Page 162 of Girl Between (Dana Gray FBI Mystery Thriller #5)

“Hey, that’s not fair! Your legs are longer than mine!” Dana shouted after Jake as he bounded up the last set of stairs, taking two at a time.

He grinned down at her from the tenth-floor landing. “Face it, I’m just better than you.”

Dana reached the landing and put her hands on her hips as she tried to catch her breath. “That’s something we’ll never agree on.”

Secretly, she loved that Jake never let her win. Well, except in the bedroom, and from the seductive grin on his face, that’s where they were heading next.

Dana let him haul her over his shoulder and carry her the rest of the way into their new apartment. She pretended to struggle as she always did.

Things between them had always been hard won, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Not when it made each victory that much sweeter.

Trading salty kisses, they stripped each other bare.

Jake pulled her toward their bed. But Dana shook her head.

She had other ideas, angling them toward the bathroom.

In minutes, they were under the hot water, surrounded by luxurious steam in their massive shower.

The stainless-steel tower system with dual rainfall, massage, and steam functions was the sole reason Dana had agreed to move into the apartment.

Well, not the sole reason.

She grinned at Jake, taking in his gloriously lathered form. Sometimes she still needed to pinch herself. The past three months had felt like a dream. One she hoped she’d never wake from.

Jake pulled her into his arms, beginning to lather her in all the right places. He paused, like he always did, to press a gentle kiss to the large X that scarred her stomach, just below her left ribs. A reminder of what they’d survived.

“What’s next?” he asked after he’d kissed a path back to her lips.

“Bedroom,” she said breathlessly.

He chuckled, warmly against her neck. “I was thinking beyond that.”

“Hmm?” She murmured, still a bit dazed by his touch.

“Our 90 days are up. We have to make a decision about the lease.”

“Oh.” Dana looked longingly at the state-of-the-art shower system.

“I like it here,” Jake admitted. “But I was thinking of maybe finding a place I can run the business out of.”

It’d been three months since he’d left the FBI.

Dana was on extended medical leave from the Smithsonian.

They’d hit the proverbial pause button when it came to their careers, but things were good.

Better than good, which made what Dana had to say even harder.

She didn’t want to rock the boat, but the Smithsonian needed an answer.

“I was thinking maybe we should take a trip,” she suggested.

Jake’s lips quirked up. “Yeah? Where to?”

“Well, I was thinking it might be time for me to meet your brother.”

“You want to go to Paris?” That caught him off guard, but he continued to grin. “Asking to meet the family … Dana Gray, are you planning to make an honest man out of me?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” she replied.

Jake stilled, his gaze going deadly calm. His mixture of fear and joy was almost comical, but she quickly put him out of his misery. “Calm down, big guy. I’m not proposing. Besides, my motives aren’t purely personal.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Smithsonian won a bid to host the Paris Catacombs exhibit next year. They need to send a curator to meet with the Musée Carnavalet. It’ll involve some research, but mostly it’s just to supervise the transportation of the exhibit back to D.C.”

“And you volunteered?”

“No, they approached me. Multiple times. I’ve held them off as long as I can, but they need an answer.”

“Are you going?”

“Are we going?” she corrected. “It’s together or not at all,” she said reassuringly as she smoothed her thumb along his frown.

The storm brewing in Jake’s gorgeous blue eyes parted at her words. He pulled her into a fierce embrace, kissing her hard. When they came up for air, he looked satisfied. “I guess a free trip to Paris wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

Later, after they’d properly celebrated their Paris plans with an athletic romp in the sheets, which had temporarily sated their desires, Jake pulled Dana to him. Stroking a hand through her hair, he tugged her closer, tucking her against his side.

She loved the feeling of being so close to him. She’d never shared this much of herself with anyone before. Yet somehow, with Jake, it just felt right.

Jake’s fingertips brushed lightly across her arm, leaving a trail of tingling warmth. “You know, I never imagined we’d be planning a trip like this together,” he murmured against her temple .

Dana chuckled softly. “Life has a funny way of surprising us, doesn’t it?” She shifted to look at him, her expression turning serious.

“Speaking of surprises,” Jake said. “I don’t want to push my luck here, but what made you change your mind?”

“About what?”

“Me? Paris? Claire? All of it?”

Dana paused, her eyes searching Jake's for a moment before she spoke. "That’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

Jake’s brow furrowed slightly. “What is it?”

She took a deep breath, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest. “Remember when we were in New Orleans?”

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Hard to forget.”

Dana hesitated, gathering her thoughts. “I found the note you wrote me while you were there.”

Jake’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you?—”

“When we were unpacking,” she explained. “It was tucked away in one of your jacket pockets, and I’ve been holding onto it ever since.”

Jake’s expression shifted to one of curiosity. “And?” he prompted gently.

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his. “Reading that letter made me realize how much we've been avoiding. We've been stuck in this limbo, holding onto pieces of our past, afraid to let go. But if we're ever going to move forward, we need to face it all. Together.”

Jake nodded, his expression softening. "I know," he said gently. "That’s why I’ve left the FBI behind. I want to build a life that belongs to us so we can finally find some peace."

Dana sat up and reached into her nightstand drawer to retrieve the note. She unfolded it carefully, her fingers trembling slightly. "This note, Jake. It reminded me of what really matters.”

She began to read his words aloud, her voice trembling slightly.

"You are not alone. You are not someone I can let go or leave behind. You are beneath my skin, inside my heart, between my breath, entwined in my soul. When we’re apart, I can’t be whole.

I don’t know how to say these words to you, but I know when I hold you, you feel it, too. ”

Dana looked up at Jake, tears of joy flooding her eyes.

“Your words … They sum up how I’ve felt every day of my life since I lost my family.

Alone. Left behind. Until I met you …” Dana set the note down between them.

“I never want to be the reason someone feels that way, especially someone I love. And that’s the one thing that’s abundantly clear to me now. I love you, Jake.”

His eyes closed and Dana wondered if she’d gone too far.

When he opened them, his voice was tight, uncertain. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say those words.”

“I don’t use them lightly.”

Jake sighed, his eyes softening as he reached out to touch her cheek. "Dana, I’ve been waiting to hear you say that, maybe since the day we met.”

She leaned into his embrace, kissing him through tears until it was hard to breathe.

Touching the paper again, she spoke. “This note, it reminded me of all the times we've tried to forget, the moments we've pushed aside. But these memories, they’re a part of us, too. We can't keep running from them."

“I’ve been thinking the same thing. Holding onto the past has only been holding us back."

Dana nodded, her eyes glistening. "I want to face it all with you, Jake. The good and the bad. We owe it to ourselves."

He pulled her closer, his lips brushing her forehead. "Then let's do it. Let's face everything together."

She smiled through her tears, a sense of relief washing over her. "Yes, together." She looked up at him, one last hurdle looming in her mind. “Us. Our future. And we can't have one if we're still haunted by Claire."

Jake took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering. "You're right. It's time to put this behind us. It’s time to make the call."

With a sense of determination, Dana picked up the phone and dialed. The conversation was brief but necessary, setting the wheels in motion for the confrontation they both knew they needed.

The next few days passed in a blur of preparation and reflection. They talked late into the night, revisiting memories, both painful and joyful, and reaffirming their commitment to each other. By the time they were ready to leave for Paris, a newfound sense of resolve had settled over Dana.

The morning of their departure, she and Jake stood in their living room, bags packed and passports in hand. "Let's do this," Dana said, her voice filled with a mix of apprehension and determination.

"Together," Jake replied, squeezing her hand.

They left their temporary home for the last time, ready to face the ghosts of their past and embrace the possibilities of their future.

Jake had always known this day would come. They had discussed it countless times, the closure it would bring, and the weight it could potentially lift from their hearts.

Claire, the ghost of their past, was still casting shadows over their present. It was time to confront those shadows head-on.

The drive to the prison was silent, each lost in their thoughts, the memories of Claire haunting their minds. As they approached the looming gates of the penitentiary, Dana glanced at Jake, seeking strength in his presence. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, a small gesture of solidarity.

Dana had been right. Justice had been doled out without them needing to have front row seats. He was equally reluctant to revisit their past experiences, but he knew they needed to close this chapter if they ever wanted to start a new one.

As they passed through security, each step echoed their resolve. The sterile walls of the prison seemed to close in on them, amplifying their anxiety. Finally, they were led to a small, dimly lit room where they would face Claire. The door opened, and there she was, a shadow of her former self .

Claire's once-vibrant eyes were now hollow and empty. She sat motionless, her gaze fixed on some distant point, not even acknowledging their presence. The sight of her was a jarring reminder of the person she used to be and the choices that had led her here.

They took their seats, a wall of glass separating them— the free from the damned.

Dana spoke first, her voice steady, "Claire, we needed to see you one last time. To understand, to find closure."

Claire's gaze shifted slowly toward them, a bitter smile forming on her cracked lips. "You think you can just move on?" Her voice was raspy, filled with a mixture of hate and psychosis. "You think you can forget what happened?"

Jake leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. "We're not here to forget, Claire. We're here to forgive, to let go of the past."

Claire's laughter was a bitter, hollow sound. "Forgive? You think that will change anything? You'll never be free of me. As long as there's darkness in the world, I'll be there, waiting in the shadows to find you."

Dana surged to her feet with determination. She leaned close to the glass so there would be no mistaking her words. "Maybe so, Claire. But we don’t let darkness define us anymore. We won't let it control our lives."

Claire's expression twisted into one of disdain, but she said nothing. The silence hung heavy in the room, punctuated only by the muffled sounds of the prison beyond the glass.

Dana reached for Jake's hand, her grip firm. "Goodbye, Claire," Jake said softly. "We hope you find peace someday, even if it's just a small measure of it."

With those final words, Jake stood up, his resolve unshaken. They turned away from the glass, walking back through the labyrinthine halls of the prison, leaving Claire and the darkness behind.

The visit ended on a somber note, but as Jake and Dana walked back to the car, he felt a strange sense of relief. They had faced their past and were now ready to move forward.

They sat in Jake’s car in silence for a moment, the weight of the visit still heavy on their minds. Dana glanced at their go-bags in the rearview mirror, a symbol of their new beginning.

“You ready?” Jake asked.

Dana nodded, taking his hand. This time she wasn’t running away; she was running toward the life she wanted—and she wasn’t alone.