Page 129 of One Last Stand

“No, heneverwas, London. He killed the first Drago and took his place—which was possible because no one knew what Drago truly looked like. He took a trip to Montelena after the avalanche and got a new bio card. You double-crossed him by putting the crypto into the Cryptex wallet, but even so, he didn’t want the CIA to get it, so you played right into his hand. All he had to do was die in that avalanche and then, when the time was right, find you, come back and get the cash. He knew you’d never spend it.”

“I might have.”

“Not when you’re held hostage by yourownglorious purpose, whether you want to admit it or not. You can thank your mother for that.”

Oh.But her mother’s words hung in her mind.“We have drama because we are so much alike. We’re both trying to change the world, just in our own way.”

“I need to stop trying to change the world.”

“You’d sooner stop breathing.” He met her eyes. “You are who you are, Laney. And you can’t change that.” He took a step toward her. “Once a Black Swan, always?—”

“I worshipped you,” she said softly. “The way you supported Mom, moving with her career. All this time, you were running ops—runningme—right under her nose.”

“Your mother knew you were a Swan.”

“I know. No wonder she wanted me to marry a prince. She probably thought he could protect me from all this.”

“Please. You wanted to be a princess.”

“No, I didn’t. That was a fantasy. I just wanted to be important enough for someone to notice me.”

She turned and headed toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I have no idea. But I’m not staying here.”

“Delaney.”

She turned as she opened the doors. Grabbed both handles to shut them behind her. “Oh, I think Princess Delaney left the castle a long, long time ago.”

* * *

There was just enough old-fashioned inside Moose for the sight of Tillie wearing an apron, her hands dusted in flour as she came to the front door, to make him feel like a man coming home from war. Or maybe the daily war. And yes, he’d seen her in her waitress outfit plenty of times, but this was different.

This was her dressed in wool socks, leggings, and his black grilling apron, her hair back and messy, greeting him like a . . . well, awife. . . as he came into the foyer and dropped his bag.

Okay, maybe not exactly like a wife because, with Hazel still at school, if she were his wife, he would have swooped her up despite the fatigue that coursed through his body and had a much differenthello, I missed youthan just the kiss he gave her at the door.

He put his arms around her, pulling her close, the events of the last two days raw and fresh in his mind, the reality that, just like that, the world could cave in on any of them. “Oh, I missed you,” he nearly growled as he kissed her, at first softly, then as she held tighter, okay, maybe devouring her a little.

Enough was enough.Tonighthe would ask her. Even if the world fell in and the sun stopped shining. Tonight.

Even that felt too long to wait, but he smelled like he’d been on a plane for twenty-some hours, and what he really needed was a shower, and maybe some shut-eye, but that was off the table until he’d also had some grub.

So he pulled away, met her beautiful eyes. “What are you making?”

“Pie.”

Of course.

“I quit my job at the Skyport.”

He blinked at her. “What?”

She sighed. “So, here’s the thing.” She caught her lip and . . . “I love you, Moose. And having you gone, and just thinking about London—and yeah, she’s not dead, but for a while you all thought she was and everyone was just shattered, and I know how much Shep is crazy about her, and why didn’t they get together before this? But I’m just aware of how precious this life, every moment, is and . . . what am I so afraid of?”

Huh.But yes, what she said.

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