doubt stepped off his chest. He could finally breathe again.
“Good. Because I love you too.” He’d known it for a while. Been desperate to deny it…or ignore it…or whatever. “And for the record, I would be fine with you stalking me, as long as it’s up close and real personal.”
She rocked back a bit, a look of shock hitting her face. But then her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed. “No, you don’t.”
It was his turn to pull back. He scowled. What the hell? He’d finally admitted he loved her and she didn’t fucking believe him? “Yes. I do.”
“No. You don’t love me.” Her voice turned stubborn. So did the contours of her face, and that defiant little chin of hers headed toward the ceiling.
“What are you talking about?” His voice sharpened and rose in unison. “Of course I love you. I’ve always loved you. I never stopped.”
“You can’t love someone if you don’t understand them, if you don’t forgive them.”
She squared her feet, folded her arms, and set her shoulders like she was preparing for battle.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” His voice rose to a bellow as the back of his head thumped against the pillow. The woman was going to give him an aneurysm. “I know exactly why you didn’t turn Sean in, and I forgive you for it.” He took a deep breath and tried to drag his voice back from a roar. Hell, he hadn’t planned to express his love in a shout—but if that were the only way she’d hear him out. “Besides, I’m not the one who should be offering forgiveness. That right belongs to you.”
For the first time, a hint of uncertainty touched her face. The freckled skin of her forehead wrinkled. “I don’t follow.”
He sighed, shoved tense fingers through his hair and forced the admission out. There was nothing he hated more than being in the wrong.
“I was a righteous ass. I didn’t get why you did it.” When her frown dug in deeper, he leaned up and to the side, reaching for her hand. It was suddenly imperative that he touch her, feel her warm fingers wrapped around his. That he reach her. “Oh, I knew why you did it—that it was to protect Sean and me too, as it turned out. But I didn’t get the urgency of the impulse. I didn’t get the heart of the why. Not until Mitch had you. Not until your life was in danger. I would have done anything—anything—to get you back. I would have sold out my team, my brothers, the whole fucking country to keep you safe. And I would have done it without hesitation.” He paused. Swallowed hard. “I get it now. I get why you did what you did. I would have done the same for you. Trust me on this. There is absolutely nothing to forgive you for.”
She sat there, frozen, before her hand slowly reached for his. As soon as their fingers touched, his heart rate settled, his breathing eased, his muscles relaxed.
“Tram said you told Devlin to give Mitch the memory card.” Her voice was hesitant.
“Yeah.” His fingers tightened around hers and his arm drew back, pulling her forward. Holding hands wasn’t enough. He wanted her closer than that. Needed her closer.
“It’s true then?” She rose to her feet at his tug. “Even knowing you would lose your only chance to bring Mitch and his gang down? Even knowing they’d get away with everything? Even knowing they’d continue dealing arms? Knowing all that, you still told Dev to give him the disk?”
He hesitated. But no more lies between them. “Well…not quite. That card wasn’t our only chance to take those bastards down. I would have found another way. Used a different tactic. It might have taken longer, but I’d have found a way to bring the whole lot of them down.”
Which, now that he stopped to think about it, had been Sarah’s plan too. She’d been searching for a way to expose Mitch without pinning a bullseye on his or her brother’s back.
Huh…how about that. Another thing they had in common.
“But still…without the card…” She shook her head, her face softening, something close to hope stirring in her eyes. “You couldn’t have known for sure that you’d find another way to expose Mitch and his crew.” She stumbled closer to the bed beneath the pull of his hand. “And still, you were willing to trade it for me?”
“Without hesitation. Without regret.” He tightened his grip and silently urged