Stars Over Alaska (Wild River #4) - Jennifer Snow Page 0,99

said.

“She’s in her office,” Ellie said.

He ran a hand over his face as he headed toward the back office.

“You look horrible,” his grandmother said as he entered.

“Thanks. It’s been a rough few days,” he said, accepting the cup of hot coffee she extended to him.

“I heard about the kidnapping...” She shook her head. “So glad Leslie and that young starlet are okay,” she said.

“Me too,” he said, emotion thick in his voice. He sipped his coffee—the fourth one that day—but the liquid held no taste and the caffeine seemed to have little effect.

His grandmother eyed him. “You still didn’t tell that girl, did you?”

His forehead wrinkled. “Tell her what?”

“That you love her.”

“You know that?” No sense denying it. His shocked expression must say it all anyway.

“Always have. I may not have been one of those...helicopter parents, but I paid attention.”

He nodded. He wished she had been more hands-on, but she’d been there when it mattered and he couldn’t fault her for focusing on her own life. She’d raised her kids and he’d been dumped on her.

She sat across from him. “Look, Levi, you were a good kid and you were mature for your age. I never worried about you. You had a good head on your shoulders. And the Powells had kinda taken you under their wing...” She shrugged. “But I did pay attention to the important things and my heart has always hurt just a little, knowing you were keeping your love to yourself for her sake...for her happiness.”

The heart-to-heart might be coming a little late, but he held no grudges. He sighed as he stared into the dark liquid, watching the swirls of steam escape the cup. “I did tell her. Probably wasn’t the best timing or situation. And I was starting to think she might have feelings for me too.”

“That’s good. Progress,” his grandmother said, looking truly engaged.

“Yeah, but now she’s gone again and things have always been complicated. Even more so now.”

“Complicated, sure. But not impossible,” she said, handing him the restored photo. “Just like this picture.”

* * *

HAD THE LA sun always been this blinding?

Despite her dark sunglasses, Leslie’s eyes hurt as she entered the Executive Protection Agency later that week. Exhausted from lack of sleep and worry, her body still aching from the attempted abduction, she longed to put off what was sure to be her firing, but she had to face the music today. Get this over with, then decide what was next for her.

Entering her boss’s office, she slid her sunglasses to the top of her head.

He winced, a note of sympathy in his expression seeing the black eye and bruised cheek she still sported. “That looks like it hurt.”

“I’ve been through worse.” The emotional toil of the last few weeks had her hurting more than the physical damage she’d suffered on assignment.

Levi’s confession of love replayed in her thoughts and in her dreams and her own conflicted heart was killing her. A month ago, she was successfully keeping her past in the past, along with her feelings. Now, everything had been dug up from where she’d kept it buried and she didn’t know where to begin to start healing. She never really had.

“Have a seat,” Federico said, standing and closing his office door. Several other agents were standing in the hall, no doubt eager to listen. It didn’t matter, she didn’t care what they all thought. She’d be walking out for the last time in a few moments anyway.

Federico returned to his chair and sat. He cleared his throat and got straight to it. “Leslie, you’ve been a great agent, and we were fortunate to have you on this assignment.” He folded his large wrinkled hands in front of him on his desk. “Your quick thinking and skills helped to save Ms. Hudson’s life.”

But...

“But your impulsiveness and unauthorized decision making is questionably what put her in more danger in the first place.”

She wished she could argue that, but she couldn’t. She’d reacted on instinct that day instead of policy.

“Fleeing the state and not advising anyone of your plans was rash and unfortunately, we aren’t able to overlook the...liability you are to this company.” Federico shook his graying head.

She nodded. Liability. That stung more than she thought it would.

“I’m afraid we have to let you go,” Federico said, looking genuinely saddened by the decision he felt forced to make. “Effective immediately.”

“I understand, sir.” She stood. “I apologize for putting the agency under scrutiny and for not recognizing the danger that Eoghan proposed