Page 92 of Every Last Breath

His gut burned. “No.” He lowered his head. “I don’t need your pity pullout.”

He went to the bathroom for a quick clean up, dressed, and gathered his things.

When he reemerged, she was still sitting on the floor, resting her head on the sofa. One word summed up how she looked: drained. He hoped she’d ask him to stay, in the bed. Knowing it was better for her if he left.

He grabbed the blanket draped on the sofa, covered her, and went to the door. “You didn’t fail me. I failed us. I was young and foolish, and I made a lot of bad decisions. Being angry at you, never coming back for you was the biggest mistake. I forgive you, Mads, for the things you set in motion all those years ago, for the death of my father. None of it would’ve happened if I’d had better judgment. I only hope one day, you can forgive me.”

Not that he was worthy of absolution after the cruel penance he’d forced them both to pay, but to free her heart from the burden of the past, so she could move on, love again, find happiness, and really be with someone.

Even if that someone wasn’t him.

She deserved a full, rich life with all the things she desired.

He wanted to be the man to give it to her, but maybe that wasn’t possible. Maybe his apologies were years too late and not nearly enough.

Maybe what they shared was toxic, damaging, too unhealthy to continue, and they’d both be better off with a fresh start.

But one thing would never change.

“I love you, Maddox. Always have, and I’ll keep on loving you. With every last breath.”

Whether it was enough was a question yet to be answered.

He ducked into the empty hall, feeling hollowed out and raw, pressed the top button on the smartcode lock to activate it, and gave the knob a last twist to be sure she was safe.

Chapter 25

Vienna, Virginia

Saturday, D-day, 12:25 a.m. EDT

Aleksander sat hunkered low in the van, staring at the black Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. The same one had been at the Hotel Monaco.

Now it sat outside Agent Maddox Kinkade’s apartment building like a harbinger of death.

The one-page file he’d received on her stated she was unmarried. The bike could be hers, but intuition told him it belonged to the man with the scar.

Not surprising to find him here, but Aleksander’s current contingency plan didn’t involve Scarface. Not in this phase.

Aleksander might need to determine a new how.

The front door of the apartment building closed with a heavy thud. Scarface descended the steps and strolled to the sports bike. Aleksander smiled as he watched the man put on a helmet, swing his leg over the bike, and rev up the engine.

Adjustments to his plan wouldn’t be necessary after all.

A resounding roar pierced the night air, and Scarface zoomed down the road, out of Aleksander’s way. Aleksander gave Val a knowing glance and climbed from the van. In a hushed click, he shut the door. He tugged the leather gloves tighter and brushed hair from the new blond wig over the top rim of his glasses.

Crossing the street, he did a quick three-sixty scan of the area and slipped into the darkness alongside the building. The shadows beyond the pools of streetlight concealed him, directing his steps.

He took up a position by a tree beside the pond separating him from the apartment building and stroked the device in the pocket of his smoke-gray coveralls.

Her apartment was on the second story, third in from the corner.

Light filtering through the vertical blinds shifted and flickered. A television. Balconies with iron railings and no screened patios provided the best-case scenario. Now, he waited for the right moment to strike.

* * *

Vienna, Virginia