Torn - Cynthia Eden Page 0,101
a van waiting and I’ll take you both home so you can get some much-needed rest.”
Home. Odd, when Ana said that one word, Wade’s image flashed in Victoria’s mind. She glanced over at him—and found his stare on her.
“Great to see you, sis,” Asher murmured. He scooped his sister up in a massive bear hug. “Nightmares?”
It was the faintest of whispers, but Victoria was standing so close to Ana that she heard the question.
She also saw Ana’s nearly imperceptible shake of her head . . . and the way Asher’s shoulders seemed to relax.
The twins had secrets. But Victoria wasn’t about to pry. Why would she?
“It’s a pleasure to be working with you, too,” she told Ana, and the smile she gave the other woman was real. “Your ears should have been burning because your brother was telling us how amazing you are during the flight. I know you’ll be an asset to LOST.”
Relief swept across Ana’s pretty face. “I just want to help.” The words seemed blurted out. “Just help.”
“You will,” Victoria said with certainty. That was what LOST did, after all.
And they were growing. Getting stronger and bigger every single day.
As promised, Ana had a van waiting for them out front. They climbed in and soon they were sweeping past the familiar streets of Atlanta. The buildings passed in a blur. Wade was the first one to be dropped off at his place, but before he climbed out, he gave Victoria a long, lingering kiss. “See you soon, baby,” he said.
Yes, he would.
She watched him walk away.
Asher cleared his throat. “Gabe was a bit, um, worried, that you two might not have gotten along so well in the field.”
She smiled. “Don’t worry, we got along just fine.”
“Yes, ma’am. Definitely see that.”
They headed to her place. When she climbed out of the van and stared up at her building, it almost seemed foreign to her. Cold and empty.
“Are you all right?”
She glanced back at Ana’s question. “I’m fine.” She would be, from now on. Her hands tightened around her bag.
“You sure you don’t want me to get that?” Asher asked her.
Victoria laughed. “Trust me. I’ve got this. But thanks.” She gave them a little wave. “See you in the office soon.”
Because it was time to get back into her normal routine. Life at the office. A home here.
She took the elevator up to her floor, dropped her bag near the front door and walked toward her windows. She looked out at the city below. She’d always felt so safe up there, but now . . .
She felt alone.
WADE’S PHONE RANG. He heard its echoing cry when he stepped out of the shower. He’d crashed for hours after he got home, and when the sun set, he’d finally managed to wake up enough to wash the hell of travel off his back.
He knew his machine would pick up the call, so he didn’t hurry too fast toward the hallway, not until he heard Victoria’s voice.
“Wade?”
He nearly fell, rushing with his wet feet and slipping over the tile.
She gave a little laugh, the sound transmitting easily from the speaker on his answering machine. “I know I just saw you but . . . I miss you. That’s crazy isn’t it? But . . . but I was thinking . . . want to grab a drink? That’s what normal couples do, right? They get a drink? How about we meet up tonight? At the place where you pretty much changed everything for me.”
He was surging for the phone.
“If you want to come, I’ll see you there in an hour. If not . . . then I’ll see you soon.”
He swiped for the machine.
But she’d already hung up. He started to call her back but . . .
Baby, I’m coming for you.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE BAR WAS too crowded. The bodies too sweaty. The music was too loud. The laughter too fake. Victoria had noticed all of that before when she’d gone to Wild Jokers, but none of that had bothered her. She’d just wanted to get lost in the throng of people.
To escape.
She wasn’t looking for escape this time. She was looking for him.
Victoria settled in at the bar. She waved to the bartender and he nodded, indicating he’d be her way soon. Then she glanced over her shoulder, looking toward the entrance. It had been almost an hour since she’d left that message for Wade. She needed him to walk through that door. Excitement bloomed inside her as she waited.
The bartender came