Page 123 of One Last Stand

“And what about this part of me that can’t let it go?” She stood up, a fire in those beautiful eyes. “The me that refuses to sit on the sidelines when life is blowing up around me? What about that part?”

He blinked at her. And then he got it.Oh, no,hegotit. “Youlikethis life.”

She swallowed, but the truth stripped away the game on her face.Oh.And with it came a punch to his chest.

His voice fell. “No. You crave this life. Because even your life as a pilot has this—danger and the sense of living on the edge?—”

“I was called to a mission, Shep?—”

He took a step forward, hating the sudden panic that edged his voice. “Guess what—me too. My mission was to keep you alive and bring you home. Mission accomplished. Let’sgo.”

She held up a hand. “Missionnotaccomplished. The Bratva has the money! They’re going to use it for terrible purposes?—”

“And what, you’re going to get it back?” He didn’t have a hope of calming down. “You and who else? Ziggy isgone—she was taken from the hospital.”

That stripped her. “What?”

“Some guy came in with a medical team and discharged her. And York isn’t around, so my guess is he might be behind that.”

Her voice dropped. “Or Roy, maybe.”

“Who?”

“Never mind—” And then, right before his eyes, she rebounded. “Listen. Okay, so yes, I’ll just need to reach out to the other Black Swans?—”

“Listento yourself!” He put a hand to his forehead. “Your entire team came over here to rescue you, and you’re just . . . diving back in?” He blew out a breath. “Let someone else do this, London. What about the Caleb Group? Their entire goal was to get a tracker on this Alan Martin guy. They can track him, go after the money?—”

“No. It was my mission. I can’t let this go, Shep.”

He could almost hear the cracking inside, everything shattering inside him. “So this is it. You’re going to just walk away, just like you did in Zermatt. No looking back.”

Please, please, London?—

A beat. Then, “It seems to me that you’re the one walking away, Shep.”

He couldn’t breathe, the vice in his chest so tight. Still, what did she expect of him? “I told you the first day, I’m not a man of violence. I don’twantthis life?—”

“It seems like you do. Because you keep showing up. Because like it or not, being with me is an adventure for you. Youlikerescuing me?—”

“I like making sure you don’t die! So yes, I show up—to keep you safe. To make sure your impulsive, foolish alter ego doesn’t get you and everyone around you killed!”

Her eyes widened. And yeah, that wasn’t completely fair.

But maybe parts of it were true too. And then it hit him. “I can’t hold on to someone who doesn’t want to be held.” He took a step back, hating the words that burned out of him. “I’m such a fool.”

She stared at him, then lifted her chin. “Maybe I should never have come back from the dead.”

He managed to keep his voice even. “Maybe not.” He backed away, his hand up, his painkillers clearly wearing off, because his entire body ached. “I’m not going to follow you anymore, London. This is me, letting go.”

Then he turned and walked to the door.

Her father stood in the reception area. “Shep,” he said. “Where are you going?”

“Mission’s over, sir,” he said. “I give up.” He kept walking. But at the doorway to the foyer, he turned. “You should tell her the truth.”

Her father turned, started after him, but Shep ignored him and kept moving into the foyer, out through the doors, into the courtyard, and through the gates.

Because he was going home.

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