Page 76 of On Your Knees

“Was any of it real?” she asks me.

“Of course it was,” I rush out, hoping she believes me. “Eva, meeting you was everything to me. You’ve changed my life.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know what to believe.”

I grab a hold of both her hands, holding them between us. “Believe me. I’m going to make everything right between us, Eva.”

Before I can say another word, Vin appears at the far end of the hallway, urgency written across his face. "We’ve found them," he says, his voice sharp and quick. "They’re off the coast. A chopper’s on its way to pick us up."

Eva's eyes dart to mine, wide with concern. I see the fear swimming in them, and it grips me in a way nothing else does. She whispers, "Be safe," her voice barely above a breath, but the weight behind it is staggering.

I bring my forehead to rest gently against hers, closing the gap between us. Her breath, shaky and uneven, mingles with mine as I promise, "I’m going to make this all up to you. I swear, Eva. I’ll tell you everything—about me, my life, anything you want to know. No more secrets."

Tears brim in her eyes, her lip quivering as she holds back the flood of emotion threatening to spill over. "Just come back to me," she pleads, her voice barely steady, the vulnerability of her words cutting straight through me.

I can’t stop myself, I lean in and press my lips softly against hers, a kiss filled with all the things I wish I could say, with all the unspoken apologies and promises of a future I’m desperate to secure. "I will," I whisper as I pull back, locking eyes with her for one last moment before I have to go.

I don’t want to let go of her hands, but I force myself to step away. The mission calls, and as much as I want to stay here with her, there’s unfinished business out there. Danger still lurks, Christopher’s still at large. But I’ll come back. For her. For Nate.

I take a breath, steeling myself for what’s next, and follow Vin down the hallway, my mind filled with the feel of her lips, the sound of her voice, and the weight of the promise I intend to keep.

The chopper cuts through the dark night sky, the rhythmic hum of the propellers pounding in my ears, but not as loudly as my heart, which feels like it’s trying to claw its way out of my chest. Every minute that passes brings us closer to our destination, and to Christopher. I glance down at the gun in my hand, then out at the ocean below, wondering what waits for us when we land.

Vin’s voice crackles through the headset, pulling me from my thoughts. “Normally,” he says, his voice steady but tinged with something like amusement, “I’d give you hell for falling for someone on an assignment. But with you…I can see it’s different. You really care about her, don’t you?”

I meet his gaze, the weight of his words settling over me like a heavy blanket. “I do,” I admit quietly. “More than anything.”

Vin gives a knowing nod, his expression softening. “I get it. Fell for my wife on an assignment too.”

That catches me off guard. I turn to him, surprised. “Really? I didn’t know that’s how you and Addison met.”

He chuckles, a small, genuine smile breaking through the tension on his face. “Yeah, we were working undercover, following a lead on a money laundering outfit in some rural subdivision. Had to pose as a married couple. You know, cozy house, small-town vibes—real undercover stuff.” He shrugs, the smile deepening as the memory seems to wash over him. “What can I say? When you know, you know.”

I can’t help but grin a little at that, even though we’re flying into a mission that could go sideways at any moment. "Sounds like quite the story."

“Yeah, it was,” he says, his eyes growing distant for a second before focusing back on me. “But it wasn’t easy. Balancing the job with how you feel, it’s complicated as hell. You’ll need to figure that out. But trust me, Benedict, it’s worth it if she’s the one.”

I look out the window again, the dark horizon stretching before us. I think of Eva, her smile, the way her voice wavers when she says my name, the feel of her hand in mine. I’ve lied to her. Kept her in the dark for so long. But even after all of that, she still looked at me with hope when I promised her I’d come back.

Vin’s words resonate with me, but the weight of everything still gnaws at my gut. “I should’ve told her the truth sooner. I don’t know how to fix this.”

Vin glances over at me, his voice quieter now. “You’ll figure it out. You’ve got time, as long as you don’t let it slip through your fingers.”

I nod, not entirely convinced but determined to try. The thrum of the chopper grows louder as we approach the drop point. I feel the tension building again, every nerve in my body alive with anticipation. The mission is everything right now, but in the back of my mind, it’s Eva that anchors me—Eva and Nate.

When you know, you know. Vin’s right. I just hope I’m not too late.

The chopper circles lower, the roar of the blades almost deafening as we prepare to touch down. My nerves are on fire, every muscle in my body tense with anticipation. We’re close—so close to getting this bastard once and for all. Christopher's been slipping through our fingers for too long, and tonight, I’m determined to put an end to it.

As we approach the drop point, the sight of the warehouse looms ahead. It’s rundown, the kind of place no one would look twice at during the day, but under the cover of night, it’s alive with shadows and danger. They know we’re coming. How could they not? The sound of the chopper alone is enough to set off alarms. And then there’s the boat, bobbing lazily at the dock, almost mocking us. It’s clearly their escape plan, ready to whisk them away if things go south. Not tonight.

“Secure the boat!” I bark into the headset, and half the team peels off, racing toward the dock. If we lose that boat, Christopher will disappear again, and I’m not letting that happen.

Vin, Harper, and I head toward the warehouse, moving fast but with caution. My heart pounds in my ears, my grip tightening on my gun. The warehouse looks like every other one we’ve hit before—quiet, too quiet—but I can feel it. Christopher’s here. This is where it ends.

We’re almost at the entrance when the first gunshot cracks through the night, ripping through the still air like a warning.

“Get down!” Vin yells, and we all dive for cover behind a stack of shipping crates. More shots follow, rapid and chaotic, the sharp sound bouncing off the metal walls of the warehouse.

---