Page 74 of Sanctuary

I listened without interruption as she spoke of her training, her missions, the gradual realization that Matheson’s targets weren’t always the threats to national security he claimed them to be. She spoke of the guilt that grew with each assignment, the doubts she carefully concealed, the silent penance she performed for lives taken under false pretenses.

“When he assigned me to eliminate Declan, I was already looking for a way out,” she continued, her fingers absently tracing patterns on my arm. “But Matheson had found Lily by then. He showed me surveillance photos, detailed files on her daily routine, her weaknesses. He made it clear that if I refused the assignment or failed to complete it, she would suffer.” Mia’s voice broke slightly. “I couldn’t let that happen, but I also couldn’t go through with killing Declan when I saw how much Wren loved him.”

I pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple. “So, you stalled.”

“I stalled,” she confirmed. “Sent reports of making progress while actually doing everything I could to avoid completing the mission. When Matheson grew suspicious and added you to the target list...” She looked up at me, her eyes reflecting the firelight. “I knew I couldn’t do it. Not to Wren, and not to you.”

“Why not Rory or Kat? Why weren’t they ever targets?”

She shook her head. “I thought of that too. And I honestly don’t know. The only thing I could come up with is that he has a personal vendetta against the males that have the MacGallan blood.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “Or he didn’t think Kat was a threat. When did you decide?” I asked softly. “When did you know, you were going to defy him?”

A small smile touched her lips. “The night of the wedding. You were standing by the bar, watching Declan and Wren dance. There was such love in your eyes for them both—and then you looked at me, and something shifted. I realized I wanted to be worthy of that look.”

I remembered that night—the blue dress she’d worn, the way the lights had caught in her hair, the feeling that something important was happening between us, though I couldn’t have named it then.

“After that,” she continued, “I started planning how to protect all of you—and Lily—from Matheson. But he was always three steps ahead.”

We talked through the night, the fire burning down to embers as she shared the darkest parts of her past and I listened without judgment. When she finally fell silent, emotionally exhausted, but somehow lighter, I cupped her face in my hands.

“Thank you,” I said, “for trusting me with this.”

“I want to be honest with you,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “About everything. No more secrets between us.”

I nodded, understanding the gift she was offering—complete transparency, a clean slate. “No more secrets,” I agreed.

In the days that followed, we established a gentle rhythm at the cabin. Mornings spent making love and hiking the surrounding trails, afternoons reading or talking on the porch, evenings cooking together and planning our future. Daily calls to the hospital brought increasingly positive news about Rory—he had regained consciousness, was responding to treatment, beginning the long road to recovery.

A week into our stay, as we sat on the dock with our feet dangling in the cool water, Mia turned to me with newfound determination.

“I want to meet Lily,” she said. “Properly, as her sister. Not watching from the shadows or through surveillance photos.”

I squeezed her hand. “Then let’s make that happen.”

“It won’t be easy,” she warned. “I’ll be a stranger to her—we both will. And explaining our connection without revealing everything at once...”

“We’ll figure it out,” I assured her.

Chapter 35

Connor

That evening, as the moonlight spilled across the lake, I sat on the porch watching Mia inside as she spoke on the phone. Her animated gestures and the occasional smile told me the conversation with her contact at CSIS was going well. She’d been coordinating our approach to meeting Lily, ensuring that any remaining threats from Matheson’s organization were neutralized before we made contact.

When she finally hung up and joined me outside, there was a lightness to her movements I hadn’t seen before.

“Good news?” I asked, making room for her on the wooden bench.

“Very,” she confirmed, settling beside me. “Agent Winters says they’ve identified and contained all of Matheson’s remaining operatives. They’re either in custody or have accepted deals to cooperate.” She took a deep breath. “Lily is officially safe. No more surveillance, no more threat.”

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “That’s incredible, Mia.”

“There’s more,” she continued, unable to contain a smile. “Winters arranged everything. We can meet Lily next week. She’ll be at a teaching conference in Toronto—neutral ground, public setting.”

“How much does Lily know about the meeting?”

“Just that a family member has been trying to locate her,” she explained. “Someone connected to her father. Winters thought it would be best not to overwhelm her with details until we meet face-to-face.”

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