Page 118 of Ghost

She nodded.Swallowing a sip of her coffee in hopes it’d give her strength, she dialed the phone number next to her mom’s name.She glanced at the clock.It’d be after 9:00p.m.in Moscow, but surely she’d still be awake.

The line rang once, twice...

Oh god.What if this was all a big mistake?What if—

“Hello?”a woman said, in Russian.

“Mama?”Mila breathed, the word coming out strangled and desperate.

Silence stretched.

A sharp intake of breath followed.

“Mila?!”A stream of words rushed through the phone as her mom cried hysterically and then screamed her father’s name.He got on the line.

Tears ran down Mila’s cheeks.“Yes, Mama and Papa, it’s me,” she said, in her native language.

Ghost grasped her fingers on her lap, and his other arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder.

“Where are you?”her father demanded, through tears.

“I’m in Seattle.”She briefly explained to them what’d happened without going into details about what Irinia had trained her to do.That was something to share on another day.For now, she wanted their reunion to be untainted.

They talked for a long time.Her parents told her that Igor was married and had two young boys.They lived right around the corner from their family home.

“When can we see you?”her mother asked.

Mila looked at Ghost.“She wants to know how soon I can visit.”

Ghost covered the phone with his hand.“We can leave as soon as I find us flights.In the next couple of days.”

Her heart expanded, and she nodded eagerly.“Mama.We can be there this week if that’s good for you.”

Her parents dissolved in another fit of tears, and Mila joined in.Before she ended the call, Mila promised to let them know travel details as soon as possible.

By the time they’d finished breakfast, Ghost had booked flights for Monday morning.Just two days away.

“You gonna be okay traveling in the walking boot?”Ghost asked, gesturing at the damn foot accessory that’d been a part of her life for the last two weeks.

“It’ll suck, but like I said, I’m not going to waste any more time.”

“Good.By the way, I bought one-way tickets.We’ll need to come back in a few weeks to get your leg looked at again.Otherwise, we can stay as long as you want.”

She reached for his hands.“Thank you.For everything.”

Ghost kissed her fingers.“There’s nothing to thank me for.Just say you’ll stay.”

She raised her eyebrows.They’d already determined she’d move in temporarily while her injury healed, but they hadn’t discussed anything permanent.“You mean...for good?”

“Mila, I’ve never loved a woman before.Not fucking once.There’s no guesswork, here.All I need to know is if I’m moving too fast.”

She shook her head adamantly.“No.”

He froze, his face darkening.“No, I’m not moving too fast or no, you don’t want to stay?”

She laughed.“No, you’re not moving too fast.Yes, I want to stay.”

He leaned down and kissed her.“Perfect.’Cause I’d hate to have to tie you up again.”

She snorted.“Don’t get me excited.”

Ghost laughed, then cleaned up the table.As Mila watched him putter around the kitchen, her heart grew four sizes bigger.

All the dreams she’d thought impossible had come true.A loving man, her freedom, and now a reunion with her family.

All because one target had stopped her from killing him and stolen her heart.