Page 2 of Homecoming

Once they were back in bed, she looked across at him. “Did you feel them again? Is that why you’re so tense?”

“Yes,” he said, his voice raspy. “Just on the edges.”

“They’re going to move on us again,” she murmured, and he knew she was right. The desperation was building.

Unknown groups had attacked them three times now. Two groups had spoken English, but the other group had spokensomething more guttural, like Russian. One of the attacks had taken place when Lilly, Donna’s daughter, had been kidnapped and they’d been spread thin trying to rescue her. Five of their men had died in the attack on the underground parking garage, though they’d managed to take out nine of the attacking force. None of them had made it through the security checkpoints they had on the building, but it was only a matter of time. If they wanted the baby bad enough, they would attack in force, and people were going to die. Again.

Aiden knew exactly why they wanted Fallon. She was the first offspring born to an enhanced soldier.

“How is she ever going to have a normal life?” Angela asked softly. “It’s almost Christmas, and I can’t even take her to see Santa. Get her pictures taken. Let her see lights at night and drink hot chocolate.”

Aiden sighed, struggling with the same thoughts. “I know. I’m sorry, babe.”

She rolled on her side, toward him, and wrapped her arm over his chest. “It’s not your fault. It’s Shu’s fault, and Wilkes’, and Hall’s. And all the evil, greedy men that have perpetuated this mess.”

They had wracked their brains, trying to come up with a solution. Krammer was always analyzing and surfing through the dark web, trying to find more men and the groups that were testing on them. Officer Kevin Rose, the Joint Task Force Omega liaison from the CIA, was doing everything he could on his end to try to find who was after the baby. But the groups were so well hidden. It was literally like chasing ghosts.

And now they had a new foe. Senator Hall’s sister, an iron-haired woman with a kind face and a very dark heart, had taken over some of Hall’s contacts. Krammer and the CIA had dug into Francesca Hall’s background, but they were coming up empty. A lot of people mysteriously died around the woman, though,and she always seemed to come out of the situation smelling like roses.

“I feel like if we’re in this building, we will always be a target. From what Fontana has been saying, I think the Foxhole is ready enough to house people,” he said carefully, watching to gauge her reaction. “We could head down early. The pictures he’s sent look incredible. You may have to rough it a little, but it sounds like it will be safer for Fallon. Krammer hasn’t picked up any chatter on the dark web about the property down there.”

Angela drew in a deep breath. “I’m not gonna lie. I’m pretty sick of being inside this building. I stay for Fallon, and you, of course, but there are only so many concrete walls I can look at.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

He’d seen her roaming the halls and worrying at her fingernails. Little tells that she was unsettled. They were deeply in love, but he could see and feel the anxiety that had built in her over the past two years. She’d quit her job as a police detective to move with him to Arlington,Virginia, just outside of DC, and then to stay with the baby. She’d taken a job helping Krammer in security, but that was only when he needed an extra hand monitoring.

Something had to change, and he suddenly realized he needed to be the one to make the move. “So, let’s do it, then,” he said, jumping in with both feet. “I’m tired of the waffling. Let’s get out of here and see what the great big world of North Carolina has to offer.”

Angela leaned up on her elbow. “Are you serious? Don’t tease me or I’ll smack you.”

Aiden chuckled. “I’m serious. It’ll take a few days to get everything arranged, but I don’t think anyone will say anything about us going down early. I know we were shooting for spring, but if you don’t mind the cold and snow…”

She snorted. “I’m from Colorado!”

“Then let’s do it,” he said, pulling her down for a kiss. “We’ll just drop off the grid and try to live the best life we can for Fallon. From what Black and Fontana say, it sounds pretty idyllic.”

Angela buried her face against his collarbone, her fists tightening against his chest. There was a wash of emotion from her, and he tightened his arms around her. “It’s okay,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head as she fought her tears. “I’ll make sure Fallon gets to experience at least one normal Christmas.”

He glanced at the monitor on his nightstand and made the same promise to his sleeping daughter.

Angela lookedaround their apartment and wondered how the hell she was going to get it all done.

They were moving in two days and she had to have everything essential packed within that time. She was allocating six hours to their stuff, and twelve hours to Fallon’s stuff. Were they taking her furniture? She wasn’t sure. Aiden wasn’t sure. He had no idea what was in the cabin they were being assigned. He promised her he would contact the site manager, a somewhat dour man named Owen Black. She’d met Black a time or two, and he seemed very competent. Never spoke much, but he had that assured, quiet intensity, a man-who-could-move-a-mountain mentality. And he literally had had to move a mountain, she thought with a laugh. His voice had been damaged in the camps, so he spoke with a gravel rasp that sounded painful sometimes. Aiden said he was one of the most intuitive and detail oriented men he’d ever met, though, whichwas saying something. Theonlymen Aiden met were intuitive. And he said Black’s mind worked at a crazy level.

The amount of logistics that went into creating a secure, self-sufficient compound on two mountains spread over thousands of acres had to be massive. She couldn’t even begin to think where to start. She knew they had running water because it was all mountain runoff. But she did not know what comforts they would have. Black must believe the accommodations were sufficient to house a baby. He would have said something if not, right?

There was a knock at her apartment door, and Angela crossed the room to swing it open. Raine grinned as she caught sight of her and leaned in for a hug. “Oh, honey, don’t get overwhelmed.”

Angela felt tears well in her eyes. Leave it to Raine to see what she was going through. The woman was an amazing nurse for a reason. She was an even more spectacular friend.

Raine set her back with her hands on her shoulders and smiled at her. “Do you have enough boxes?”

Angela nodded and waved a hand at the stack of black containers with yellow lids. “One of the guys just brought me those, and he’s bringing up another load in a few minutes.”

Raine nodded as she walked in, surveying the apartment. Angela had started on towels and bedding, and she planned to move to their bedroom next. They had a few momentoes from dating that she’d packed, and some food from the pantry she didn’t think she’d be able to get down there. She loved her unique seasonings.

Then she started doubting herself. It was just North Carolina. It wasn’t like she was moving to Africa…

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