“Jesus, Mac.” Coop ran a hand over his jaw. “How’d you manage to get away?”
“I started planning. I’d heard from some kids at school about a guy who’d make legit-looking fake I.D.’s., birth certificates…whatever a person needed to recreate themselves. Uncle Tony gave me a monthly allowance, so I saved and used that to buy what I needed.” Mac chuckled humorlessly. “The other kids used their fakes to get into bars. I used mine to enlist.”
Moving with hesitant steps, Mac gauged his reaction. Almost as if she thought he would retreat if she got too close.
“At first the lies were all solely about survival. After what I’d witnessed, I knew if Tony ever found out where I was, he’d have me killed. The military seemed like a pretty safe place to hide out.”
“And later?”
“Later, I realized I’d become a part of something bigger. Seeing first-hand what the Army did for our country and other parts of the world…I couldn’t risk losing that by confessing who I really was. I thought maybe if I saved enough lives by fighting for what was right, I could make up for the one I caused my uncle and Luca to take.”
“What happened to that man wasn’t your fault, Mac.”
Ignoring him, she continued on. “When I became a part of Alpha Team, it was like I finally had a family again. I was so afraid for any of you to find out where I really came from, that the blood running through my veins was tainted…” She blinked, causing a tear to fall. “I never wanted anyone to know. Especially you.”
He didn’t bother arguing the fact that she was nothing like her uncle. “Why especially me?”
“Because you’re my best friend.” She drew in a deep breath. “And I’d always hoped that someday you might become more.” Another tear fell.
“I hoped for that, too,” he admitted quietly. “But you should’ve told me.”
“I remember how it was after my parents died. How the kids at that school looked at me when they realized I was not only related to Anthony Moretti, I also lived with him. And the teachers were even worse. They’d look at me with a mixture of pity and disgust, and I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing that same look in your eyes.”
That last part was merely a whisper.
“We’re partners, Mac. No, we’re more than that. We’re…you’re…” Coop rubbed his jaw again because,fuck. He couldn’t find the words he needed to say. So he settled for, “You should’ve trusted me enough to know that would never happen. Not with me.”
“You’re right.” She nodded. “I’m sorry.”
After several tension-filled seconds, Coop said, “Okay, fine. I get why you felt the need to lie about who you really are, but it still doesn’t explain why you’re here. Or why someone tried to take your head off less than an hour ago.”
“They weren’t aiming at me.” Mac looked him dead in the eyes. “They were trying to shoot you.”
What? “That makes no sense, whatsoever. Before today, I’ve never even been to Jersey. Why the fuck would someone here come after me?”
Rather than answer the question, she walked over to the room’s tiny safe and entered the code on the keypad. With a beep, the lock disengaged and Mac opened the door. She pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to him.
“I started getting those a few weeks ago.”
Coop opened the clasp and pulled out a portion of the envelope’s contents. There were half a dozen pictures of Mac, and it was obvious she had no idea she’d been photographed.
What the fuck“Someone’s been following you?”
Ignoring the question—because the answer was pretty fucking clear—Mac motioned toward the envelope. “Not just me. Us.”
Coop pulled out a second set of photos and studied each one carefully. There was one of him and Mac walking into R.I.S.C.’s building. One of them walking out. Someone had taken a picture of them talking and laughing by her Jeep in the parking garage.
And most recently, someone had taken a picture of him watching her as she drove away.
“Those came a few days ago, along with a note.” She handed it to him.
Coop read the note aloud. It was addressed to Abigail. “Come to your uncle’s funeral. Once you’ve made your presence known, I’ll contact you with further instructions. The price is two million dollars, or he’s dead.”
His gut clenched, and as he silently read those words again, it all suddenly started to make perfect sense.
The change in her behavior. Mac acting like she was trying to distance herself from him lately. Her refusing to let him come with her.
The fucking fear in her eyes.
