Page 67 of Fury

When he came upon the kitchen, Glace was there eating an apple.

She scanned the dog and then him. “Some plan you came up with.”

“I stand behind it one hundred percent.”

Glace nodded. “Chapel said we’re rolling out as soon as Germaine pulls off his big escape. Should be sometime tonight. From the looks of it, he’s out cold right now.” She nodded to a small screen on the counter.

Germaine was slouched forward in the chair, unmoving. Sleep could only be fought so long.

“We’re ready.” Davis peered into the empty living room. “You seen Hollyn around?”

“Out on the terrace.”

Davis nodded. Stalked that way.

Terracewas a generous term for the cracked brick patio at the back of the safe house. But Glace was right—Hollyn had perched on a chair out here. Palm trees dotting the property provided some shade from the bright sunset. The Abu Dhabi sky had some of the most vibrant colors he’d seen.

When he and Fury approached, she quickly wiped at her face. “Hey.” She spoke to him but didn’t look over. Instead, she kept her gaze trained on the sand dunes beyond the house.

“Hey. Been looking for you.” Davis sank onto a chair next to Hollyn. Tugged Fury’s KONG from his pocket. The shepherd went crazy with anticipation. Davis chucked the toy into the air, and Fury tore off after it, sand pluming up behind him. “You okay?” he asked Hollyn.

It was a dumb question. He knew that the second it came out of his mouth—because he might not be a rocket scientist, but he could tell she’d been crying.

She sniffed. “No. My parents are dead, Leila’s dead”—her voice broke—“Archie’s being held who knows where. Maybe he’s dead too.” Hollyn wiped her face again.

Fury raced back. Dropped the now slobbery toy in Davis’s lap. Davis threw it again.

“I just want this to end.” Her eyes slid closed. Chin bobbed. “How much longer is this going to go on, Davis?”

Without thinking, he reached over and clasped her hand. There wasn’t much that could bring him to the threshold of tears, but seeing her like this pushed him dangerously close to the limit. He hated seeing her this broken. “It’s gonna be okay, Hol.”

It wasn’t a platitude or an empty promise. If it took everything he had to give, hewouldmake things better for her.

The realization made him pause and mull over what that meant—whatshemeant—to him.

For the first time, she looked to him. His heart sank at the sight of her red eyes and splotchy face. Her fingers tightened around his, but the smile she offered wasn’t convincing. “You have no idea how badly I want to believe that.”

He forced a grin. “Hey. Have some faith in us, okay?” He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

“I do.” She ran a finger under her eyes before wiping it along her jeans. “I keep trying to tell myself there’s a reason for this. A purpose in the pain.” Hollyn blew out a wobbly breath. “God hasn’t abandoned me, even if I feel like it sometimes.”

That statement hit him square in the chest.

“But now and then, grief just”—her voice hitched—“smacks me upside the head, and it’s hard to see what’s true. You know?”

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Didn’t know what he could say. Hedidknow but still hadn’t found the courage to actually open up a dialogue with the Big Man. How would that even go after so many years of silence?

Fury skidded to a stop, hitting Davis’s knees hard, and dropped the toy. Nudged it with his nose a couple times, laser-like focus pinned to the KONG. When it came to fetch, manners went out the window. It wasn’t lost on him that Fury’s behavior toward Hollyn had done a one-eighty since their last interaction. He was acting like she didn’t exist. Davis didn’t like that he couldn’t pinpoint why.

“Have you guys had any luck with finding out who tried to hack the lab files?”

Davis shook his head. “None.”

“Thanks for trying. You and your team have been pretty incredible.” Hollyn released a weighted sigh. “I definitely couldn’t do what you do.”

Guilt peppered his gut. Last team he’d been on, he’d failed miserably. Davis tossed the toy, then rapped his knuckles on the arm of the chair. “They aren’t my team.”

Might as well come clean.

---