He could be a grandfather and not even know it. Could have grandchildren somewhere in the world who didn’t know he existed.
Then his heart grew heavy in his chest as another thought struck him.
Does she hate me?
The smile faded.
Of course she did. How could she not?He’d disappeared from her life without explanation, without warning, without even a goodbye. She’d been so young then. And he’d vanished like smoke. For her own safety, yes. To protect her and her mother. But that didn’t change the fact that he’d abandoned her.
David blamed himself. He would always blame himself.
It had been his job that put his family in the line of fire. His skills, his knowledge, his position. He’d lost everything because he’d done what he had to do for his country.
He snorted softly.
A lot of good that did him.
Especially when his country turned around and betrayed him just as badly. Well, not his country exactly. He couldn’t blame the entire nation for the actions of a few corrupt people and politicians who’d put their own interests above everything else.
But still.
Those corrupt few had forced him to disappear. Had sent hitmen after him and the agent who’d been sent to protect him. Had made it impossible for him to have any kind of normal life.
David shook his head.
One job. One single job had changed his entire life. A job that only he could do, because of his specific skill set, clearance level, and the particular combination of knowledge he possessed.
That one job had turned everything upside down.
“David.”
The voice pulled him from his thoughts.
David turned, his eyes narrowing slightly as the man approached.
The man looked exactly as he always did. Well-dressed, dignified, with that careful bearing that came from decades of moving in wealthy circles. But there was hesitation in his steps, uncertainty in the way he paused a few feet from the table.
“You looked like you were far away,” he said.
Years of communicating through coded messages left in newspapers or at various shipping yards, of never meeting face to face, of maintaining complete operational security, had made things awkward between them. They’d been close once. Butdecades of forced distance had created a gulf neither of them quite knew how to bridge anymore.
“Hello, William,” David said, standing and holding out his hand. “Merry Christmas, by the way.”
William shook his hand, his grip firm but brief. “I did send you a gift and tried to call you on Christmas Day.”
“I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to answer,” David responded. “While I know we’re setting a trap here, I have to be careful not to have it presprung. Or it will be almost three decades of work down the drain.”
William’s eyes darkened with emotion, and his smile was tight.
David knew the man well enough to understand what that expression meant. William was fiercely loyal to family and friends. He tended to hold onto people, would lay down his life for those he held dear. So having messages go unanswered, having Christmas greetings unreturned, cut him deeply.
“I understand, David, you know I do,” William said, his voice firm but his eyes contradicting his tone. “Let’s hope this finally ends all this ugliness so you no longer have to hide in the woods and fix people’s toilets.”
“I like plumbing,” David told him, a little defensive. “And you have room to talk. You used to be a top attorney, and now you run a store.”
“And a multimillion-dollar shipping company,” William pointed out.
“Okay,” David held up his hands, knowing he crossed a line. William didn’t want to have to leave his career to run the store orthe shipping company as much as David wanted to be a plumber or a carpenter. “Sorry.”
