“Okay, good.” She went up to her tippy-toes to kiss him.
“Let me throw on some sweats, and I’ll go check on the horses.” He lowered his arms and checked the coffee. “Coffee should be ready.”
“What do you do with the horses while you’re gone?” Luna wasn’t sure she was up to the task of managing Patience and Sassy’s care, but if he needed her help, she would do her best.
“Did you see the property down the road with the big red barn that has the giant American flag painted on the side?” She nodded. “When I’m gone, the man who owns that spread comes over every day and feeds them and lets them out in the pasture for the day. Right around sunset, he comes back over and brings them in for the night. I’ll give him a call on our way into the office.”
“That’s nice that you have someone who can do that for you.” One day, she hoped to be able to take care of those kinds of things for him—partially because she didn’t want to feel helpless and be a burden every time she was here. But more than that, she wanted Boone to know she cared enough about him to learn as much as she could about life on a ranch.
“That’s the way life is in the country. Neighbors helping neighbors is the only way to survive,” Boone said. “It’s another reason why I could never live in a big city.”
“While you’re taking care of the horses, I’ll make us some eggs.” She reached into the fridge for the eggs. “I hope scrambled is okay, because that’s the only kind I know how to make.”
“Scrambled is perfect.” He gave her a quick kiss and headed to the bedroom.
He reappeared a few minutes later wearing a pair of gray sweatpants that shouldn’t be sexy but totally were on him. It was still dark outside, so he flipped on the large floodlight installed at the top of a pole and headed toward the barn.
About twenty minutes later, their plates empty and their bellies full, they loaded the dishwasher and showered together. Which turned into him lathering her up and taking her from behind against the glass shower wall. At first, it had felt awkward, but once he’d helped her find a comfortable position, she’d been surprised by how much she enjoyed it. Something about allowing herself to be vulnerable—to trust him completely—had deepened the connection between them.
Luna spent some time on her laptop, rearranging logistics and making sure everything would be ready for their departure. She provided Khalid with the updated information, packed upher laptop, and threw on Boone’s shirt over the clothes she’d worn yesterday.
Walk of shame, here I come.
“My shirt looks good on you.” He kissed her, set the alarm, and held the door open for her.
He locked the door and jogged across the grass to check on the horses one more time, then he secured the barn. They loaded his gear into the back of his truck, and he slammed the tailgate.
“Here, I want you to have this.” He tugged something from the thigh pocket of his tactical pants, lifted her hand, and set a keychain in her palm. There were three keys attached, and he pointed to each one as he told her what they belonged to. “This one is for the house, this is for the barn, and this one is for the safe room.” He gave her a slip of paper. “Here is the alarm code. Please memorize it, then destroy that piece of paper.” She folded it and wedged it into the front pocket of her jeans, and he went on to explain how to set and deactivate the alarm and what to do if it went off. “Head straight to the safe room, and a message will be sent directly to a dispatcher for the alarm company.”
He’d given her a comprehensive tour of the house before they left, making sure to show her where the safe room was in the basement. In his typical humble way, he acknowledged that it would be a waste of time for him to explain how the monitors in there worked, since she knew more about them than he did. He also gave her a schematic showing where all of the surveillance cameras and motion sensors were located on the house and around the property.
“I want you to feel comfortable coming out here whenever you want.” He pulled her into a hug. “You can hang out withPatience and Sassy, relax in the hot tub, sleep in my bed. I want you to treat this place like your second home.”
“Are you sure?” Giving someone keys to your home was a huge step.
“I’m very sure.” He kissed her and opened her door for her. “I’ll see you there.”
Boone jogged around the front of his truck, climbed in and started the engine.
As they made their way to the Dark Ops compound, her mind fretted over the fact that, in a few hours, the man she loved would be leaving her to get on a plane and fly halfway around the world to face a type of evil most people couldn’t comprehend.
That concerned Luna far more than any threat Udall might pose to her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
BooneandLunasilentlywalked hand in hand to the conference room. The heaviness of what loomed before them felt like a distant angry storm rolling in.
They turned in to the room, and Cole was standing with his hands planted on the table, a bunch of satellite maps spread out in front of him. He looked up, took notice of them, then returned his attention to the maps.
Luna moved to her usual spot and began setting up her laptop for the briefing. Some might think her unsmiling earnestness was her focusing on the mission, which was partially true. But Boone knew it was also the mission itself troubling her.
He and the rest of the team were traveling to a part of the world that carried generational grudges against their enemies. Since some of the Dark Ops operators spent time fighting wars in that region, they would definitely be considered their enemy. Add to that Boone’s connection to Udall, and they were walking into a highly combustible level of hostility. Because the moment his old teammate learned Boone was responsible for destroying his business—and theywoulddestroy Udall’s business—the asshole would come huntingfor him.
The rest of the team filtered into the room with a simple nod of acknowledgment and took their usual seats. Caleb entered right behind them and sat in Eddie’s chair. Some carried insulated tumblers. Others had mugs from the break room, all of them likely filled with some form of caffeinated beverage. They all had the same look of focus and intensity.
Everyone except Caleb was dressed like they were ready to get in some mountain climbing. Luna had even included some climbing rope to hang from their bags. No words were spoken. No jokes were made. They were all in mission mode.
“Good morning, everyone. We have received some updated intel, which has moved up our operation.” Cole scanned the group and sat down. “Luna will fill you in.”
