Page 33 of Undaunted

I feel almost weightless in her arms, as if we’re both underwater, everything around us fading away. The only thing that matters is us. And when our release comes, it’s together, the feel of her pulsing, throbbing around me completing me, releasing me from everything that told me I was never going to be whole with anyone again.

But with Claudia, I am.

A few minutes later, I roll onto my side, taking her along with me. Pulling the covers over us, Claudia rests her head on my shoulder.

“When do you leave?”

“Within the next few hours,” I reply. “Mark and Natalie are getting everything set up and they’ll call me as soon as they have things finalized.”

“How long are you going to be gone?”

“I don’t know. A week, two weeks. Maybe more.” Even private jets can only get us to the main hubs. We need to hump it to the target, no matter what, and that means coordinating with the base and having to go with their flow.

“Will you be able to call me?”

I shake my head. “Probably when we are at a base but not when we’re out there.”

“So you might not make my hooding ceremony then.”

“I know it’s very important to you, but I really can’t say.” I weave my fingers with hers. Talk about timing. While it won’t be the first time I’ll miss an important event, the thought of missing this important milestone for her hits differently. “But you never know, I could also be back before then.”

We lapse into silence, as if we’ve run out of things to say. With me leaving in a few hours, what is left for me to say? Whether or not Ryan’s injured, I have to stay for as long as it takes and finish the mission. We’re so close I can taste it.

“Can you promise me something?” Claudia’s voice breaks through my thoughts and I see that she’s propped herself up on one elbow to gaze at me.

“Sure.” My throat tightens. How can I expect her to wait for me? She deserves someone like Phil with his normal job and his normal life, someone who won’t run into danger on the other side of the world simply because once upon a time, those were the only times I truly felt alive.

“Promise you’ll come back to me,” she whispers. “Can you promise me that?”

“I can’t,” I say, my voice cracking as Claudia lifts her head up and looks at me, her eyes filled with disappointment. “Ryan and the rest of the team could be fine for all we know. But no matter what, we have to find them and finish the mission.”

She sighs. “Then you better get your ass on that plane in the morning. Besides, you’ll know where to find me.”

I tap her chin with my knuckle playfully, grateful for the change in her mood. “I do have the skills, yes.”

“I bet you could find my entire family if you wanted to.”

“I actually can.”

She stifles a yawn and rests her head back on my chest. “Will you stay until morning? You don’t have to wake me when you leave.”

“Are you kidding? Once you’re out, you sleep like the dead.” I kiss the top of her head. “But I’ll stay for as long as I can.” And I do, holding her in my arms until it’s time to leave, but not before doing what I told her I couldn’t do just minutes earlier.

“I’ll be back, Claudia,” I whisper, closing my eyes and willing my words to be true. “I promise I’ll be back.”

Chapter Twelve

Claudia

Four weeks later…

He’s still not here.

I sigh, the seat next to Gabe taunting me.Romero - Guest, it reads, one of fifteen signs taped to half an aisle I’d selfishly assigned for my family.

It’s been four weeks since I woke up to find Trevor gone from my bed, a note on the pillow next to me with the wordsI love you. Sure, I cried. I worried myself silly, too, almost missing two questions in the mock exam my clinical instructor gave me that morning.

But I recovered. For the sake of my internship, I had no choice although Trevor calling me the next day from some base in the Middle East certainly helped. It was a short call, just enough to let me know he was safe.

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