Page 55 of Tempting Tessa

“I’m not letting that asshole get the best of me. I can and will walk out of—” Her eyes rolled up in her head, and Tommy caught her as she fell.

He lifted her into his arms, jutting his chin toward the open door. “Let’s go,” he said to their group.

And he carried her to the waiting ambulance outside, praying every step of the way that she didn’t die on him.

Twenty-Two

Tessa came up from the depths of a floating sensation to waves of pain. Dull, but still enough to make her curse inside her head.

The sterile hospital room came into focus in pieces—first, the soft beeping of the heart monitor, then a dim light from a nearby window. The faint smell of bleach and the stiff feel of sheets. Beige walls, ugly curtains, the weight of a warm hand wrapped around hers.

“Welcome back,” Tommy said.

Her brain and body felt sluggish and exhausted, but his voice…oh, that deep, confident voice she loved so much, made the instant panic fluttering in her chest stop.

She turned her head just enough to see him sitting beside her. His shirt was dirty, wrinkled, and stained with blood. Hers or his? His hair was disheveled, reminding her of the mornings she’d woken to see him next to her in bed. Dark circles bruised the area under his eyes, but his smile was bright.

“What happened?” she croaked, her throat dry.

He brought her a glass of water from the side table and guided the straw to her lips. “Easy. You’ve been out for a while.”

The water was cool and soothed her throat. After a long drink, she leaned back against the pillow. Her memories returned, bringing that old, familiar sense of dread. “Harris?”

Tommy’s grin faltered. He hesitated long enough for her stomach to drop. “You hurt him good, T, but he escaped. They brought him here for treatment, and somehow, he managed to evade the watch they put on him.”

Her heart sank. The panic spread.

Tommy squeezed her hand. “Meg, Declan, and Spence are on his trail. He won’t get far in his condition.”

But he was out there. Free. Her bottom lip trembled, and she bit it to hold back angry tears.

“We disabled the EMPs, saved the bases, and exposed him,” Tommy said. “The CIA, in conjunction with several other agencies, has shut down the Russian investor group and frozen all the funds tied to every LLC and shell company Harris touched. He has no cards left.”

If only she could believe that. “And Jessie?”

“At Langley being debriefed by Flynn and some others. She’s got a lot to explain, but she’ll be all right. I’ve got her back.”

Tessa nodded. “I’ll do what I can to support her, too, even though I’m still upset with her.” She would do it for Tommy. With Jessie’s insight into her stepfather’s strategies and contacts, Tessa might figure out where he’d gone and what he might try next.

But the weight it all felt like a thousand-pound elephant on her chest. Her side ached. Her eyes felt heavy. A gnawing question in her mind insisted on an answer. “What will you do now?”

Tommy’s grin returned, softer this time. “Jessie and I have some catching up to do. Flynn’s offered me a spot on the swans.”

How was it possible her stomach could sink any lower? “What?”

He shrugged, nonchalant. “Apparently, they need someone like me to fill a vacancy. Since you’ve refused to take the position?—”

“I’ve earned that spot,” she argued, struggling to sit up straight despite the protest from her side.

Tommy didn’t try to help her, chuckling as he leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. “Guess you better get well enough to fight me for it, then, Vulpe.”

It hit her then—what he was doing. The sneaky SOB. She rolled her eyes and settled herself into the pillows once more. “I’m clearly the better operative.”

“Is that so?” His tone was teasing, but his gaze was steady and warm. It was also entirely too knowing. Unnerving. “You said you didn’t want the job. In fact, correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ve done everything in your power to avoid being a swan.”

Ire rising, she steeled herself against the pain and fog, swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress. “Flynn needs me to hunt down Harris since he was an idiot and let him escape. I don’t care if they call me a swan, or The Architect, or a dog on a bone, I’m not sitting this one out.” And when she caught Harris this time, she would ensure he never took another breath. Never hurt another person. If meting out justice like that made her a vigilante and a horrible person, then so be it. She would live with the consequences of her actions and never regret them for one moment.

Tommy shot out of the chair, putting his hands on her shoulders to keep her from standing. “You’re not going anywhere. Doctor’s orders.”

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