were not like Washington. Quite empty.
Finally, sick of the silence, I turned my attention to Kellen. “Nothing like making an entrance.” I gave him a little glare. “Was that really necessary?” I could only imagine what my team thought. I kept my husband a secret then he suddenly appears and plants a big wet one on me.
Kellen laughed, quite pleased with himself. “You know how I like to make a scene.”
I did know that of him. The man lived to shock people and I’d witnessed it happen on hundreds of occasions. I leaned my head back against the headrest and released an exasperated breath. “So my time is up, is it?”
Kellen’s gave me a sideways glance that showed his unhappiness. “You make that sound so horrible.”
Instantly, I regretted my word choice and for reacting like a cold, hard bitch. He deserved better.
I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed deeply trying to regain myself. “I’m sorry,” I finally said, opening my eyes to look at him. “It’s just complicated.”
Kellen studied me a moment then said, “Explain your relationship with the mortal.”
“I love him,” I responded without hesitation.
Kellen slammed on the brakes, which caused a horn to blast behind us. “You are in love with a mortal?” His eyes were wide with bewilderment.
I nodded, almost laughing at the disgust on his face, but couldn’t find it within me to let it out.
“Have been for years now.”
Kellen stared for many seconds before he clucked, shook his head and began to drive again.
I watched Kellen as he was clearly deep in thought. I knew him almost as well as I knew myself.
And that furrow of his brows meant he was trying to sort things out in his mind. Still, I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking.
Is he mad? Will he leave me too?
We travelled in silence for a while. Kellen’s gaze focused on the road then he blessedly broke the quiet that threatened to kill me. “You’re not willing to give him up?”
I suspected my expression came across as pleading almost to the point of begging. “I don’t want to.” And I didn’t.
Not one fibre of my being wanted that, but I doubted I had a choice here. Chase would want nothing to do with me now. I couldn’t blame him either. If the roles were reversed I would feel the same. It wasn’t that I’d set out to lie to him, but he just didn’t understand my world.
Kellen let out a deep breath then took a quick turn to head into an old abandoned car garage.
He pulled in behind the old rickety building, turned off the car and shifted in his seat to face me. “It has been thirty years since I have laid my eyes on you. Never once did I expect to be united with you and hear that you are in love with some mortal.”
I shrugged away his contempt. “Well…I never expected you to come here as a part of the FBI.”
Kellen snorted, leaned forward and took my face in his hands. His eyes and even the set of his mouth were soft and loving. “I will not waste more time with this. Does this life make you happy?”
I didn’t even hesitate. “It does. I’m very happy.”
“So you want to continue on here?”
I nodded as much as I could with his grip tight around my cheeks. “I love my job, the people, the life I have here.” I sighed softly. “I don’t want to leave, Kellen.”
Kellen lowered his hands, glanced away for a moment, focused on the steering wheel. After a few minutes, he drew in a slow breath before his gaze met mine again. I saw a depth of sadness I’d never seen in him before. “Do you want me to leave you?”
I was torn, desperately. I knew if Kellen stayed, Chase would be gone and I didn’t want that.
Having Kellen gone didn’t sound good to me either. I missed his smell, the certainty he possessed and the love he had for me…no one loved me like Kellen, not even Chase. I knew if I asked him to go, he would because that was just Kellen. He’d put his wants aside time and time again to see me happy. I couldn’t ignore any of that. Not now. Not ever.
Having him back, reminded me of all these things and that I had missed him terribly.
For thirty years, a part of me was missing and now it had returned. I sank deeper into his gaze and slowly shook my