Page 97 of Code Name: Atticus

“Maybe they’d be interested in having a team in DC,” said Luke.

Atticus nodded. “It’s certainly possible.”

After Luke got out,Emma drove us back to my place. When we pulled up, she said she was heading home and would pick up her things later.

Once I’d thanked her for staying with me, feeding me, and insisting I showered, we hugged, then Atticus and I went inside.

“I love you,” he murmured against my hair after we stepped onto the elevator and he pulled me into his arms. “I never want to feel as far away from you as I did when you walked past me in that hotel corridor.”

“I love you too,” I said. “And I don’t, either. So what should we do about it?”

He leaned away far enough to look into my eyes. “I might have a few ideas.”

ATTICUS

Iwoke with Brenna curled against me, her breath warm on my chest and her hand resting over my heart. After everything we’d been through in the last few days, this simple moment of peace felt like a miracle.

“Morning,” she murmured without opening her eyes.

“Morning, beautiful.” I kissed the top of her head, breathing in the vanilla scent of her shampoo. “Hungry?”

“Starving. We barely ate yesterday.”

“French toast?” I offered. “I promise not to burn down your kitchen. Scout’s honor.”

Her eyes opened, that brilliant blue that still made my chest tight. “You were never a Boy Scout.”

“Academy grad. Close enough. We had badges and everything. I got one for not crying during survival training.”

She laughed, stretching against me. “Liar.”

“You’re right. I totally cried. But so did everyone else when they made us eat grubs. Luke actually threw up. Though he claims it was altitude sickness.”

“Luke threw up from grubs?” She propped herself up on one elbow. “He never told me that story.”

“Might be best if you don’t tell him I told you that.”

Her eyes tightened the same way mine did, knowing the road to Luke’s forgiveness might be a long one.

We made it to her kitchen, moving around each other with easy familiarity. Her apartment was smaller than the Sausalito safe house—no ocean views or a six-million-dollar price tag—but it felt more like home.

While I whisked eggs and milk for the French toast, Brenna made tea for her and coffee for me.

“We have the team debrief in an hour,” she said, checking her phone. “Admiral says he has several things he thinks we should cover.”

“At least it’s good news this time.” I dipped thick slices of brioche into the egg mixture, making sure each piece was thoroughly coated. “No one’s getting arrested who doesn’t deserve it.”

“That’s a low bar.”

“But an important one.”

She moved behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “You saved my brother, and eventually, he’ll acknowledge it.”

I prayed so. Until he did, my relationship with Brenna would remain in a holding pattern. We’d be together, but without his forgiveness, I couldn’t take the steps I wanted to, to make it more permanent.

We ateat her small dining table, our feet tangled beneath it. Then, at ten hundred sharp, we joined the K19 videoconference. Brenna had set up her laptop on the same table where we’d eaten, adjusting the angle so we were both in frame. The screen split into multiple windows—Admiral, Alice, and Dragon at headquarters in the Adirondacks. Behind them, there was a view of the lake. Kodiak and Tank were still in California, lookingexhausted but satisfied. Tex had patched in from his home office, and Emma joined from here, in DC.

“Good morning, everyone,” said Admiral. “Brenna, do you want to start this off?”