Page 93 of No More Spies

But she did need him to save her from the black hole thatsometimes threatened to swallow her whole. She needed him to pull her back tothe real world and remind her how much her love was worth.

He sat there for a moment and realized that while he’dthought he’d made a decision before, this was really it. She’d done somethinghe never would have done—allowed Zach to go free. She’d handled things in a waythat hurt his feelings. She hadn’t chosen to scrap a mission to save his pride.

What the fuck was his pride worth?

It certainly wasn’t worth the woman he wanted to spend therest of his life with. He stood, glancing at the clock and realizing how muchtime had gone by while he’d sat here.

Nothing was more important than Kala. Nothing. If she didn’twant to work with him anymore, he would take it. He would support her. It wouldbe her choice.

Although he would try to sway her because he loved workingwith her. He wanted to work with her at the Agency until she was ready toembark on something else.

If she wanted him to hear Zach out, well, he was alreadyrethinking that, too.

What the hell would he have done had he been the one inZach’s position? While he certainly wouldn’t have ended up leaving his team, hemight have found a way to put himself on it so he could get to know hisbrother.

He should have done his job, sat beside her and worked itout. He might have been able to talk her into bringing him in, but no, he’dgotten his butt hurt because she hadn’t wailed and cried and made an alreadydramatic situation worse.

He was going to have to buy so many chocolate croissants andgive a million foot rubs and probably agree to another dog because he waspretty sure Kenzie would try to keep Bud 2 and Kala had never not had a dog inher life.

But the most important thing he could do was put his armsaround her and ask her for forgiveness.

He walked out into the hallway and into the big living roomwhere his father was sitting in Big Tag’s lounge chair, a serious expression onhis face. He looked up. “Are you feeling okay?”

“No. I feel like an asshole.” He glanced into the kitchen.“Where’s Kala? I need to grovel.”

His father’s expression grew even more grim. “She left halfan hour ago. She told Hunter if he wouldn’t take her, she would find her ownway back. He did it because… Well, I don’t think he’s ever seen her cry.”

He’d brought his gorgeous girl so low. He pulled out hiscell.

I’m going to be back not long after you, baby. Weneed to talk. I love you. Love you. I’m so sorry for the way I behaved. Pleasemeet with me. Tell Hunter he better keep you safe. You are everything to me.

He sent the text and looked to his father.

“We need to get back to Dallas. I have to get my girl.”

* * * *

Kala stared at her parents across the conference table. “I’mfine.”

If only they were the only ones who’d shown up.Unfortunately, Lou was here, too. At least TJ was off somewhere probably tryingto find a street food vendor.

Her father’s brow cocked. “Sure. That’s why you didn’t go toyour own home last night and instead spent the night in a sex club.”

Well, she’d known damn well what would happen if she wentback to her place. First her sister and Bri would be all over her asking whathappened with Cooper, and then at some point in time Cooper would show up, andshe couldn’t handle it.

He would show up because he was stubborn and didn’t like tofail at anything. She was good at failing, so she accepted the reality of theirrelationship better than he did.

If she stayed with him, it was only a matter of time beforehe resented her. It was better to break it off now when there were still somegood feelings between the two of them. They still had a shot at seeing eachother every now and then and wishing each other well.

Like well was what she wanted for him. She wantedspectacular, fabulous, amazing. He deserved a beautiful life and everything hecould possibly want. Even if it wasn’t with her.

“Cooper already came by this morning, and he looked likeshit,” Lou announced. Her bestie had come in with a bag for her, a fresh changeof clothes, and some makeup. “He said he was an asshole.”

“He wasn’t. He was fine.” Kala was calm and cool. She hadn’tslept much but she’d used the punching bag they kept in one of the rooms. She’dtried to cry but it wouldn’t come. Thank the universe she had a key to thisplace because otherwise it would have been a motel room. She’d known she neededtime alone. Not that Hunter had been very talkative. He’d just flown the planeand told her if she wanted to talk, he was there. He’d told her whatever Cooperhad done, he would be horrified to know how it affected her because he lovedher.

But he didn’t.

“That is not what he told me.” Her father naturally hadfound her. Stupid trackers. She knew what happened. Her dad called Lou and herbestie pinpointed her location. Lou had done something to them—there had been awhole lot of technical stuff. The end result being she had a brand-new tracker.Not that it stopped Huisman last time, but maybe the next asshole who druggedher and tortured her wouldn’t have the same level of tech.

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