Page 16 of Code Name: Tank (K19 Sentinel Cyber #4)

DRAGON

W hy in the hell hadn’t I waited inside for Tank to arrive?

Why hadn’t I done as much as look out the window when I heard the footsteps of someone approaching?

Instead, I’d rushed to open the door, not even putting on the jacket I’d grabbed.

And instead of the man who’d kissed me in a way no other ever had, I came face-to-face with Flint.

“What are you doing here?” I snapped.

“I thought we could talk.” He glanced at the jacket over my arm. “Do you want to take a walk?”

“No. Jesus, Flint, I made it clear earlier that I had no interest in hearing anything you have to say outside of what’s necessary to solve this case.”

“There are things I need to tell you. Things I can’t keep from you any longer.”

I shook my head. “Whatever it is, I stopped caring a long time ago.”

“There’s a lot more going on than you know. You’re in danger, Piper. The longer I wait to confide in you, the more your life is at risk.”

“Whatever game you’re playing now won’t work.”

“You and I had something special. We could again.”

I laughed out loud. “You can’t be serious.”

Flint’s eyes bored into mine. “I never stopped loving you.”

Before I could respond, he took a step forward and, at the same time, grasped the back of my neck and brought his mouth to mine.

His kiss was familiar, almost comfortable, but it felt wrong. I put both hands on his chest and turned my head. “Don’t.”

He dropped his hand to my shoulder. “Tell me you don’t miss that. Miss me.”

I eased my body away from his and put distance between us. “It isn’t that simple?—”

“It can be.” When he stepped closer again, I held my arm out to stop him.

“Go away, Flint. And I don’t mean now. I mean forever. Leave the compound. Return to your life, and leave me to mine.”

I sounded sad, but not for the reasons he likely thought.

Regret was what I felt. Time wasted caring about a man who’d never cared for me the same way.

I’d spent months wishing I could rewind the clock to the days before he disappeared and have things be right between us again.

But they never had been. I saw that now.

It was as though a bright light of truth and clarity shone on every conversation, every touch, every look that had passed between us.

“I can’t, Piper.” For the first time since Flint reappeared in my life, he seemed sincere.

“If you don’t leave, I will.”

His eyes flared. “You don’t mean that.”

“It isn’t what I want. This is my life you’re violating. The one I pieced together after you ripped the previous one to shreds. If you can’t focus only on the mission and leave me alone otherwise, I’ll have no choice.”

Flint nodded, but his gaze didn’t waver. “I want you back, Piper, and eventually, I’ll prove to you that what I did was for?—”

“Everything all right here?” Tank’s voice cut through the darkness.

I turned to see him step out of the shadows, his broad silhouette unmistakable in the moonlight. He moved with the quiet confidence of someone who’d assessed the situation in seconds and was ready to act accordingly.

“Just old friends catching up,” Flint replied, trying to sound casual, but his body language gave away his tension.

Tank’s eyes never left Flint as he spoke. “Dragon, you ready for that walk we discussed?”

Relief flooded through me. He’d heard enough to understand what was happening, but his focus was on me, not on confronting Flint. “Yes, I am.”

“Then, let’s go.” Tank stepped closer, close enough for me to see his controlled fury, though his voice remained even. “Pierce, I believe you were just leaving.”

It wasn’t a question.

Flint’s jaw tightened, but after a moment, he stepped aside. “This conversation isn’t over, Piper.”

“Yes, it is,” I said firmly. “And it’s Dragon. Use my code name.”

I stood in place for a moment after he turned and disappeared down the path toward Hemlock Grove.

“You okay?” Tank asked.

I clasped my hands together to stop them from shaking. “Better now.” I looked at the canvas bag he carried. “Did you still want to…?”

“More than ever.” His smile was genuine, warm enough to chase away the chill Flint had left behind. “The canoe’s down by the water. Ready?”

I slipped my jacket on and followed Tank toward the lake.

The unseasonably warm November evening—officially called Indian Summer since it was in the latter half of the month—felt like a gift that wouldn’t last much longer.

The moonlight filtering through the pine trees provided enough light for me to navigate and match Tank’s easy stride.

“You sure about this?” I asked as we approached the water’s edge where a sleek canoe waited, pulled up on the small beach. “It’s pretty dark out there.”

“The moon’s bright enough, and I know these waters.” Tank held his hand out to help me climb in. “Besides, this weather won’t hold much longer. Might be our last chance for a while. Trust me?”

The question carried weight beyond taking a boat out onto a dark lake. After everything that had happened with Flint, after Tank’s kiss this afternoon, after the investigation bringing chaos to my ordered world—he was asking if I trusted him.

“Yes,” I said, taking his hand.

The canoe glided smoothly across Canada Lake’s calm surface. Tank paddled behind me, steering us toward the small island that had looked so distant from the shore. The only sounds were the canoe cutting through the water and the gentle lapping of waves against the hull.

“How often do you come out here?” I asked in a soft voice, not wanting to break the peaceful atmosphere.

“When I need to think or when the compound gets too crowded.”

I understood the feeling. Living and working in close quarters with the same people could be overwhelming, even when you liked them.

As we approached Nick Stoner Island, I could see it was indeed small—maybe fifty feet across—but it had a natural clearing among the pine trees that would provide perfect shelter for a fire.

Tank beached the canoe as if he’d done it hundreds of times, then helped me out onto the rocky shore. “Watch your step,” he said, his hand steadying me as we made our way up the slope to the clearing.

Within minutes, he’d built a small fire using the supplies from his bag. The flames cast dancing shadows on the surrounding trees and reflected off the water beyond. It was magical, intimate in a way that made my heart race.

“This is beautiful,” I said as we settled on the blanket he’d brought, the fire crackling between us as we leaned against a fallen log and stared up at the star-filled sky above.

“I thought you might like it,” he said, pulling out a bag of marshmallows. He handed me a long stick he’d whittled to a point. “Fair warning—I take my s’mores seriously.”

I laughed, and it felt so good after the tension-filled past hour. “Good to know. Are there rules I should be aware of?”

“Golden brown, not charred. Patience is key.” Tank’s grin was boyish, showing me a side of him I’d never seen. “Though I have backup marshmallows if you’re a burner.”

“I’ll have you know I’m an excellent marshmallow roaster,” I said, spearing one and holding it over the coals.

For a while, we focused on the pleasure of making s’mores, the conversation easy and natural. Tank had brought chocolate bars and graham crackers to create perfect little sandwiches that were messy and delicious.

“Thank you,” I said when we’d finished eating and the fire had dwindled into glowing embers. “For tonight, for intervening with Flint, for just being here.”

Tank’s brow furrowed. “I told you I’m not him, Piper. I meant it.”

“I’m beginning to understand that.” I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. “Flint and I—what we had wasn’t healthy. I can see that now, but at the time, I thought it was love.”

“What changed?”

“A lot. Three years on my own.” I looked up at him.

“And I know you’re fully aware of what I mean by that.

I isolated myself to the point where I became a recluse outside of work.

” My cheeks felt warm, but I had to keep going.

“Then you came along.” I took a deep breath, willing myself to continue honestly.

“How you treat me, how you respect my boundaries while still making it clear you care. Flint never did that. He was charming, but he was also controlling. He made decisions for me, about me, without asking what I wanted.”

Tank was quiet for a moment, staring into the dying fire. “In Prague, when things went wrong—what happened?”

I’d been expecting this question, dreading it, but sitting here, in the peaceful darkness, with him beside me, it felt safe to tell the truth.

“Our op went south, and Internal Affairs launched an investigation.” I gave him a rueful smile. “Someone had leaked information that resulted in us losing an asset.”

Tank’s jaw tightened. “They suspected you of wrongdoing?”

“They suspected Flint too. But long before the inquiry launched, he disappeared. He was just gone. I woke up and found a note saying he was entering witness protection and that it was better this way.” I swallowed hard, remembering the devastation of that morning.

“I had to face the probe alone. Defend not just my actions, but his too, without knowing where he was or what he’d told his handlers. ”

“Jesus.” Tank’s voice was rough with anger. “He abandoned you.”

“The worst part was that I kept making excuses for him, kept believing he’d done it to protect me. It took me months to accept that he’d chosen saving himself over standing by me.”

“That’s not love. That’s not even a partnership.”

“No, it’s not.” I gazed up at him, this man who’d proven in just a few days that he was everything Flint had pretended to be. “Tank, what’s happening between us?—”

“Scares the hell out of you,” he finished.

I nodded. “But not in the way you might think. It scares me because I want it. Because I’m starting to trust you in ways I swore I never would again. And honestly, it feels too soon, but I guess it really isn’t.”