Her crying turned to wrenching sobs. She tried to shake off Reid’s arms because she didn’t deserve his touch but he was more stubborn than her. And finally, she collapsed against him and let herself sink into the reality that was now hers. And she’d accept it.
“Your sister would still think you were going the honorable thing,” he told her as her sobs subsided to whimpers. “Sometimes, honor only works outside the boundaries of right and wrong. All that counts is that you have a morality you can live with.”
“Making my line in the sand.”
He nodded, looking sad himself.
“I never meant to make light of your losses,” she said. “Gunner mentioned your teammate.”
“Gray. We were captured together. Everyone was beaten. Tortured. Gray was killed. I got bitten by a snake our first day in captivity and I remained unconscious and untouched until I was rescued. Another miracle.”
“Did you ever think of it differently? That you’re meant to be here to help people? Because you’re so good at it.”
“I have to be. When I let my guard down, people die.”
“You can’t take this on yourself. That’s as bad as what I’m doing.”
“Guess we’re both doing the pot-kettle thing,” he said. “You know, when I confessed to you, I felt so much better.”
“I did too.”
“Then all we can do is look forward and keep moving.” He glanced into the other room, where Keegan and Gunner had their heads together. This was excellent news for Keegan and dangerous for the rest of the free world. “Gunner’s going to relocate Keegan, bury his old identity and teach him how to start over.”
Dylan could do it too, but Keegan insisted on someone the OA couldn’t try to retaliate against. And so, in a few days, Reid would never see Keegan again.
“He can really do that?”
“You mean you can’t?” Reid asked.
“I have a lot of help, and even then, it’s rarely perfect,” she admitted.
“Because there are too many people involved. Too many variables. With one person helping, it’s much more streamlined.”
“But you have to be willing to truly cut away everything. That’s the mistake most WITSEC witnesses make. You can’t keep a single tie up here.” She tapped the side of her head. “Do you know anyone who could do that?”
He looked over at Keegan. “You’d be surprised what people are capable of when they truly want freedom.”
“So you think he’ll make it.”
“I don’t have a doubt. And you can go the way of Keegan, but why? You don’t trust us?”
“Of course. It’s me I don’t trust. The entire time I’m with you—”
“Shut up, Grier. Just agree to let me help you.”
“And what will I do for you?”
“You’ve already done everything. You love me, even if you can’t say it.”
Grier smiled, her eyes wet with tears. “I do, Reid. I love you. You’re a good man. One of the best I’ve ever known and I’m pushing you away. Don’t give up on me.”
“Never have, Grier. You’re the one who keeps giving up. You’re doing exactly what you tell witnesses not to do. You’re not letting go of the past.”
“You’re part of my past,” she told him.
‘You’re wrong about that, Grier. I’m your goddamned future.”
She let go of the breath she’d been holding. “I’m finally ready.” She slid a hand into his. “Let’s talk about a plan.”
Chapter Thirteen
Grier and Reid had dinner alone in the kitchen and she needed to use Gunner’s home gym soon or she would be a thousand pounds. Now that she’d made the decision to stay with Reid, nothing else seemed that insurmountable.
Reid’s phone rang as the music from inside the shop turned on and he pointed to it and mouthed, “Gotta take this.”
She cleaned up and wandered into the main room. The shop was closed to outsiders, but Gunner was prepping to do a tattoo. Keegan was lying on his stomach on the tattoo table, his head turned to the side. There was a heavy beat to the rock music blaring from the speakers, loud enough to drown out any thoughts. She supposed that was the point.
She saw the OA tattoo—big and menacing and she realized that it would definitely need to go. There was no way to start over with the threat of being outted so easily with the careless discarding of a shirt on a hot summer’s day.
Gunner looked up from his equipment and gave her a nod.
“You’re going to do a cover for that entire back piece?” she asked now. Keegan appeared to be in some kind of trance and Gunner nodded.
“I’d normally do this over the space of weeks. But we’ve only got five days and he can muscle through the pain. It’s why I’m making an exception to the I-won’t-tattoo-drunk-people rule.”
Ah, that’s why Keegan looked so out of it. And once she’d seen the OA tattoo up close and personal, she understood what kind of project Gunner was about to take on. It was all black and very stark with heavy lines. It would take someone with exceptional skill to cover it and take away all traces of the man’s very dangerous past.
No one could ever know it was there. At this moment, Keegan’s life was in Gunner’s hands.
“Feel free to pull up a seat,” he told her.
She did, noting Gunner had prepared for what must’ve been hours, had pages of sketches that he spread along Gunner’s back. Finally, he took them all off except one that he transferred to the skin and, taking up the heavy tattoo gun, he bent his head and began to work.
Keegan didn’t even flinch and Grier couldn’t look away as Gunner’s skill began to cover the lowest portion of the tattoo. “One of the more sensitive areas—that’s why I’ll do it when he’s drunkest. By the time I get higher, he’ll be passed out.”
“How much are you doing today?”
“I’ll do half, if I can. Give him a day and a half off to rest before I
