“What if I were?”
—:—
Dutch ran his hand through his hair. He’d never made a commitment to anyone in his life. He had to the Air Force, and then to the CIA, and finally to K19, but he’d never committed himself to a woman, not even Alegria.
He wanted to ask her what kind of commitment she wanted, but even he knew that would be a dick move.
“That’s what I thought,” she said, dropping the blanket on the floor. “Just get in bed, Dutch. This is what we know how to do. If it’s ever meant to be more, we’ll figure it out. In the meantime, I won’t ask you to commit anything to me, and you don’t ask me to commit anything to you.”
“Meaning what? Either of us can just walk away at any time?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s how it works when two people are unwilling to commit to each other.”
Dutch didn’t like that one bit, but until he was ready to tell her what he was willing to do, he understood he couldn’t ask the same of her. That’s the point she was trying to make all along.
“I have a long day tomorrow. I need to try to get some sleep,” she said when he crawled into bed next to her.
Dutch kissed her cheek just thankful that he was
beside her.
18
“McTiernan and Copeland should land in about an hour,” Doc told them after they’d finished breakfast up at the main house and everyone else left, giving them privacy to talk.
“What happens next?” asked Malin.
“Once you’ve met with Ghafor, we hope to have something substantial to dangle in front of Montgomery.”
“When will that be?”
“This afternoon.”
Malin couldn’t wait, if only to finally know whether the leader of the Islamic State would actually give her the information she so desperately needed.
“Alone?” asked Dutch.
“That’s up to Malin,” Doc answered.
When she looked up at him, his eyes were guarded, but she knew what he wanted. Dutch wanted her to ask him to be with her, but she couldn’t do that. Ghafor had made it clear he’d talk to her and only her. If Dutch were along, he wouldn’t say a word.
“Where are we meeting?” she asked.
“Here at the ranch.”
“Have you decided where specifically?”
“In the caves. It’ll offer the most privacy as well as the most protection. We can get in there before Monk and Striker deliver Ghafor, and be in position by the time he walks in,” Doc answered.
“Meaning what?”
“You aren’t going in alone.”
Malin stood from the table and walked toward the front porch. Did they really think a man who lived the life Ghafor did wouldn’t sense their presence?
“No,” she said, returning to the table. “It won’t work.”
“Malin—”