Page 41 of Code Name: Tank
Before I could respond, he took a step forward and, at the same time, grasped the back of my neck and brought his mouth to mine.
His kiss was familiar, almost comfortable, but it felt wrong. I put both hands on his chest and turned my head. “Don’t.”
He dropped his hand to my shoulder. “Tell me you don’t miss that. Miss me.”
I eased my body away from his and put distance between us. “It isn’t that simple?—”
“It can be.” When he stepped closer again, I held my arm out to stop him.
“Go away, Flint. And I don’t mean now. I mean forever. Leave the compound. Return to your life, and leave me to mine.”
I sounded sad, but not for the reasons he likely thought. Regret was what I felt. Time wasted caring about a man who’d never cared for me the same way. I’d spent months wishing I could rewind the clock to the days before he disappeared and have things be right between us again. But they never had been. I saw that now. It was as though a bright light of truth and clarity shone on every conversation, every touch, every look that had passed between us.
“I can’t, Piper.” For the first time since Flint reappeared in my life, he seemed sincere.
“If you don’t leave, I will.”
His eyes flared. “You don’t mean that.”
“It isn’t what I want. This is my life you’re violating. The one I pieced together after you ripped the previous one to shreds. If you can’t focus only on the mission and leave me alone otherwise, I’ll have no choice.”
Flint nodded, but his gaze didn’t waver. “I want you back, Piper, and eventually, I’ll prove to you that what I did was for?—”
“Everything all right here?” Tank’s voice cut through the darkness.
I turned to see him step out of the shadows, his broad silhouette unmistakable in the moonlight. He moved with the quiet confidence of someone who’d assessed the situation in seconds and was ready to act accordingly.
“Just old friends catching up,” Flint replied, trying to sound casual, but his body language gave away his tension.
Tank’s eyes never left Flint as he spoke. “Dragon, you ready for that walk we discussed?”
Relief flooded through me. He’d heard enough to understand what was happening, but his focus was on me, not on confronting Flint. “Yes, I am.”
“Then, let’s go.” Tank stepped closer, close enough for me to see his controlled fury, though his voice remained even. “Pierce, I believe you were just leaving.”
It wasn’t a question.
Flint’s jaw tightened, but after a moment, he stepped aside. “This conversation isn’t over, Piper.”
“Yes, it is,” I said firmly. “And it’s Dragon. Use my code name.”
I stood in place for a moment after he turned and disappeared down the path toward Hemlock Grove.
“You okay?” Tank asked.
I clasped my hands together to stop them from shaking. “Better now.” I looked at the canvas bag he carried. “Did you still want to…?”
“More than ever.” His smile was genuine, warm enough to chase away the chill Flint had left behind. “The canoe’s down by the water. Ready?”
I slipped my jacket on and followed Tank toward the lake. The unseasonably warm November evening—officially called Indian Summer since it was in the latter half of the month—felt like a gift that wouldn’t last much longer. The moonlight filtering through the pine trees provided enough light for me to navigate and match Tank’s easy stride.
“You sure about this?” I asked as we approached the water’s edge where a sleek canoe waited, pulled up on the small beach. “It’s pretty dark out there.”
“The moon’s bright enough, and I know these waters.” Tank held his hand out to help me climb in. “Besides, this weather won’t hold much longer. Might be our last chance for a while. Trust me?”
The question carried weight beyond taking a boat out onto a dark lake. After everything that had happened with Flint, after Tank’s kiss this afternoon, after the investigation bringing chaos to my ordered world—he was asking if I trusted him.
“Yes,” I said, taking his hand.
