“You say that, but you know damn well I failed.”
“You didn’t.” Trace releases a sigh. “You’re phenomenal at your job. The best. In the end, you saw what no one else did and brought her in.”
I hold still, breathless, devouring the interaction. It’s the most amicable conversation I’ve ever witnessed between them, and it spreads warmth around my heart.
Trace shifts his focus to me. “Cole didn’t know she found out about you. He was off the grid, hunting her under the assumption that no one knew you existed. Meanwhile, she had your house wired with surveillance equipment, inside and out. That’s when she sent the hitman and had the whole thing recorded on the cameras.”
Shock strangles my windpipe. There were people in my house more than once? Where was I when the cameras were installed?
“She didn’t know I was watching over you.” Trace scowls. “And since I lost contact with Cole, I didn’t know the circumstances around the threat. I just knew someone found out about you and they wanted you dead.”
“Jesus.” I slump against the back of the couch.
“When I finally caught her, she was ready for me.” Cole grips my hand and laces our fingers together on my lap. “I’ll never forget when she held up her phone and flashed the live video of that assassin walking into your house. I fucking lost it.”
My insides shrivel with horror. “But Trace stopped him.”
“I didn’t know that,” Cole says. “I didn’t know where Trace was, if he was watching, or if you were home. She said she would call off the hitman, if I let her go.”
I tense. “She could’ve been lying.”
“Not about that.” Trace catches my gaze, his expression cold. “She turned her back on her country to make some money. But she wouldn’t have betrayed the honor code among us.”
“He’s right.” Cole works his jaw, the movement vibrating with resentment. “I had a split-second decision to make. I could let her kill me and save your life. Or I could kill her and guarantee your death.”
Talk about impossible choices. My chest hurts for him.
“I went with the third option.” He strokes a thumb across my knuckles, his eyes dark and murky. “I initiated a struggle that made it look like I was trying to get away. As intended, it put enough space between us to force a gun fight. I had the obscurity of nightfall on my side, and there was a bridge with a sizable river beneath.” He looks at me expectantly.
“You jumped?”
“I let her back me onto the edge of the bridge, knowing she’d shoot me like the soldier she was. Face to face. In the chest.”
My heart stops, and my gaze darts to the front of his shirt.
“Bullet-resistant protective clothing. High-tech stuff.” He presses a hand against his sternum. “The bullet broke the skin. Fractured a couple ribs. Left a godawful mark for months. But it didn’t enter my body.”
Holy shit. My breath leaves me, taking my voice with it.
“I hit the water.” The cords in his neck go taut. “Then I swam up river, contacted my handler, and set the ball into motion.”
“Cole Hartman had to die.” As I echo the words he said the morning he returned, everything clicks into place. “You wanted her to think you were dead. But what about everyone else? The unit you’re in? Your employers? Did they know?”
“No one knew I was alive except my handler. Since the threat was internal, even my classified records showed I was deceased. I know she was watching the agency and Trace. And you.” His face falls. “She watched you grieve.”
“You did the smartest thing you could’ve done.” Trace tilts his head, eyes on Cole. “I’m not saying that because I benefited from your absence. Your actions ensured she left Danni alone.”
“That’s why you made me believe you were dead.” My voice drops with understanding. “That’s why you didn’t come back.” I stare at Cole’s hand on my lap, aching to wrap my arms around him. “Trace said guys in your position don’t marry or have attachments. I get it now. I was a weakness.” Nausea rises, and I force my gaze to Cole. “I cost you the mission.”
“You didn’t cost me anything.” He tightens his fingers around mine. “But the leverage she had over me cost me time. I couldn’t come home until she was dead or in custody. It took me years to catch her again.”
“How did you find her?”
“I can’t say, Danni. I’ve already told you too much.”
“He has an unparalleled skill set.” Trace glances at Cole with something akin to pride in his voice. “That’s all you need to know.”