Page 5 of Undefeated Love
They hit a slight bump of turbulence on their descent. Not unusual but Katlin grabbed one of the crackers on the table in front of her. She must’ve slept longer than she thought because she was kind of hungry.
“How about I order Chinese on our way home?” she suggested.
“Thanks, but Marcus and I are going out to the Italian restaurant on the mainland that we like so much. I’ve talked about it so many times that he insisted we go there tonight.”
“Okay.” Katlin then forced a smile. “That’s wonderful for the two of you.” She leaned into the aisle and asked Lei Lu if she’d like to join her for Chinese takeout.
“I’m so sorry, but Henry and I have decided to fly to Grand Turk tonight. He wants to check on his dive shop.” Lei Lu grinned. “We’re going to try to dive as much as we can before we have to fly back here. Or we might just meet you in D.C.”
For the first time in years, Katlin felt alone. She was sure both Griffin and Daniel were already in Miami to meet Grace and Nita. She could probably grab her niece and nephew and take them out to eat, giving Nita and Daniel some much-needed private time. Then she reread the text from her brother. They’d planned a quick supper in the condo with the kids, then he was taking Nita out somewhere nice while the nanny put the children to bed.
An hour later, she entered the large five-bedroom condo by herself. After stashing her mission gear in her designated slots next to the door, she stared at the empty shelves. Each woman had to keep her equipment close at hand. Only Katlin’s would sit on those ten shelves until it was time for her to leave. Her footsteps echoed in the large empty rooms on her way to her designated bedroom where she’d sleep alone.
For the first time in possibly forever, Katlin felt lonely. She also felt sorry for herself, which she knew was out of character. She wondered when self-pity had moved in and taken over her emotions.
She refused to think of the warm welcome her teammates were receiving at that exact moment. Each had quickly darted from the Guardian Security cars that had picked them up the minute their Black Swan plane had been tucked away safely in a protected hangar at a Miami airport.
Katlin called for Chinese delivery.
Everybody else was in their own condo.
Paired up.
Having great sex.
Except her.
Shaking her head as if to throw off those mental pictures, she carried her clothes into her bedroom, passing the twelve-person dining table and the U-shaped couch that took up much of the living room. Longingly, she glanced down the other four doors that would remain closed. The last door was the laundry room.
Well, she certainly had laundry to do. Might as well get that started while she waited for her delivery.
She changed into soft comfortable yoga pants, lost the bra, and put on one of Alex’s T-shirts. She’d already started her first load when the doorbell finally rang.
Hope rushed through her. Maybe it was Alex. Maybe he’d left the movie set and flew all the way across the country just to be with her.
Always safety conscious, she peeked through the peephole. She let out a long sigh as she unhooked the chain and flipped the deadbolt. Bowing, she thanked the deliveryman in Chinese and assured him there was a generous tip for him when she’d prepaid for the food. Katlin grabbed the bags and set them in the kitchen before returning to resecure the door.
After opening all the cartons, she perused the offerings. She’d ordered a lot of food, accustomed to ordering for her entire team. After eating horrible food on a mission, her team put down some calories. Wonton soup, spring rolls, fried rice, brown rice, and white rice. Potstickers. Four different main dishes including Kung Pao chicken and Szechuan beef. What the hell was she thinking, especially when it came to the last two items? She hadn’t been able to eat spicy food like that since the accident—that wasn't an accident.
She needed to start calling it what it was, the attack.
That reminded her of her nightmares that weren’t nightmares. She went into the bedroom and dug out her book with bits and pieces of memories. She tossed it on the couch just in case that’s where she fell asleep.
Returning to the kitchen, she decided on Moo Goo Gai Pan over white rice—in a small bowl. She couldn’t bring herself to eat straight out of the box. She’d been taught better. She poured her favorite white wine and curled into the corner of the couch, remote in hand after she put all the rest of the takeout in the refrigerator.
* * *
Voices in the hall woke her. She instantly came awake, reached under the couch pillow, and grabbed her gun. She pulled it out as the locks clicked open. Thank God she’d secured the chain.
“Katlin,” Grace called in a cheerful voice. “You didn’t answer your phone, so we are here to get you.” The door banged against the chain. “Katlin.” This time her voice was louder. “Come unlock the chain.”
Katlin set her gun down on the counter between the kitchen and living room. “I’m coming. Cool your jets.” She shoved in the door and slid the chain, quickly stepping back as the other four members of her team entered.
“Looks like your appetite returned.” Nita’s gaze swept the living room. “Maybe.”
Katlin glanced at the mess on the giant ottoman that sat in the middle of the couch U. She’d barely touched her wine then decided water would be a better choice. After a few bites of the vegetables, chicken, and rice, she grabbed the container of fried rice and ate a few bites straight from the carton. That didn’t taste good either, so another trip to the kitchen and she heated a bowl of wonton soup with a single dumpling. That satisfied better than anything else. It was even better when she scooped in some white rice.
She quickly moved to the ottoman and started picking up the food. “I tried a few bites before I settled on the soup.” Everything went straight into the trash except for the wineglass, which made its way into the dishwasher.
