Page 56 of North

“No. Once we leave, we disappear. Completely.”

She sank back onto the couch. Outside, Budapest’s evening lights began to twinkle. A tram rattled past on the street below, and somewhere, a church bell tolled.

“My family…” Her voice caught.

“I’m sorry.” He knelt before her again, took both her hands. “We can’t tell anyone. Not even family. Especially not family. They’ll be watched.”

“By whom?” Fear edged into her voice. “Who’s watching us?”

He thought of York somewhere in the cold Russian night, hunting his family’s killers. Of Damien’s new friends, their long reach. Of a dozen other shadows that could touch their lives.

“It doesn’t matter.” He squeezed her hands. “What matters is keeping you safe. Both of you.”

She met his eyes. Nodded. “Tell me about Crete.”

He slid onto the sofa beside her. She leaned into him, put her head on his chest. “A house on a cliff above the sea. Olive trees. A garden for your herbs. Space for the baby to run.” He breathed her in. “No phones. No missions. No lies.”

“Just us?”

“Just us.”

She was quiet for a long moment. Then she lifted her head, and he saw everything he loved about her in her eyes. Strength, understanding, the fierce intelligence that had first drawn him in.

“When do we leave?”

“End of term is next week. They’ll think you’ve gone on holiday.”

He left out the part about not telling the agency. But by the time they figured out he’d left, he would have erased everything.

“What about the baby? I’ll need doctors, care⁠—”

“I’ll figure it out.” He caught a strand of her hair, wound it around his finger. “Starting with marrying you.”

Her breath caught. “You never did, you know. Ask me.”

“Because I couldn’t bear promising you a life built on lies.” He shifted, pulling her closer. “But now…”

“The answer is yes.”

Yes. He smiled, the joy again breaking through. Yes.

He pulled her close. “I promise, I’m going to keep you—us—safe. No matter what.”