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“I’m resigning from Unit 23,” I said as we stood in the kitchen, making espresso, shortly after the sun came up.
“Will Typhon accept your resignation?”
“I’ll give him no choice.”
We walked over to the bed together, my arm in his. I needed the cane less and less, but Henry insisted he be close enough that if I had to lean on him, I could.
As we looked out at the falling snow, I took a deep breath, willing myself to go ahead and say the words I’d wanted to for the last couple of days. “I’d like to go to Shere.”
We were sitting up, Henry’s back resting against the bed’s headboard with my back to his front. He took my empty cup from my hand and set it on the table beside him along with his. Then he wrapped his arms around me. “Tell me more.”
I bit my bottom lip. “I may not be able to be in the field, but I still think I can contribute to the coalition.”
“You can do whatever you set your mind to, Alena.”
“For now, it’s seeing if I can get my old job back.” I glanced over my shoulder at his confused expression.
“Your old job?”
“With the Swiss task force.”
He hugged me tighter. “We don’t have to return to Shere for that. It’s a job you never lost.”
“No? You’re sure my boss won’t mind?”
“As long as he—I—get to see you every day, I won’t care where we are.”
“There will still be ops, Zep.”
“Zep, eh? Is he back?”
“I have to get used to calling you that again. At least in front of the others.”
“You can call me Henry. Unless…”
“Unless, what?”
He turned me in his arms so we were facing each other. “If you’re about to insist we keep what’s between us a secret, I’m afraid that ship has sailed, as they say.”
“Even if everyone didn’t know already, I wouldn’t want it to be a secret.”
He smiled. “Why not?”
“Because every time Bexli kissed Cayman or Nem kissed Ares or Wren kissed Wilder—I could go on and on. It seems as though there are more couples than not at the command center now. Anyway, every time I saw someone kiss, I’d want to kiss you.”
“I like the sound of that very much.”
“Do you have to clear it with Nemesis?” I asked.
“Us kissing? I don’t think she’ll mind.”
I swatted at him. “You know I mean me returning.”
“My task force, my decision, but even if I did have to clear it with her, I know she’d be the first to welcome you home.”
“Home?”
“Work-home. I’m hoping you’ll want to make Wargrave our home-home. But if you don’t, if you’re not happy there, we’ll figure something else out.”