Page 52 of Code Name: Grit

With reluctance, we separated, took a fast shower together, then dressed. In the kitchen, she made coffee while I went to gather her mother’s luggage.

Amelia was already waitingon the porch when I emerged from our cabin. I doubted I was imagining the twinkle in her eye or her knowing smile, not that I’d acknowledge either.

“And where is my daughter?” she asked.

“On her way out, bringing coffee.”

“The two of you are so domesticated.”

I lifted the last of her bags into the SUV and closed the hatch before facing her directly. “Amelia, what has happened or will happen with Lumi and me belongs to us. Her and me. No one else.”

She nodded once and smiled. “I like the way you put it. It belongs to the two of you. It’s how it should be.”

The driveto the airport was filled with comfortable conversation about Italy and the villa Amelia owned there. I found myself genuinely interested in her stories about the small coastal town where it was located.

“I have friends there,” she explained. “People who don’t know about my connection to Vincent or the Castellanos. Only that the property has been in the Bianchi family for generations.”

“I miss it so much,” Lumi said so quietly I almost didn’t hear her.

Amelia’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and she winked. “You should visit. Bring Grit with you.”

“Maybe,” she murmured.

I reached over and wove my fingers with hers. “Soon.”

The smile she gifted me warmed me all over.

At the terminal,Amelia hugged her daughter tightly. “Be safe,” she whispered, though I still heard.

“I always am,” Lumi replied.

To my surprise, Amelia embraced me as well. “Take care of each other,” she said.

We watched her disappear through security before heading back to the car.

“Ready to return to Canada Lake?” I asked, taking her hand in mine again.

She nodded, leaning into my side as we walked. “Though I wouldn’t mind another night at Loon’s Promise.”

I smiled, dropping a kiss on her temple. “Soon,” I said again.

The drive back to Kane Mountain was peaceful, Lumi’s hand resting on my thigh as I drove. We didn’t speak much, the comfortable silence between us a luxury after weeks of tension.

As we approached headquarters, I felt her tense beside me.

“Once we’re back, how public do we make this?” she asked.

I considered the question. “Let them figure it out.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Dante might kill you.”

I reached for her hand. “Worth the risk.”

As we pulled in, I saw Tank waiting by the entrance. His expression immediately dampened the lightness between us.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as we approached.

He glanced between us, his eyes lingering on our still-joined hands before focusing on the matter at hand. “We’ve got a situation. Dragon picked up chatter about both families—the Belcastros and the Patriarcas. They’re looking for information.”

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