Chapters (22)
Mike’s memories of his childhood holidays were less idyllic. His mother had managed as best she could, but they were always struggling and lacking something, and they’d all had small jobs, even as kids, to try to help her. He talked about the two brothers he had lost, and how great they were. They’d died at eighteen and twenty in the Persian Gulf. “War is always so senseless,” he said, looking pensive as he stared into the fire. “I thought that when I was in Iraq, and in the military. It seems like I’ve always had a job where someone might be shooting at me.” He smiled at her. “I’m getting a little old for that. I’ll be fifty this year, and I’ve been lucky so far.”
“Do you worry about getting hurt with the work you do?” she asked him, and he shook his head without hesitating.
“No, it goes with the territory. I’m not crazy. I wear a bulletproof vest most of the time, if I think I’ll be in danger.” He had never told her that before, and she looked surprised. It was a reminder that the job he did was dangerous, even at his level. She understood that better now after the damage she’d seen so recently. But there had to be people like him, to protect people like her. Like the marksman who had shot the kidnappers. She knew Mike would do the same for her. He had been wearing his guns since he arrived.
“Shouldn’t you always wear it?” she asked, worried.
“I’m not on the front lines often anymore, and they’re hot and uncomfortable. I know when I need it and when I don’t,” he said confidently. And she hoped he was right.
The embers were dying in the fireplace when they went to bed. The snow was falling outside, and looked like lace on the streetlamps, and a white velvet carpet on the streets. There were no footprints in it yet. There were no cars moving outside. The city looked peaceful blanketed in white and sound asleep.
They were both tired and relaxed, but couldn’t resist making love again. She felt so small and safe in his arms and he looked down at her for a moment with love in his eyes.
“I’ll never let anything happen to you, Theo,” he whispered, and she knew he wouldn’t, as she gave herself up to him completely and felt like the luckiest woman in the world. And she firmly believed that no harm could come to her with Mike at her side.