Page 72 of Sinner's Salvation

“I’m not fond of politicians for several reasons,” Evan said. “But the main one is their ambition.”

She frowned. What did that have to do with anything?

“Politicians are ambitious or they wouldn’t be trying to win popularity contests. If serving the greater good or serving their country was their goal, they’d most likely head up a non-profit or go into the military or law enforcement. When someone with ambition gets some power, it sometimes goes to their head. They convince themselves that they’re safe and can finally do whatever they want.”

“Ledger would have committed atrocities if you hadn’t set off that bomb?” Anna asked, out loud. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. And it was two bombs. The first one was a smoke bomb. It got people moving, thinking the building was on fire, so they would evacuate. Then, when the real bomb went off, no one would get hurt.”

“You came prepared to do this?”

“What can I say,” he shrugged. “I’m a little paranoid too.” He grinned at her.

“But what will you do?”

“I want to make sure this situation is resolved to a degree where you feel safe again.”

She snorted. “I haven’t felt safe since I got sick.”Eight hundred years ago.

“Okay. How about until you can go about your business without fear of getting kidnapped by assholes,” Evan said. “After that, it’s up to you.”

“Up to me?”

“Yeah, I knewIwanted you the moment I walked into that holding room and you spoke to me. The question is, doyouwantme?”

Anna stopped breathing.What?

He smiled slowly. “From the look on your face, I gather you find this surprising.”

There really wasn’t enough air in the room. Not with him in it. Not when she wanted to take what he was offering so badly, her hands were shaking. Not when she’d offered trust to men in the past, only to have them break it.

His grandfather hadn’t broken it.

He’d been one of a kind. Or so she thought.

She met Evan’s gaze and realized he’d been watching her face while she was panicking. He looked worried.Forher.

She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Your grandfather and his unit of men weren’t the only soldiers I tried to help during World War II.” She had to stop to breathe again.

Evan leaned forward and offered her his hand. He didn’t say anything, just held it out.

She put her hand in his, realizing too late how badly she was shaking.

He closed his hand around hers and held it with a gentleness she couldn’t quite fathom. As if she were the most precious thing he’d ever touched. As if she were more important to him than anyone else in the world.

All the words she’d planned to say stumbled into each other, snarling together into a knot in her throat.

“Who else did you try to help during the war?” he asked, his voice soft and curious.

“The French. It was difficult after the Germans occupied the country. There were many people who became collaborators because they were terrified they’d be killed if they didn’t cooperate with the Germans.”

“Gramps talked about how his unit would set up for their ghost mission, impersonating some tank unit out in the country. He said that the people in the towns would have flags flying over their doors, and that they’d change them depending on which army might be rolling through it. One day, the flags were all German. The next, French. Was it like that?”

“Yes. I’d been working with a resistance cell for a few months. We were intercepting German intelligence via a brothel. I was disguised as an old woman, cleaning and cooking. But the family of one of the men in our cell had been arrested and they tortured his wife in front of him until he gave up every single member.”

“Fuck,” Evan spat the word out.

“They raided the brothel, pulled the women out and shot them all. They tortured the men in my cell before they killed them.” She stopped talking.

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