"I promised I'd come back," he murmured against her hair, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I always keep my promises."
She pulled back just far enough to look at him, taking in every scratch, every bruise, reassuring herself that he was truly here. "Don't ever do that to me again."
A weary smile touched his lips. "Crash a helicopter? Not on my to-do list, believe me."
Sabrina laughed despite her tears. Then, she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him with all the fear and relief and love that had built up during those terrible hours of uncertainty.
Walker responded with equal fervor, his arms tightening around her as if he never intended to let go. When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, he brushed a strand of hair from her face with gentle fingers.
"I thought of you," he said quietly. "When we were going down. All I could think about was getting back to you."
"And here you are," she whispered.
"Here I am."
A throat clearing nearby reminded them they weren't alone. They turned to find Reed, supported by a medic, watching them with an expression that mingled pain and amusement.
"If you two are finished," he said, "we have prisoners to secure and a mountain of paperwork to complete."
Walker kept his arm around Sabrina's waist as they rejoined the others. "What happened?" he asked Reed. "Engine failure doesn't explain what we experienced."
Reed's expression darkened. "Sabotage. Preliminary examination shows signs of tampering with the fuel line."
"Thomas?" Sabrina asked.
"Unlikely," Walker replied. "He was secured the entire time. This had to be pre-planned."
Henry joined them, his face grim. "Which means Kraslov anticipated his capture. Had a failsafe in place."
"His contingency," Walker realized. "Thomas tried to warn me right before the crash. Said Kraslov had contingencies we hadn't imagined."
Reed grimaced. “Well, we’ll take this one day at a time, but it looks like the data from Kraslov’s computer confirms the financial connections. Combined with what Sabrina found, we have enough to bury him. And Thomas.”
Walker nodded. “That’s good, I guess we’ll have to take it for now.”
Reed nodded, then gave them both a lazy smile. “And you two can thank me for your … thing here.” He wagged a finger between them.
Walker grunted. “Sure, you mean for almost getting us both killed?”
“You’re welcome,” Reed said, walking away.
“Your time is coming, bro.”
Reed shook his head. “No, I’m a confirmed bachelor.”
They both laughed.
Walker pulled Sabrina closer. "Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes searching hers. "Really okay?"
Sabrina nodded. "I am now." She reached up to touch his face, tracing a scratch along his cheekbone. "I was so scared, Walker. When Henry said your helicopter had gone down..."
"I know," he said softly. "But it'll take more than a crash to keep me from coming back to you. We have been apart for too long.”
She sniffed. "Way too long," she agreed, leaning into him, drawing strength from his solid presence.
Walker's arms encircled her, one hand cradling the back of her head. "When this is over," he promised, "when Kraslov is locked away and the danger has passed, we're going to figure this out—you and me. No more wasted time."
“No more wasted time.”
