“Yes, I do.AllI want back is you.”
“No. You want the girl you rescued a princess with. You want the woman you saw in secret. The woman in Paris who said yes and took your ring. That woman died that day. Neither of us knew it until later. I was hurt and confused and devastated when you didn’t respond to me.”
Gina held up her hand at the beginning of his protest. “I know it wasn’t your fault, just like it wasn’t my fault that you thought I wanted you out of my life.”
She looked to the side, shaking her head. “It’s never been the right time for us, Lach,” she whispered. “We always just seem to miss our chance bythatmuch.”
He grabbed her hand. “You’re here now with me. And I love you. Always have. Always will.”
Tears filled her eyes as she pulled her hand out of his. “I love you too, Lachlan. Always. But I can’t do this again. I can’t hope anymore. Something always rips it away whenever we get close.” She gave him a small, sad smile. “Even though we were sabotaged, the repercussions are the same. I sold my soul for revenge telling myself it was for justice. I can’t change that. Not even for you.”
“Yes, you can.”
She shook her head violently. “No. I can’t. Not after everything I’ve seen.” She squeezed her eyes against her memories. “They want to control us. They already do. I can’t make much of a difference, but I can save a life here and there, like we did with Sana. I can work to bring them down, but it’ll take my life to do it.”
“Jesus, Gina. No.” He grabbed her hand.
“Then work beside me, as my business partner.Onlyas my business partner. That’s all I can give you.”
Lachlan fought with his pride for a moment.
“Yes.”
Her eyes brightened. “Yes? You’re agreeing to this?”
He nodded slowly then reached out to shake her hand. “Business partners.”
She gripped his hand tightly as he added, “For now. Because mark my words, I’ll change your mind, lass.”
* * *
Over the next year, they built their company. Gina left Lachlan in charge of hiring—and one of the first people he reached out to was Camden Bains, who had joined the FBI after he left the SEALs. Camden suggested a friend, Jake Collins. From there, they built their team.
As business partners.
“So,” Gina said over dinner one night—more of Lachlan’s huli-huli chicken. “What are you going to name our little enterprise?”
He looked into her eyes. “Watchdog Security.”
The corner of her mouth curved into a smile. “I like it.” She reached down to pet Fleur and Sam. “It fits you perfectly.”
Lachlan only chuckled, amazed that she really had no idea.
NINETEEN
Gina, present day, Newark Airport
When she got to the Newark airport, all Gina had to do to find Florence in Terminal B was follow the sound of howling dogs. Florence raised malamutes and they were currently singing the song of their people. Gina covered her mouth to stop from laughing. Florence was undoubtedly furious at her pups. She could almost hear the woman herself yelling over the dogs already. Fleur picked up her pace, tail wagging. She couldn't wait to join the Pack of Chaos as Flo had dubbed her four-footed critters.
Gina had made friends with Florence years ago during an undercover operation attempting to catch a rumored international diamond smuggler in the UK who also raised show dogs. She needed both a way to infiltrate the world of showing and breeding champion dogs and to get to Europe without sticking Fleur in cargo.
That’s where Florence came in. She was a professional dog breeder who chartered flights with other dog owners to bring show dogs to and from Europe in the plane’s cabin. Gina made quick friends with her and got herself a ride on one of the flights in exchange for handling the dogs on the way. As part of her cover, Gina entered Fleur—under the name of Jasmin—into the agility category at the Crufts show in the UK.
The competitions at Crufts weren't about breeding but instead judged dogs for their endurance and ability, so Fleur fit right in. The dogs ran through obstacle courses proving how intelligent, quick, and obedient they were. Fleur took fifth. She probably could have taken first, but Gina didn't want to bring too much attention to herself. In the meantime, Gina managed to catch the smuggler in the act and he was arrested. She’d also gained a lifelong friend in Florence, and a way to get herself and Fleur to and from Europe under the radar. The world of dog shows had proven to be a valuable network both for information and travel.
Ah, there they are.
“Ugh!” Flo yelled as Gina made her way to a gate near the end of the terminal. “You guys are the worst travelers, do you hear me?” She was addressing four crates, each housing one of her dogs.
