Page 79 of Sinner's Salvation

“How will we communicate?” Anna asked, with fists clenched. She did not like this plan.

Baz went to the desk in front of the screens and opened a drawer. It was full of burner phones. “Take two or three,” Baz said to Evan. “I’m going to do the same.”

Evan grabbed three phones, and Anna took one. They made sure all their phones had each other’s numbers, and during all that Anna’s expression and body language grew unhappier and unhappier.

“I don’t like this,” she said, when he and Baz were ready to go.

Baz glanced at Evan, flashed a slight smirk, and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to talk to M & M about our stupid plans my Mom doesn’t like.” He climbed the stairs, opened the hatch, and walked up into the apartment above.

“People who are willing to do what Ledger has done to obtain power, have no moral code, no breaks on their desire for more.” She twisted her fingers together.

Evan took her by the shoulders and leaned his forehead against hers. “I have, unfortunately, met a few people like that. I know how to handle them.”

With her body up against his, he could feel her shaking, her breath too fast in his ear. “Anna.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t know why I’m...” her hands clutched at him. “So scared for you.”

“Well,” he said slowly, pulling away to look down at her. “If things go horribly wrong, I guess you’ll have to come and rescue me.”

“Like you rescued me?”

“Somehow I think you’d do it with more style.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and grinned.

“What does that mean?” she asked, suspicion deepened her frown. And yet, he could see the beginning of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

“You know,” he said, with enthusiasm. “In one of those old-fashioned frilly dresses from the 1800s, or a 1920s flapper dress, or—”

She cut him off with a shake of her head. “If you say a 1980s skirt suit with padded shoulders, I will bite you.”

He laughed. A full-on, no holds barred, belly laugh. “I can’t even picture you in one of those,” he said, between guffaws.

She gave him a half-grin. “I used to own a closet full of them.”

That only made him laugh harder.

Her laughter joined his for a few seconds until he pulled her into a hug.

“We’re going to get through this,” he whispered, in her ear.

“And then what?” she asked, with an uncertain note in her voice.

He pulled back so he could meet her gaze. “And then, I leave the military and join you in Slovenia or wherever you choose to go.”

Her eyes were stark with a mix of fear and sadness. “Evan, I’ve tried to live a normal life with a...partner. It always ends horribly.”

“That’s just it, Anna. I’m not normal. I’m a soldier and a spy, and I have no illusions about the fact that I’m going to die and you’re not.” He caressed her face with gentle fingers. “I just want to be with you.”

“I want...to be with you, too.”

A warm wave of relief washed through him. “Then we’ll figure it out.”

She searched his face, then nodded. “Okay.”

He kissed her, gently at first, but her lush lips and frantic hands drove caution out of him, and he hauled her into his arms.

Good God, he wanted this woman.

Someone stomped on the stairs.

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