“Too many, including a couple locked up in Guantanamo.” He shook his head. “I was lost,” he whispered. “I still am.”
She pulled him close to her. “Lie with me.” When he was by her side in the small hospital bed, she wrapped her arms around him.
“You aren’t lost anymore, Mantis.”
She brought her lips to his and softly kissed him.
“Manon,” he groaned.
“Shh. Don’t talk,” she told him. “We’ve both talked enough.”
Mantis pulled her closer, so her head rested on his chest.
Chapter 23
Dutch
The naked woman from the hotel room must’ve lifted his wallet, either that or the terrorists had. That’s the way he’d started thinking of them.
Whoever they were, they wanted him to deliver someone called Mantis. Since he had no idea who that was, he’d have a damn hard time doing it.
He looked around once he was out on the street. He was in Germany, that much was obvious, but who he was and why he was here, wasn’t.
No identification. No money. No idea if there was anyone he could turn to for help. He was as far up shit creek as one could get.
His only hope was that there were good guys looking for him. He already knew the bad guys were, but how would he know the difference?
The only things he had now were his instincts and his life. In order to keep the latter, he had to rely on the former.
He caught someone watching him out of the corner of his eye and ducked into the nearest alley. From there he saw the man pull out a phone, talk for a couple of minutes, and then walk in his direction.
If he was a bad guy, wouldn’t he have come directly after him rather than make a phone call first?
He pulled out his knife, prepared for his instincts to be wrong, and waited until the man came around the corner, but he never did.
Chapter 24
Mantis and Alegria
When he woke, he was still in the small hospital bed, next to Alegria. His muscles ached, but his heart felt better than it had in months.
Holding her in his arms felt like coming home again, but hearing Alegria say she loved him was like being reborn. The life he was afraid he’d never have was within reach. All he had to do was be patient, find Dutch, and tell him that he’d been right all along.
This time around, he’d do things differently. Before he accepted any mission, including one involving Dutch, he’d discuss it with her. He didn’t want to give Alegria any reason to doubt that she mattered more to him than anyone or anything—including avenging his brother’s death.
The need to wasn’t gone entirely; it had just changed. Like he’d told her, he felt lost, as though he wasn’t sure what the purpose of his life was anymore.
With Alegria by his side, they’d forge a new life together instead of alone.
She shifted, murmuring in her sleep. “Mantis?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Am I dreaming?”
“You’re not.”
“Good.” She snuggled in closer. “I want to walk today.”