Free Danger Close by Kaylea Cross Page A

should have thought of that. “Oh. Sorry, I—”
    He waved her apology away. “Don’t worry about it. There’s plenty of other stuff in the fridge I can eat if I get hungry later.”
    She remembered the way he’d stopped and gazed around the grocery store when they’d first entered it. At first she’d been sure it was just his way of being vigilant, but then she’d realized he must be reacquainting himself with the overflowing cornucopia that was the American supermarket. He hadn’t seemed overwhelmed, more like he’d been seeing everything with fresh eyes. It was a reminder for her to be thankful for the little things, the everyday conveniences she and most people took for granted. This had to be a huge adjustment for him.
    Swallowing the last bite of pizza, she wiped her hands and face on the paper napkin and tilted her head. “So…how long were you undercover?”
    When he didn’t answer right away, instead lifting his mug for a sip of what had to be cold coffee by now, she thought he would ignore the question. But then he lowered his mug and responded. “Technically four years total.”
    Wow. A helluva long time to be cut off from everything and everyone. She chose her next question carefully before speaking. There were so many things she wanted to know, but she knew he either couldn’t or wouldn’t tell her most of them. She had to be careful not to be too pushy or he’d shut down, and that was the last thing she wanted. Considering they’d been forced into this situation together, he’d been nothing but considerate so far, and she found she enjoyed his company. He made her feel safe, and while they still had moments when they both felt awkward around each other, things were going pretty smoothly for the most part.
    “And while you were undercover, that’s when you met…you know,” she continued, aware she was risking going too far.
    A slight tension stiffened his shoulders, but he nodded. “Right.”
    She was dying to know more, could barely hold the questions back. “He captured my roommate, Maya, along with Jackson and the Sec Def.”
    Wade nodded and looked down at the coffee table. A thickening silence spread through the room and she knew she risked alienating him if she pressed any more. Her statement hung heavy in the air as the seconds ticked past.
    Just when she thought he’d get up and make some excuse to leave the room, he surprised her by sighing and running a hand through his longish hair. He raised his dark eyes to hers, stared for a moment as though he was trying to come to a decision. “You’re gonna find out anyway, so since you’re involved in all this because of me, I’d rather you hear it from me instead of somebody else.”
    Erin tucked her feet beneath her and folded her hands in her lap, aware of the way her stomach tightened at his warning tone. “Okay.”
    He folded his arms across his chest, the gesture and his expression resigned, almost defensive. “I worked with Rahim.”
    She felt her eyes go wide. “ With him?”
    He nodded, his face set. “Closely.”
    “How closely?”
    A long, tense pause. “I started out as his bodyguard and for the past two years served as his second-in-command.”
    Erin’s mouth fell open. She didn’t want to believe it. She stared at him, feeling as though she’d never seen him before as the implications slammed home. “But that means…that means you would have known about…”
    Another nod, this one tight, defiant. “I was there when Maya and the others were being held captive.”
    The pizza she’d just inhaled seemed to turn into a ball of concrete in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her middle and stared at him, heart thudding at the implications embedded in those words. “You were there?” she said hoarsely. “You saw what they did to her and you didn’t do anything?”
    He lowered his gaze. “Not initially.”
    So he’d stood back and watched her be tortured? Erin had seen the damage her friend had