3
HELLO… AGAIN
SYDNEY
The driver stopped under the covered entrance to Sydney’s condo building in Alexandria. After she and Gabriel exited the vehicle, Sydney hugged Gabriel before he kissed each of her cheeks.
“Ci sentiamo. Sei sicuro di stare bene? We’ll talk,” Gabriel said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Okay? I’m, never okay,” she replied. “But you had my back, and I love you for it.”
He smiled. “Ti amo anch'io, angelo. I love you too, angel. Qualche volta ceneremo al Ristorante Santini, vero? We'll have dinner at Santini Ristorante sometime, yes?”
“Of course. How long are you in town?”
“No idea.”
“Grazie per il salvataggio. Thanks for the save,” she said.
The driver held out her leather overnight bag. With it slung over her shoulder—and her weapons bag in hand—she walked to the entrance, slid her keycard into the slot. The shiny glassdoor slid open, and she headed toward the elevator, acknowledging the concierge with a “How’s it hangin’?”
He laughed.
Once on her floor, she hurried down the quiet hallway. She couldn’t wait to sleep in her bed, surrounded by all her pillows, and get lost in her dreams. Sexy, romantic, and strikingly detailed dreams about the gorgeous Tank Santini, the sexy blond she’d hoped to hear from… but hadn’t.
You suck, Santini.
She punched in her condo code and stepped inside. At eleven o’clock in the morning, she didn’t expect to see her sister Caroline.
Unless she and Grey are going at it on the sofa.
Glancing around the living room, she called out, “Car— I’m home!”
Silence.
“Caroline?”
No sis, so she dropped her travel bag in her bedroom, set her weapons bag gently on the bed. That bag she treated with the utmost care. She’d known a guy who’d dropped his bag, the gun fired, and he got shot in the leg. It wasn’t pretty.
She pulled out her phone, sent a text to her boss at Langley.
I’m back
Next, she tapped out a text to Caroline.
I’m home. Are you at work? When can I see you???
Her phone binged with a message from her boss.
Good to have you back. Debrief at 1230
Her phone rang and she glanced at the screen, then answered. “Hey!”
“Sissy!” Caroline said. “I have missed yousomuch.”
Sydney grinned. “I missed you too. Are you at work?”
“Yeah. What are you doing today?”
