nor my best friend, had clued me in, which may be an answer in itself.
I put my life on the line time and time again for the marines, for Flash, for
Tag. At eighteen, after the ten-week hell of boot camp, followed by the fifty-four-hour, ten-mile endurance course known as the Crucible, I had forged
lifelong bonds that grew with each enlistment. Bonds necessary to survive the ordeal of war.
Learning that those I had trusted most kept things, important things, from me
hurt. Their implied rejection sent a long, snaking crack through my heart. “How
long had Flash been working for you?” I choked out. How long had he kept me
in the dark? How long had he not trusted me?
Kayden turned off the highway and navigated his way through the twists and
turns of a tucked away neighborhood on the outskirts of Sedona. “It’s not my place to answer.”
Numb from too many emotional hits, I said, “No, it’s not.”
He shot me a sharp look as he pulled into a small, dusty parking lot in front
of a wooden building. A sign reading JASPER BED AND BREAKFAST hung
between two painted posts on the porch. “Cyn?”
“I’m fine.” And I would be. I checked out the place. “Why are we here?”
He shut the engine off and opened his door. “Delacourt wanted a secured
place to meet.”
That information jerked me out of my numb state, but it was the sound of the
back hatch lifting that made me scramble out of the Jeep. I rounded the Jeep, file
in hand, and watched as he pulled out his bag. “Delacourt’s here?” That wasn’t
panic in my voice, really it wasn’t.
Kayden, duffle bag slung over his shoulder, shot me an amused look and
handed me my bag. “You wanted answers, right?”
“Not that badly.” I grabbed my camera bag from the back.
His grin flashed. “Don’t worry, she’ll be here in a few hours, so you have time to prepare.”
A few days wouldn’t be enough, much less a few hours. Instead of admitting
that, I followed his wide back as he strode to the far end of the property where a
small, wooden cabin with dark windows sat. What was the worst that could happen anyway?
She could shoot you and put you out of your misery, offered a helpful little shit in my head.
I snorted. Yeah, she could, but I doubted it. She’d never let me off that easy.
CHAPTER 6
K ayden took the cabin’s two front steps with ease and punched in a series
of numbers into the electronic lock. The lock released with a soft beep,
and he pushed the door open. Motioning for me to stay put, he pulled his weapon
out, and disappeared into the shadowed interior.
A light came on inside less than a minute later, causing me to blink rapidly.
When my sight cleared, Kayden stood in the doorway. “It’s clear. Make yourself
at home.” He stepped back, giving me space to enter.
I checked out the cabin. “Nice.”
The layout was simple and straight forward, with the small, but functional kitchen sitting to my left. I set my gun and the file on the round, wooden table
