Page 111 of Every Last Breath

“Thank you. For coming to look for me. Finding me. I said awful things to you last night. I’m sorry.”

“I deserved all of it.” He’d tell her a hundred times he was going to be there for her, but she had cause to doubt him. He had to put in the work and show her. “I’ll be right back.”

He kissed her cheek and left the room. Posted like sentinels, the others stood in the hall.

“Could someone grab her canvas bag from her desk and a med kit for her feet?”

Harper motioned to go grab the stuff, but Cutter raised a hand, stopping her. “I don’t mind errand boy work. I’ll go.”

“Thanks,” Harper said, more relaxed than Cole had seen her. Maybe she was warming to the guy.

Cole gritted out the details of Maddox’s ordeal, bringing the whole crew up to speed.

“Sounds like whatever he’s planning is happening tonight,” Sanborn said, “if he only needed us out of the way for the day. Let’s reconvene in the conference room and reevaluate the threat matrix with fresh eyes.”

Everyone dispersed, except Sanborn and Castle.

“We fixed your problem with the Russians,” Sanborn said.

“Who is we?” Cole asked.

“The United States government. We gave them the whereabouts of three unsavory individuals the Russian Mafia wanted far more than you. And we made it clear to the ambassador here that Nikolai Reznikov is dead. And you, Cole Matthews, are an American citizen and protected asset. The message was acknowledged and the trade accepted by the Kremlin.”

And long may Putin reign. Tightness in Cole’s chest loosened. The Bratva didn’t fear the United States government, not even here on American soil. But they wouldn’t risk crossing Putin. “Good thinking to appease them with some bigger fish. Thanks.”

Sanborn nodded. “It’s the least we could do for your help.” He strode off.

Castle clasped Cole’s shoulder. “You did good finding her.” His hand fell as his gaze frosted. “But it doesn’t change my opinion of you.”

“Duly noted.” Maddox’s opinion was the only one Cole cared about.

“When I found out that you were alive, I almost killed you myself. That’s the first time I’ve ever let personal feelings come before the mission.” He shook his head as if still troubled by it. “Setting up Maddox to find Cole Matthews, without letting her know you were alive, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Sanborn was testing me. To see if I could do it. I almost caved.”

Emptiness mowed through Cole. She’d said that she didn’t know he was alive before seeing him in person, and he’d doubted her. “This isn’t a game. Maddox isn’t a toy I’m playing with. I love her. I’m not going to hurt her again.”

“That remains to be seen.” On that sweet note, Castle turned and walked toward the conference room.

Castle’s gruff manner rubbed Cole like pumice stone, but her brother’s protectiveness and love for her had been beautifully transparent. Castle had cause to hate him. Cole needed to work on building a relationship with him as well.

Cutter returned with her bag and medical kit. “Do you need anything?”

“Any food around here?” Cole’s appetite had kicked in with gusto.

“Janet is always bringing in stuff.” He beamed. “Homemade empanadas and snickerdoodles are in the conference room.”

“Great.” Sounded good to his stomach. He took the bag and kit, then knocked.

“Come in,” Maddox said.

Pushing through the door, he spotted her, seated on the same bench. This time, she was clean, hair dripping wet, body enveloped in a towel.

Her head hung low, shoulders hunched, saddled with emotional sandbags he wished he could remove. Had it been the ordeal of the day? Novak? Or was she still weighed down by everything between them?

She didn’t meet his gaze as he sat beside her. Staring at the floor, she clasped the bench tightly as if hanging on to keep from tipping over.

“Let me look at your feet.” He patted his lap and held up the med kit.

Swinging her legs, she swiveled and put her feet on his thighs. Scrapes marred the soles of her feet, alongside red bruises that were going to turn purple and a few deep cuts. He drenched some gauze pads with antiseptic and dabbed the bottoms of her feet. She flinched but didn’t complain.