Page 43 of Undercover Hacker

“I can’t do this anymore. Take care, Zane. I’m sorry.”

“I will come for you went I get out of here.”

A flicker of hope lit deep in my stomach.

“Please don’t. It will make it harder for us both. Bye.”

The devastation in Zane’s eyes was heartbreaking. It would be the last thing I remembered, but he deserved so much more than I could give him.

I turned and walked out the door. Zack was standing on the other side. He looked at me with both anger and disappointment.

It was for the best. I left the hospital in a blur. When I made it to my car, I lost it. I’d just left the only man I’d ever loved.

* * *

Zane

Losing my mom to cancer and watching her wither away in her bed was one of the worst moments in my life. I didn’t think I would experience another moment that would come close.

Sophie leaving me was something I didn’t think I would ever recover from. Her not being able to have kids was not something I was upset over. I would love to adopt foster kids that needed homes.

I wasn’t in the mood for visitors, but the click of dress shoes on the linoleum told me I wouldn’t have an option. Had he been standing out there the whole time? Did he hear the woman I fell in love with rip my heart out and leave it on the floor? Maybe she handed it to him on the way out.

If I had known heartache would be this bad, I would have told the doctor to let me code on the table. How can I go on living?

“I’m not in the mood for visitors.” I didn’t bother looking at the chair Zack occupied. I could see the three secret service agents at the door.

Zack leaned back in the plastic chair. “Will you give up that easily?”

I knew he had heard the conversation I had with Sophie. She didn’t want to be with me. She didn’t love me as much as I loved her.

“Didn’t you hear her? She doesn’t want to be with me.” The bitterness dripped from my voice.

The man had a country to run. Why was he sitting in my room, talking about my love life? If I wanted advice, I would contact Dr. Phil.

“I heard a scared woman.”

Sophie was the bravest woman I’d met. But Zack was right. She was scared to lose the people she loved. She’d had to watch her parents die in front of her at a young age. It took twenty-five years to get her sister back. When Sophie opened her heart, she opened it wide.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I won’t go after someone who doesn’t want me.” It was hard being rejected.

Zack ran his hand through his hair and looked up at the news broadcast. “For someone who has taken on some of the biggest threats to our country and chased people to the end of the world, you are giving up really easily.”

“She said not to chase.”

“Well, then this will be easier. I need you to come to DC once you are out and help me clean up the rest of the CIA.”

That would give me something to focus on. If I spent my time engrossed in work and didn’t think about Sophie, I could build a wall around my heart.

“Sure. I’ll be on the first plane out.”

Antonio stomped into my room. “I told you if you hurt her, I would kill you.”

“What you are talking about? I hurt no one.”

When Antonio stepped closer to my bed, Zack stood to take guard. I was so pathetic that someone who had bodyguards of his own was trying to protect me.

Zack pointed to the other plastic chair in the room. “Sit down. I put up with a lot, but you won’t touch my brother.”

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