“There was no way you could have known what she was up to,” I said. “I didn’t. No one did.”
The door opened and more athletes rolled in, including Gage. He waved and yelled to us as someone turned the music up. My arm throbbed. Time for more pain meds.
“Hey, where’s your medal?” I asked.
Glancing around as if embarrassed, she pulled it from where it hung under her shirt and handed it to me. I touched the gleaming gold. The Alps were engraved on the front, and the Olympic rings and torch were on the back. In an arc around the edge, it said Laax Olympic Winter Games, followed by Veena’s name, event, and the year.
“No way I’m letting you hide this. You worked too hard for it.” I put it back over her head and let it rest on top of her shirt, and with a shy smile, she left it. “You did it, Veena, all of it. Congratulations.”
“I wouldn’t have made it without you.” Tears crept up in her eyes. “I got this,” she touched the medal, “and all you got was a gunshot wound.” She swallowed and put her arms around me. “I love you, Akka.”
I hugged her back, but when she pulled away, I threw her a questioning look.
“It means big sister.”
My throat tightened with emotion. I’d miss this girl. “Can I get a selfie with you, Olympic champ?”
We stood by the window with the mountain lit up behind us and together held her medal while I snapped a shot.
“I can’t wait to hear where you’ll go next!” Veena said. “You have to stay in touch.” She glanced over my shoulder. “Oh! Connor just walked in. Hey, for what it’s worth, I still think he’s a good guy. Maybe one worth giving a second chance?”
“Maybe,” I said.
“VV!” Anders called in his cute Norwegian accent and waved her over.
She wiped under her eyes. “Did my mascara run?”
“You look great. But hey, go easy tonight, okay?” I gestured to her beer. Hey, you can take the CPO out of the job, but you can’t take the job out of the CPO.
She promised she would and waded around bodies to Anders. He planted a huge kiss on her mouth, and Veena grabbed his shoulders, kissing him harder.
I made my way over to Connor, who stood near the door. He lifted his chin at the couple. “Looks like Veena got everything she wanted today.”
“She deserves it.”
“Can I get you another drink?” he asked.
I thought about saying yes, staying and talking to Connor, but wasn’t in the mood to party. I still felt resentful toward pretty much everyone except Veena. “Thanks, but I’m heading out.”
He looked worried. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” The uncertainty on his face told me my cool tone had hit home, even while his brown eyes melted the ice packed around my heart a little.
“When do you go back to the U.S.?” he asked.
Brown had emailed the team’s itinerary. “The day after tomorrow.”
He touched my cheek with his palm, and his thumb slid over my skin. “Nic, I’d really like to see you again. I want to get to know you—for real this time.”
“I always was real, Connor.” I stepped around him and walked out the door.
“Hey, Xene.” I answered my ringing phone while pushing out of a side door of the building and into the frosty night air. I headed toward the ski hill, away from the bass thump of music and shouts of laughter coming from the Village. I could still feel Connor’s touch on my face.
“Nicole, congratulations.”
“Thanks. But I don’t feel like I deserve it. I almost lost my principal.”
“But you didn’t lose her. She survived, unharmed. And from what Brown told me, you were willing to risk your life to make sure she did.”
I closed my eyes, remembering the bullet slamming into my arm again, and sunk onto the end of a bench facing the hill.
“It was close. Too close.” I stared up at the shadowy shapes of the clouds overhead. “Did you know about the second team assigned to protect her?”
“No.” Her voice hardened. “When I was a team leader, I would never have done such a thing without telling you. Brown said he thought it was in the best interest of your principal to hide Connor’s identity as an extra layer of security. And he worried it would make you even more sensitive about your inexperience. I told him I disapproved.”
“Thanks, Xene.” I was extra relieved to know my mentor had been in the dark, too.
“Your first assignment is complete. How do you feel?”
Honestly, my arm ached, and I felt a little feverish. But I knew that wasn’t what she meant.
“Amazing. Thank you for giving me this chance, Xene.” Despite everything that went wrong, despite being shot, I knew I’d found my calling.
“Are you ready for another assignment once you’re healed?”
I smiled. “Absolutely.”
Epilogue
My goggles fogged in the dark. I’d run hard through the arena at Juno, trying to stay ahead of this last assailant. I’d been chasing him, but now, my back to the wall, I waited for him to come to me.
Silently, I scratched the back of my arm against the rough concrete. The bullet wound had healed, but the scar still itched.
I’d been home for the last two months, recuperating and doing physical therapy. Mom took good care of me, stuffing me with pasta and BLTPs while I worked hard to get my strength back. Mom seemed so relieved that I’d survived my first assignment, even if I was shot, that I’d decided to push her a little.
I’d asked her to see a therapist with me, something she hadn’t had the energy to do since Gram died, and she agreed. We talked about losing Gram and losing Dad. We shared memories, which we hadn’t done before. I’d
