your voice.”
She prayed he wouldn’t hang up.
Finally, he said, “I can’t do this with you.”
Her heart twisted. “I just want to talk.”
“I’ve already said all I needed to say.” His voice was rough and raw. “Good-bye, Aura.”
The call ended, and she closed her eyes.
It really was over.
The one person who understood her, who fought for her, who cared about her, who had been brave enough to admit he loved her, was gone. She sucked in a shaky breath and lifted her head.
Snowflakes drifted down from the dark sky, weightless and carefree, and she envied them.
Since she’d returned from Scotland, she’d worked with Agent Bale to smooth things over with the MI13 division in England, and she’d been in touch with Lennox to see if he’d found any records that might shed some light on how his father had ended up owing a favor to a demon.
So far, no luck on that front. She’d finished the file on the Tyrfing and made more progress on the investigation into how Mamon had inhabited a human body. This was all important work that would help ensure the safety of others. But it was also empty.
At the end of the day, she was alone.
She hadn’t meant to reach out to Greyson. When she’d sent the first text, she’d never expected him to answer. Maybe if he hadn’t, she could’ve convinced herself to be angry with him. Instead, she ached to hear his voice.
When she’d blurted out that she would be in Savannah tomorrow, it had been a lie. Until that second, she’d had no plans to be in Savannah. When he’d told her to name a day for target practice, she’d been desperate to see him as soon as possible. Tomorrow.
But what if she could? Impossible. She hadn’t put in for time off. She’d have to pack.
It didn’t matter anyway. He wouldn’t see her.
She leaned her head back on the headrest and stared at the ceiling of the car. He’d said all he needed to say.
But she hadn’t.
Her head popped up from the seat. If being around Greyson had taught her anything, it had been to fight. If she wanted another chance with him, it wasn’t going to be easy, but it would be worth it.
Her stomach tensed, but she took out her phone anyway. She didn’t have a plan, just a goal.
Tomorrow, she would be in Savannah, one way or another.
She pressed Agent Bale’s name, and he answered on the third ring. “Bale.”
“Hey. It’s Aura. I have a proposition for you.” She ran her fingers along the edge of her steering wheel with her free hand.
“About?”
“I’m leaving for Savannah.”
He cleared his throat. “Did you fill out a vacation request?”
“Nope.” She smirked, imagining Greyson’s face at the thought of a vacation request. “But I’m going.” Snowflakes gathered on her windshield drifting over the wipers, soft and free. “I can turn in my resignation, or I could start working out of the field office warehouse in Brunswick. That’s my proposition. It would save you from having to run back and forth between D.C. and Savannah, and if we had a full-time agent there, then I could also facilitate projects with the Sea Dog crew if another situation comes up.”
He was quiet for a moment. “And you could date Greyson Till.”
She raised a brow. “How did you…”
“King’s been keeping me up to speed on the webcam feeds.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “He’s pretty invested in your relationship working out.”
A sad laugh escaped her lips. “It might be too late for that, but I have eternity to change his mind. I have to try.” Saying the words out loud brought a smile to her lips. If anyone was stubborn enough to wear down that pirate, it would be her. “So, I can either resign or become the head of the field office in Brunswick. Sir.”
“I said you could call me David.”
She chuckled. “I wasn’t sure that offer was still on the table when I’m leveraging my employment.”
His tone softened. “Forever is a long time. I understand the loneliness.”
Agent David Bale had always been alone, as far as she knew. If he’d ever been married or in love, no one in the department had mentioned it. She’d heard through the grapevine that he’d dated Heather Storrey, a powerful medium in Savannah, but it had never gotten serious, and she was with Drake from the Sea Dog crew now.
Maybe he understood her predicament better than she realized.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’d like to stay with