Page 10 of Shea's Hero

“Gut feeling,” the man behind Jade says—her husband, Niall, I’m assuming. “Never ignore it.”

Shea nods. “I told Jade we needed to get inside. But before we had a chance, two men jumped out and came running at us.”

“Us?”

“Jade. Me. Elle was close, too. There was another group of women outside, but they were further away. So I don’t know if they were the target.” She pauses to push her hair behind her ear, and I notice her hand is trembling. “I didn’t think we’d have time to get inside. And Jade… I couldn’t let them get her. I couldn’t.”

Jade grabs Shea’s hand.

“So…” Shea sets her shoulders. “I hit one of the men with a chair. I kept hitting him. And when it broke, I grabbed another chair. That’s when one of them punched me.”

Part of me is absolutely horrified.

But the other part is overwhelmingly proud.

“She saved me,” Jade says tearfully. “I froze. But Shea… she didn’t hesitate. She was amazing.”

Shit.

Shea was amazing.Isamazing.

That’s why it hurt so damn much when she dumped me.

“Why didn’t you tell me Shea was in town?”

Maya’s short laugh comes across the line. “Oh, yes, I’m fine, Oliver. Thanks for asking.”

I drop onto the couch and take a swig of my beer. “Sorry, shrimp. You’re right. Are you okay?”

“Of course. I was inside when everything happened.” She pauses. “Areyouokay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well.” She pauses. “Hang on, Clara just woke up. Let me get Cole to check on her.”

While I wait, I rummage through the pile of electronics on the coffee table until I find my earbuds. Once I pop them in, I switch the call over so I can scroll through my social media accounts, finally giving in after years of resolutely refusing to look up my ex.

I checked on Shea’s accounts in the beginning, of course. In the first months after our breakup, I would look every few weeks or so, wondering if I’d find photos of her with another guy. Not that I thought Shea was the type to cheat, but I couldn’t help wondering if that was the reason why she ended things.

But there was nothing in those first few months, not even a meaningless update. Then I came to my senses and unfriended her on everything, firmly reminding myself it was the best thing to do. That Shea had made it clear she had no interest in me, so why should I continue to think about her?

What a laugh. Like I could ever truly erase Shea from my mind. The first woman I ever loved? Impossible.

But I tried. I threw myself into work even more than I had already. Until I found out Maya had been in danger and didn’t even tell me about it. Didn’t want to worry me while I was working as a clandestine officer overseas. How terrible is that? My own sister in trouble and I wasn’t there to help.

So I requested a transfer back to Langley and spent the next two years working to leave the CIA and find a job close to the last remaining member of my family.

Although. If I’m honest with myself, I’d started to think about moving back to the States even earlier than that. The promotion that took me away from Shea wasn’t as rewarding as I’d hoped it would be. It didn’t make up for the weeks, and sometimes months, I didn’t see her.

Then everything fell apart, and it didn’t seem to matter anymore.

“Okay, I’m back,” Maya says breathlessly. “Sorry about that. Clara was insisting on a goodnight kiss, and I couldn’t say no. Anyway—” A door shuts. “We were talking about you.”

“I’m fine.” It’s firm. Maybe overly so. Tone softening, I continue, “Really. I’m okay. There’s no reason I wouldn’t be. I just… How did I not know Shea lives so close?”

Finding Shea’s profile, I click on it, bracing myself for the inevitable sting. A photo of Shea with another man, his arm wrapped possessively around her while she smiles up at him. Images of Shea’s new life post-me, filled with events and trips and all the things I couldn’t give her that last year because I was never around.

Yeah. I may have spent some time thinking about it. About how Shea may have dumped me because she wanted someone who was there all the time. How, back then, I thought my job was more important than anything.

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