Page 19 of Devlin (Lighthouse Security Investigations Montana #4)

Mia sat at the long, worn wooden table, surrounded by the quiet hum of morning conversation.

The scent of strong Ugandan coffee mixed with the earthy aroma of fresh bread, but her appetite was nonexistent.

She lifted her cup, fingers wrapped around the warmth, but her mind was elsewhere as her gaze constantly flicked toward the entrance of the dining hall.

She wondered if Devlin had already had breakfast or would be coming in soon.

She exhaled sharply, inwardly chastising herself for the attention she was giving to a man she had walked away from.

Why should it matter? But she was nothing if not self-aware, and deep down, she recognized the truth.

A decade with Devlin wasn’t something she could continue to pretend had never existed.

No matter how much pain came at the end, she had loved him for too long to simply erase him.

She shook her head and scoffed quietly to herself. Years together, then years apart. Maybe we’re destined to have something different happen to us each decade.

“Are you okay?”

She jerked slightly, pulled from her thoughts. The three people at the table were watching her now, their expressions expectant. Damn. She had completely tuned them out and had no idea what they’d been discussing.

“Yes, I’m so sorry,” she said, forcing a small smile. “I slept poorly last night, so my brain is a little foggy.”

“Well, that explains the blank stare,” one of the women across from her teased before her expression shifted. Her eyes widened as she sat up straighter. “Holy shit. Who the hell is that trio?”

Mia didn’t have to turn around to know exactly who had just walked in.

A strange, familiar energy settled in her chest, prickling along her skin, and even though she told herself she wouldn’t, she gave in and turned. Devlin. Her gaze locked onto his immediately, as if pulled by an invisible tether, and just like yesterday, she found his eyes already pinned on her.

Unlike their first unexpected encounter, she felt no shock today. No jarring realization that he was suddenly here, in this world she had built without him. But the emotions coursing through her were impossible to name.

A rush of heat flooded her as last night’s dream came roaring back, so vivid it made her stomach tighten. Then there was the conversation. He had said he wanted to talk. About what?

Did he want to rehash the past? She wasn’t sure she could do that, not without reopening wounds she’d carefully stitched closed. Was he here to apologize? That thought stirred something bitter inside her. She didn’t need an apology—she needed to move forward.

But a darker, more vulnerable fear slithered through her mind. What if he wanted to tell her about her ? The woman he’d been with that night. Or worse—about all the women who had come after. Or maybe he was still with her.

She swallowed hard and forced herself to study him with a clinical eye.

He wasn’t the same man who had left her.

The sharp edge of testosterone-fueled arrogance that had defined him in his early SEAL years had softened.

He looked… deeper. More introspective. As if the years had forced him to stop running headfirst into every situation and actually think first.

She hadn’t realized how long she’d been holding his gaze until she suddenly jerked, breaking the moment. Devlin dipped his chin in acknowledgment, his lips curving into the hint of a smile.

For a second, she thought he would come over. But then Jonan leaned in, murmuring something to him, and just like that, Devlin turned.

Mia watched as he and the other Keepers moved toward a table where Alain and Dena were seated. Instead of relief that she wouldn’t have to talk to him just yet, disappointment crept in. Her eyes lingered on them as they quickly fell into deep conversation.

She had met Alain and Dena before. Karen had spoken highly of them. While Karen was the lead nurse at the camp’s main clinic, Alain oversaw the satellite clinics in the villages. He was Congolese, but beyond that, Mia knew very little about his past.

But Devlin was listening to him now, leaning forward with sharp focus, his expression unreadable. What does this have to do with the stolen food? She didn’t have time to ponder further.

“Are you coming?”

She startled again, her friend snapping her out of her reverie.

Dammit. Pushing her chair from the table, she quickly gathered her tray and returned it, her steps brisk.

She didn’t look back to sneak another glance toward Devlin.

Instead, she shoved her way out of the dining hall and into the sun-drenched lane, forcing her feet to move with purpose.

As she walked, she muttered, her frustration bubbling over. “I have a job to do, and it’s not spending my day staring at him.”

“Hey, wait up, Mia!”

She turned to see Robert jogging toward her.

She smiled at the sight of Ravi watching from the side and then breaking into a run to see who could reach her first. Holding her arms out wide, she waited for them to tag her hands.

Somehow, this had become a game between the two men.

The loser would buy the winner and Mia a dessert from one of the refugee families that baked and sold mandazi.

The sweet dessert was known as African donuts, a particular favorite of hers.

At the last second, Robert tagged her hand first, then turned and grabbed Mia around the waist, twirling her in a circle as he called out, “I won, I won!”

She laughed as he set her feet on the ground, then glanced over to see Devlin standing just outside the dining hall, his eagle-eyed glare pinned on her. Returning his glare with one of her own, she turned and walked with the two men toward the camp’s food distribution center.

Mia twisted her head to glance up at Ravi, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. "When will you be ready to start borehole drilling at Sweswe?"

"The equipment arrived yesterday, so we’re starting today," Ravi replied, his gaze shifting to Robert. "I’ll need you to coordinate the water trucking until we get the new source operational."

"Not a problem." Robert nodded. "I was already planning to review the trucking schedules today."

Mia crossed her arms. "Do we need to remind the camp that they should only use the trucked-in water for washing food? I’ll be making my rounds to Sweswe this afternoon and can make sure my food security team gets the word out."

"Good thinking," Ravi said. "Once they see us drilling and hit water, some people might assume it’s safe to use before it’s tested."

"Farid can coordinate with his team at each camp as a reminder. I’ll tell him to pay extra attention to Sweswe."

"Sounds good," Ravi said before pivoting toward the admin offices. As he walked away, he glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "I’ll bring the mandazi when I come back! And I’ll grab a few extra for tomorrow because I have a feeling I’ll lose again!

" His laughter echoed as he vanished into the distance.

Mia chuckled as Ravi disappeared into his office. Robert draped an arm over her shoulders, steering her toward the food storage center. He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "I have a feeling the big guy trailing us isn’t too happy about this."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Are you seriously trying to make someone jealous?"

"Is he jealous?"

She peered up at him. "What are you really getting at, Robert?"

Robert chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine, I’ll be blunt. Do you know him?"

Mia tapped her finger against her chin in mock thoughtfulness. "Why, yes! I was introduced to all three of them when they arrived at camp."

"Smart-ass," he muttered, grinning.

Then his expression softened, his gaze searching hers. "You know, no matter how close we were, a part of you always held back."

Mia’s heart gave a familiar twinge. "Oh, Robert, why bring this up now?"

He leaned in, his forehead almost touching hers. "Because I still care about you. We may not be together anymore, but that doesn’t mean I stopped looking out for you."

Her heart ached at his sincerity. "That’s one of the things I’ve always admired about you. We stopped dating, but we never stopped being friends."

"And what about the guy who looks like he wants to tear my liver out?"

A giggle slipped out, and she shook her head. "I knew him years ago—many years ago. We didn’t end well, but before that... we had a lot of history."

"History has a way of repeating itself."

Mia scoffed. "I never want that kind of heartache again. That’s probably why I’ve never been able to completely let it go."

Robert tilted his head. "I’m not talking about pain. I’m talking about the kind of emotion you must have shared for it to have hurt so much."

She pursed her lips. "You’re very wise. Also, a pain in my ass."

"Good," he said with a smirk. "Then I’d say my job for the day is done."

They were still laughing when they stepped into the storage center’s loading dock, where Farid and his assistant were already unloading another truck.

"If he’s got everything under control, let’s review the trucking schedules. I want to make my rounds this afternoon," Mia said.

"No time like the present," Robert agreed.

As he turned, Mia caught sight of Devlin approaching, his expression unreadable. His attention flicked over Robert dismissively before settling on her with a gentle smile. "Good morning, Mia."

"Good morning, Jim… um… Devlin." She inclined her head to acknowledge his companions. "Cole. Todd."

Devlin’s gaze never left hers. "What’s on your agenda for the day?"

"Robert and I are reviewing trucking schedules?—"

"Good. We need details on where the trucks come from, who owns them, where the drivers are from?—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Robert interrupted, hands raised. "That’s a hell of a lot of questions for someone who’s just here for security."

Devlin’s gaze turned sharp. Mia felt the tension thicken and quickly intervened. "They came in with Margarethe. They’re investigating shortages."

Robert’s expression darkened. "What shortages?"

"Some food doesn’t make it to the refugees," Devlin said evenly.

"I was asking her ," Robert bit out.

"And I’m telling you ," Devlin shot back.

"Oh, for the love of—" Mia threw up her hands. "Enough with the testosterone showdown! Robert, they’re trying to determine why food supplies aren’t reaching the people who need them.

" She sighed, thinking she had given up all hope of keeping her fears to herself.

By now, everyone would know she had called in someone to discover what was happening to the food.

Robert’s jaw tightened. "Are you saying there’s theft happening here?"

"We’re trying to find out," Mia said softly. "Something systematic is happening with the food. We’re stretched thin as it is, but I refuse to let people go hungry because someone’s profiting off what they steal."

Robert exhaled heavily. "Alright. I have nothing to hide. Logistics in a camp this size is chaotic—we contract out trucks and drivers to whoever we can. But we can’t oversee every single truck, every single person, every single day."

Devlin crossed his arms. "Someone’s stealing."

Robert muttered a curse. "Point taken. But theft happens everywhere. Medical supplies, toiletries, even toilet paper. You can’t track it all."

"We’re not blaming you, Robert," Mia said gently. "But we need to figure out where the leaks are."

He sighed. "When were you going to tell me?"

"Dr. München has just found out from Margarethe. We wanted to keep things close. We don’t know who’s involved."

Robert nodded slowly. "Fine. One of you can come with me to my office. I’ll show you how we coordinate a few hundred trucks in and out every day."

"I’ll go," Todd volunteered.

"I’m heading over to Farid to check on the process," Cole added before walking off.

As the others dispersed, Mia realized only she and Devlin remained. She turned to him, crossing her arms. "We have to work together. It’d be easier if you didn’t glare at me all the time."

"I don’t glare at you all the time."

"Only when I’m near another man, right?"

Devlin exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah, I guess so."

Mia arched a brow. "You know that's fucked, right? You, of everyone in the world, have no right to wonder who I might be knocking boots with."

"I know," he admitted, his voice low as his face contorted in a wince. "Believe me, I’ve reminded myself of that every day for ten years."

A bitter laugh escaped her. "And whose fault is that?"

"Mine. All mine." His jaw clenched. "And I’ve felt it every single day."

A heavy silence stretched between them.

"Are you dating Robert?" he asked at last.

Mia’s mouth opened in disbelief. "I can’t believe you’re asking me that."

"I just want to know."

She inhaled deeply, steadying herself. "No. I am not currently dating Robert. Or anyone else, for that matter."

Devlin nodded, but his gaze remained intense. "Have you dated him before?"

Exasperated, she nodded. "Yes. Several years ago. It lasted six months. I ended it. We stayed friends. There, are you satisfied?"

"Not even close." His voice was raw.

She bristled, but before she could snap back, he continued, "I have no one to blame but myself for pushing you away. I’d like to say I’m glad you found companionship, but the truth is, it hurts."

Mia’s anger faded slightly as she snorted. "I appreciate your honesty."

His gaze softened. "We need to talk."

She sighed, wanting to continue to deny him the chance.

But part of her was curious… what could he possibly say after all this time?

"Okay, this evening," she said, her body weary.

“I have a full day ahead of me and need to concentrate. I know you have work to do, too. But I’ll set time aside for you to finally unburden whatever the hell you think you need to tell me. "

Once again, he surprised her when he stepped close, reached down, and wrapped his fingers around hers just long enough to give a little squeeze. Then he stepped back and inclined his head. "Okay, let's check the food coming in and out."

As always, just like in the past, her heart clenched at just the touch of his fingers. As she walked toward the loading dock, she was acutely aware of the man following and of the past still lingering between them.