“Yes, and I understand why you did, but ever since the situation with Fallon, I haven’t liked the idea of any of you going without protection.”
“But you didn’t send anyone when I went to St. John.”
“I did, but since no incident occurred, the shadow agent never had to make contact.”
“And Portland?” I questioned.
Dad chuckled slightly. “That was a little tricky given you changed your flight, but agents were parked on the street outside the Matthewson-Statler residence the entire time.”
I swallowed hard. “I just want a normal life.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. “That’s all I’m trying to have, with Jase and Dylan. Something that’s mine.”
“I know, and I understand why you want it. But as long as I’m president,” he continued, “there will always be risks. I can’t change that. What Icando is ensure you’re protected while you live your life.”
Silence stretched between us.
“I don’t want to be locked away,” I whispered.
The couch cushion dipped, and I felt Jase and Dylan press against either side of me.
“You won’t be,” he promised. “But we need to be smart. I think you should come to D.C. until we can determine exactly what happened. We need you in a secure location until we confirm that Callum acted alone and wasn’t part of a larger plot.”
I looked up at Jase and Dylan. They were watching me, worry evident on their faces.
“Okay,” I relented. “I’ll go to D.C., but I’m not staying long.”
“Thank you,” my dad replied. “We’ll figure out the rest together.”
When the call ended, I took a deep breath.
“My dad thinks I should leave Vegas,” I explained. “They need to make sure this was just Callum going off the rails and not a bigger security issue.”
Dylan nodded slowly. “I hate the idea of you leaving, but I understand why you need to.”
Jase wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Once things settle, maybe you could come out to Portland.”
I smiled for the first time since everything had happened. While I had things I needed to deal with first, nothing was going to keep me from my guys.
34
Dylan
Agent Webster arrangedfor Faye to take an early-morning flight to D.C., giving the three of us one more night together. It wasn’t as much time as any of us had wanted, but I took the win where I could. Even with additional agents stationed just outside the door and rotating through the room, I was grateful for every extra minute we had before reality forced us apart again.
We were crammed into the backseat of a black SUV on our way to the airport, the sun just beginning to rise over the horizon. Jase and I already needed to change our flights because of the trade, so we went ahead and scheduled them earlier than originally planned. We saw no point in staying when Faye was leaving. Portland was waiting, and so were the rest of our lives, whether we were ready or not.
The SUV slowed as we pulled up to the private terminal, and for a moment, none of us moved.
Faye sat between us, her hands threaded through ours, but I wasn’t ready to let go.
“I hate that our trip was cut short,” she sighed. “It feels like no matter what we do—no matter how careful we are or how much we try to keep things just between us—something always comes along and ruins it.”
Frustration laced her words, and I felt it as well.
I squeezed her hand. “Maybe that’s been part of the problem.”
She turned to look at me, her brows pulling together. “What do you mean?”
Jase shifted closer, cupping the side of her face and turning her gently toward him. His thumb brushed her cheek. “We’ve been so focused on keeping our relationship out of the headlines to avoid any fallout.”
