Page 87 of One Last Promise

She narrowed her eyes.

Then, “I know you were a spy.”

And that stopped her cold. She drew in a breath. “What?”

“I know you did covert ops . . . and I know that something terrible happened on that mountain three years ago. Something more than an avalanche and your fiancé dying.”

“I thinkthat was enough.”

He held up his hand. “Terrible enough for you to change your name and go into hiding as a so-called missionary in Nigeria.”

Her eyes widened. “I wasn’t hiding?—”

“I know all this because . . . Colt is my friend too.”

A beat.

“Colt? You’re friends—since when?”

“We served together.”

“Before or after he was captured by Boko Haram? Because that’s how I know him—he was in Nigeria working private security for a doctor at a refugee camp in Nigeria and got kidnapped.”

“Before. I was with the Tenth Mountain Division and got seconded to Colt’s Ranger team, as a medic. But most importantly, Colt . . . he asked me to keep an eye on you.”

She looked at him and then . . . laughed.Laughed?

“Seriously?”

“Yes—”

“Okay, yes, I can see that. And that makes sense. He always thought I was a CIA agent or something.” She shook her head. “Colt is wrong. I was never a CIA agent. But I was definitely Agent Walker.” Then she winked.

And just like that, the world froze, cracking.

The fact was, despite everything, London had never actuallyliedto him. Omitted, yes. Kept her past a blank slate, of course.

But lied to him straight out?

Never.

Until now.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Then she cupped his face. “No more secrets.”

Yeah, whatever. He caught her wrists, pulled her hands away. “No. Colt asked mea year agoto watch over you.”

“What?” She shook from his grip.

Aw. Because now he remembered the rest of Colt’s words.“If youtell her, it’s over.”

But the fact was, one of them had to stop lying.

“He told me you were in trouble. And that you needed a fresh start. So he asked me to connect you to Moose, and . . .”

“You’re serious.” She took a step back. “You brought me here tospyon me?”

“No—I was trying to protect you.”