Page 95 of Trust No One

“I appreciate that, sir, and I’m sure Devlin does, too.” She glanced over at him, rolled her eyes, and Dev smiled. Relaxed a little. He took her other hand and squeezed.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Ms. Melbourne?” Allen asked.

Mel drew in a breath. Let it out. “I would like to know what eventually happens with Cliff. Where he ends up. And if by some chance he’s ever released from prison, I’d like to be notified.”

Allen cleared his throat. “You won’t need to worry about that, Ms. Melbourne. Cliff Kingsley will spend the rest of his life behind bars. In solitary confinement, If I have my way.”

“Thank you, sir,” Mel said. “Dev and I will be heading back to Montana tomorrow. I’ll let you go because I know you’re busy. Thanks again for the call.”

She hit the icon to end the call, tossed the phone onto the end table, then turned to Dev.

“Easy to apologize after the fact,” she said. “Pompous ass.”

* * *

Dev’s mouth quivered, but he didn’t smile. No one could hold a grudge like his Mel. He’d been about to stroke her cheek, but he froze.HisMel?

Sighing, he pressed his palm to her cheek. She was his for now, anyway. Once they got back to Montana? He’d have to walk away from her.

“Hey,” he managed to say. “At least he called and said he was sorry. Gotta give him credit for that.”

“I suppose,” she said, drawing in a breath. Blew it out slowly, then swiveled to face him. “Now what, Dev?”

“What do you mean?” he asked cautiously. His hand hovered over her shoulder. He wanted to touch her, like he had when she was drugged up and sleepy, but now that she was awake and aware, he wasn’t sure if she’d want that, wasn’t sure she’d welcome his touch. “Are you talking about tonight? About tomorrow? About Blackhawk Security?”

She took a deep breath. “We did what we came to Washington to do,” she said, and her throat rippled with her hard swallow. “Kingsley’s in jail and will presumably stay there. I’m sure the FBI and the CIA can… persuade him to disclose the other Russian assets in the FBI. And anyone in the CIA who’s been working with him.

“Bree’s safe. Simon and Caroline can go back to their regularly scheduled lives. You and I and anyone else Kingsley had targeted won’t have to keep looking over our shoulders. We can’t do anything for Larrimore, but we can at least tell his family what happened to him. And I’m sure Kingsley can be persuaded to tell the FBI where he buried Larrimore’s body.”

Dev’s fingertips brushed Mel’s shoulder. “You’ve summed it up very nicely,” he said. “All the loose ends are tied up.” He smiled. “You can call Graciella and let her know it’s safe to come back to D.C., if that’s what she wants. So what, exactly, are you asking me?”

Mel took a deep breath and stared down at her hands, which were clenched together in her lap. “After everything that happened, I guess I’m asking about… about you and me,” she said without looking up at him. “Where we stand.”

Dev raised one eyebrow, shocked at the question. “I assume we stand exactly where we did before we left Montana for Washington D.C. The business is yours now. You go home to run Blackhawk Security. I figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. Where I want to do it. What I’m gonna do with that honking big check.”

She swung her head sharply toward him. “You’re not coming back to Montana?”

“You were my only reason for being in Montana,” he said. “You and Blackhawk Security. So I’ll pack up my stuff when we get home and head out.” He inhaled. “And I don’t have much stuff.”

Silence hung heavy in the room between them. The air pulsed with unsaid words. Unspoken desires. And he was afraid all that energy was coming from him. He had no idea what was going on in Mel’s mind.

Chapter 32

They arrived in Montana late the following evening. Neither had said much on the plane. Mel didn’t want to air their business in front of their fellow passengers, and clearly, Dev didn’t, either.

But every time she shifted in her seat, her knee bumped Dev’s. And whenever he moved his leg, it brushed hers. Each time, a jolt of awareness made her toes curl. Made other parts sit up and take notice, as well.

Her face flamed. But she didn’t look at him. And he didn’t look at her.

As they drove to the Blackhawk Security compound, tension in the car ratcheted up, until unspoken words throbbed heavily between them. But she was tired, and she knew Dev must be, too. This wasn’t the time for a weighty conversation.

After parking the car in the garage, they emerged into the deep black of the Montana night sky. The Milky Way smeared its stars across the sky, illuminating the path to the apartments. Neither of them spoke until they reached Mel’s unit.

Dev set down her suitcase. Unlocking her door, she shoved it open and turned to him. “I’m so glad you insisted on coming with me,” she said. “Without you, I doubt Kingsley would be in custody. He’d be in the Maldives, and I’d be dead.” She gave him a shaky smile. “I know I can be stubborn, so thanks for persisting. For insisting that you come with me.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “I’m glad you didn’t give up on me.”

He reached out to touch her, but curled his fingers into his palm before they reached her face. His hand dropped to his side. “I’ll never give up on you, Mel. I’ll always care about you.” One side of his mouth twitched up. “We did good work on this op. If you ever need me again, I’ll be there for you.” He bent and brushed a kiss across her mouth, then stepped back.

“It’ll take a few days to get my stuff together and make arrangements for another place to live. That okay with you?”

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