

“Where are you?”

“At the cemetery. I came to see Karimat.”

“Don’t go near your vehicle, Laura. That’s an order. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He disconnects the call.

Deciding not to waste precious time, I head back to Karimat, where even amid the dead, I feel less exposed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of a man in a suit. Phew. Maybe now Dad won’t have a coronary when he gets here. They probably just didn’t see me get up and leave. Spreading the blanket back out, I sit down and think about where to begin. “So, I’m sure you know by now someone’s not happy I survived the shooting.”

The wind, so comforting before whips around, tossing my hair in every direction. “If I only knew if that meant you were looking out for me or if I was meant to be lying by your side, I’d be better prepared.”

Twenty minutes later, my father strides up to me after flinging an infuriated glare in the direction I spotted the agent earlier. Grimly, he shows me a picture of dead flowers as well as that note that reads:

You should be as dead as your friend.

“Right. I guess that answers that part of the question.”

My father hauls me against his heaving chest. “We’re not going to lose you, Laura. Let me do my job.”

Giving my trust to the only thing I’ve ever believed in—family—I nod against his beating heart.

What else can I do?

Chapter

Twenty

“I met Liam briefly at Hudson shortly after Dad and Uncle Caleb hired him. I swear, the two of them stopped turning gray once they did,” Kalie remarks while we walk around the Corbin District the day after I brought Liam and Bailey Aunt Corinna’s cupcakes.

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