Page 34 of Code Name: Grit

I considered deflecting but knew better. “I crossed the line with her and now find myself in a position I promised myself I’d never be in again.”

“How far gone is it?”

I nodded, staring out across the water. “A few kisses, but what’s sitting right below the surface is way more than she or I can handle.”

“This isn’t the same situation,” he replied.

“Isn’t it? A woman I care about, targeted by corrupt agents and organized crime? The parallel is close enough.”

Admiral picked up another stone, but kept it in his hand. “When I met Alice, I was completely unprepared for the intensity of my feelings for her. Hit me like a ton of bricks, if you want to know the truth.” He turned to face me. “You can’t outrun love, Grit. Once it finds you, there’s no escape.”

“I’m not in love with her,” I protested, the lie bitter on my tongue.

Admiral’s knowing look cut through my defenses. “Then, why does it matter so much?”

I had no answer for that.

“Different circumstances, different woman,” he continued. “And most importantly, different you. The man who lost Kelly was alone. You have a team now—people who understand the risks and have your back.”

“And if something happens to her anyway?” The question emerged as barely more than a whisper.

“I hate to say this, because it sounds so trite, but she’s equally at risk every time she gets into a car. When she walks down a street. You wouldn’t want her to live the rest of her life in bubble wrap. Hasn’t she spent too much time isolated from the world already?”

We walked back in silence, his words weighing on me. As we reentered the command center, my eyes immediately found Lumi. She was deep in conversation with Dante, but she must have sensed my presence, because she looked up, meeting my gaze for a moment before turning away.

I wanted to approach her, to apologize for my abrupt coldness, but before I could move in her direction, she touched Dante’s arm and they walked out together.

I watched them leave, feeling a hollowness expand in my chest. Admiral placed a hand on my shoulder briefly before moving to join Tank at the table where we’d been sitting.

The message from Lumi was clear in the way she’d turned away—I’d hurt her, and rather than talk to me, she was choosing to confide in her brother.

Part of me wanted to follow them, to remind her I’d lost someone I loved and explain that the similarities between my relationship with her and the one with Kelly were hitting mehard, but that wouldn’t be fair. It also wouldn’t be true. As Admiral said, those were different circumstances, a different woman, a different time in my life.

Instead, I remained where I was, staring at the doorway long after they’d gone through it.

Several minutes later, I returned to my seat, forcing myself to focus on the mission. The Belcastros, Keller’s betrayal, the coordinated criminal operations across multiple territories—these were the things that needed my attention. Not the ache in my chest or the memory of Lumi’s lips against mine.

“You okay?” Tank asked when Admiral excused himself to speak with Alice.

“I’m fine,” I replied automatically.

He didn’t believe me—his expression made that clear—but he didn’t push. Instead, he handed me a tablet. “Latest surveillance from the terminal. Thought you might want to review it.”

I nodded my thanks, grateful for the distraction. This was what I needed—work, focus, and the comfort of tactical planning and strategic thinking. Not big brown eyes or soft lips that lingered in my memory.

10

LUMI

“Iwanted to talk, not listen to you lecturing me,” I warned Dante as we walked along the edge of the lake. The water lapped against the shore, steady and constant, unlike the turmoil inside me.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to since I haven’t said anything yet,” he argued.

The morning air carried a chill that matched the coolness Grit had shown me. One moment, we’d been close enough for me to feel his breath on my skin, and the next, he’d shut down completely. The helicopter ride back had been excruciating, filled with silent distance, as if we were strangers instead of two people who’d kissed like our lives depended on it just hours before.

“What’s going on with you and Grit?” Dante asked, his voice gentler than I’d expected.

I kicked at a pine cone. “Nothing anymore.”

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