Her makeshift repel rope jerked her to a hard stop, left her there for a few seconds, then gave away about ten feet above the ground and she fell.Hard.
Immediately rolling, she came up as fast as she could.Her right knee hurt like hell and was nearly non-weight-bearing.Scanning the area for Dusan, she tried to slow her breathing as she cased the view, needing to be calm, be focused.Needed to be ready for anything.Bodies littered the streets and sirens screamed in the distance.
Moving around the side of a haphazardly parked SUV, she found him.Robert’s body was a crumpled heap not too far away, but the man she sought had no weapon and two holes in his leg.Lance was over him, weapon trained and looking far more like the detective she’d once propositioned than the bad boy undercover agent to whom she’d lost her heart.
“You know,” Lance said, not looking away from Dusan even as he beckoned her closer.“Declan says next time he fucking calls you pick up.”
She went to him because she was powerless to do anything but that.He angled himself so he could see both her and Dusan.
“You okay?”
Her eyes went to Mark and she shook her head.“Starting to think I’m getting too old for this shit.”
Bastard nodded.Then he gripped her chin and kissed her.“You should find a nice man to settle down with and raise some kids.”
“You’ll never get away from me.I will hunt you down and kill you.Kill your family, your kids, hell, I may even kill your parents,” Dusan raged.
Lance moved to his side and whispered something in his ear.Jasmine walked over to Mark’s body and whimpered as she sank to the ground beside him.He was gone.
“I’m so sorry, Mark.You stupid fuck, you had a kid.Why didn’t you just give them what they wanted?”Tears streamed as she collapsed onto his chest.
Law enforcement arrived and she was pulled away from Mark by Lance, who held her close as he escorted her to the ambulance so they could check her knee.Two federal marshals walked up and showed badges.
“Ms.Hoyer, Mr.Baldwin?”
They nodded.Lance shifted to partially protect her.All she could think about was Den, Mark’s now parentless son, and how she had to get to him.
“We’re here to take you in and debrief from the undercover operation.”
“Give us a minute.”Lance’s tone booked no room for argument.Even the EMT gave them space.He captured her face in his hands, thumbs smoothing along her skin.
“Baby,” he said softly.“I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t choose you.Biggest mistake of my life.”
She removed his touch from her face, noting how his expression became pained but she couldn’t think of his feelings, not right now.“I have to get to Den.I’m all he has left now.”
Lance nodded.Once.Firm.“What do you need from me?”
“A diversion, and you to get my bag from the roof.”
“Consider it done.And, baby?When we meet up after this, because we sure as hell will, I’m taking you over my knee for jumping off the fucking roof like that.”He kissed her once.Hard.“Go get our son.I’ll find you.”
He walked off and did what he’d promised.Created a diversion.Went right after Dusan, leaving her to slip away like a shadow.Like her namesake.Smoke.
Epilogue
Eleven months later
Mist rolled off the lake, slow and beautiful.Morning sunrise cast the land in warm, soft, golden light.The cabin sat tucked into the grove of trees, protected yet with a direct line of sight to the dock leading out into the lake.This morning, however, even the dock was shrouded in the otherworldly haze.
Grunts and the sounds of wood colliding echoed through the woods and off the water.
A young boy dashed from the protection of the trees, his dusky skin aglow in the morning light.A mopful of loose dark curls bounced with each of his rapid steps.A wooden sword was gripped in one hand as he pumped his arms, running toward the cabin.
Chest heaving, he whipped around and faced the woods, lower lip resting between his teeth.He shifted his stance, as if he couldn’t quite figure out how best to set himself.Dirt-stained fingers flexed around the hilt as he stared, even squinting, as if that could help his vision.
Only the tendrils of fog moved, winding up from the lake to wrap around his ankles as if anchoring him in place.He gulped.
“Auntie?”
