Page 75 of Mountain Summons

“Only one. Where is Rogier now?”

“In the hospital,” Cubé answered, stroking his beard. “Under police custody. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“I’m going to worry until he’s in prison,” Tristan said.

Cubé left with the quiet efficiency of a man used to high-stress middle-of-the-night interviews. The door clicked softly behind him.

Tristan finally let out a breath. “Thank you, Colonel. For staying.”

Pelegrin didn’t reply immediately. His gaze lingered on Tristan, sharp and searching. Then, finally: “If you’d actually taken the helicopter up, you would have lost your job.”

Tristan knew that already. “I understand. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but it was a risk I had to take. It was the only way I could think to keep Lena safe.” He didn’t add that he wouldhave done anything—given anything up—to get her away from Rogier.

“You could have gotten yourself killed.”

Tristan dug in his heels. The colonel, of all people, had to understand. “It was still worth the risk, colonel.”

The colonel nodded, stiffly, as if making his mind about something. “She’s home. She’s safe. I’ll drive you to her.”

Tristan blinked, surprised. “Sir?”

“She insisted she wanted to go to your place.”

Something warm filled him, at the thought of Lena waiting for him in his bed. He knew better than to mention it out loud, though.

“I’m still not sure you’re good enough for her,” the colonel said, and something like a wry smile ghosted across his face, “but tonight? You came close.”

Tristan couldn’t help it—he smiled, just a little.

29

Lena

“So there’s no diamond,” Lena said.

“There is no diamond,” her father confirmed. He looked almost relaxed this morning, dressed in jeans and a light gray T-shirt, a steaming mug in his hand. She wasn’t sure his team would recognize him. “Are you sure you want to do this, Lena? It’s so quick.”

Lena’s gaze drifted to the snow-covered trees just outside the window. The light was soft this morning, pale gold stretching across the frost, but there was that bite in the air reminding them that Christmas was upon them.

It had been a month. A month since the day Rogier kidnapped them. Enough time to know what she wanted. But then, she’d known from day one. She was going to give this a real—her realest—shot.

She was moving in with Tristan.

“I’m sure,” she said. “I know it’s fast,Papa. But some things don’t need time to grow roots.”

Her father tilted his head slightly. “Sounds like something your mother would have said.” Lena held on to that rare moment. Her father rarely spoke of his mother. “As long as you’re sure, Madeleine.”

“I am.”

The colonel studied her, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then he nodded once, as if confirming something to himself. “You know you’ll always have a home with me.”

“I know.” Lena’s voice softened. “But I’m not walking into this blind. It has nothing to do with André. What Tristan and I have is … it’s real.”

And then he said, more gently, “You know I’m proud of you, right?”

She turned toward him, eyes wide. It was probably the last thing she’d expected him to say.

“Because of the gallery exhibit?”

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