Page 44 of Secret Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #5)

Less than six hours later, the storm dissipated, dissolving as quickly as it had roared in.

The tropical sun beat down on the resort's devastated grounds, making everything steamy and surreal. Cassidy stood among the ruins of what had been paradise just days ago, watching emergency personnel swarm over the scene.

The Orchid Isle Resort looked like a giant had used it as a playground.

Palm trees lay scattered like pickup sticks, their massive trunks snapped or uprooted entirely.

What had been manicured gardens were now tangles of vegetation and debris.

The infinity pool she'd admired just days ago was filled with murky water, deck chairs, and what appeared to be half of the poolside bar's thatched roof.

Above it all, the sky performed a magnificent show—massive white clouds breaking apart against brilliant blue, their edges gilt with golden sunlight. The contrast was almost painful to look at, as if the heavens themselves were declaring the storm's end with theatrical flourish.

The resort's main courtyard had been transformed into a makeshift command center.

Emergency vehicles clustered wherever fallen trees allowed access.

Authorities in various uniforms processed Vega's captured operatives, who were being led to waiting transport in zip-ties and defeat.

She caught fragments of conversation as she passed:

"—willing to testify about the trafficking routes through Myanmar?—"

"—full immunity in exchange for financial records?—"

"—murders in Prague, Hong Kong, Miami?—"

They were falling over themselves to make deals. Vega’s empire wasn't just crumbling; it was imploding with spectacular efficiency.

Sophia materialized at her side, tablet somehow still functional despite everything they'd been through.

"Right, I've got good news," she said quietly, her accent more pronounced with exhaustion.

"The deepfake videos have been traced to their source and discredited.

Three major news outlets are preparing stories about how you were targeted for refusing to participate in Vega's schemes.

No way any of his former crowd can come at you or Haven House again. "

Relief flooded through Cassidy so suddenly her knees felt weak. The children depending on her foundation would continue receiving care. Her reputation—that carefully built professional standing that enabled her charitable work—would survive.

"There's more," Sophia continued, her voice gentler. "Emma Van Der Merwe has agreed to stay in protective custody until we’re certain no one in Vega’s organization comes after her, and.

.." Sophia paused, choosing her words carefully.

"She's been told her father died a hero, trying to stop Vega's operation. "

A small mercy in an ocean of tragedy. Cassidy closed her eyes briefly, offering a silent prayer for a girl who'd lost her father to evil men's ambitions.

A familiar laugh carried across the courtyard—Spencer, somehow still finding joy despite everything.

He was helping distribute water bottles to exhausted emergency workers, chattering away about cryptocurrency and storm preparedness with equal enthusiasm.

The trust fund kid who'd surprised them all with hidden depths of courage.

"He's already talking about funding disaster relief programs," Sophia observed, following Cassidy's gaze. "Apparently near-death experiences inspire philanthropy."

"Near-death experiences inspire a lot of things," Cassidy murmured, her thoughts inevitably turning to Kenji.

She'd missed his evacuation, been stuck giving her statement while he was loaded up and flown away.

The distance felt wrong after everything they'd shared.

"Come on," Sophia said gently, touching her elbow. "Let's make ourselves useful. I heard the resort staff needs help organizing relief supplies. Better than standing around like stunned mullets."

They threw themselves into the work, sorting medical supplies and water bottles, helping document what was needed. But Cassidy's mind kept drifting—to Kenji's injuries, to their too-brief goodbye, to all the things left unsaid between them.

Would that bond they’d created during the chaos hold? Or would it be like the storm… intense and frightful and beautiful and then…poof.

Working beside her, Sophia was uncharacteristically quiet. The revelation of her Interpol identity hung between them like a wall, their easy friendship replaced by careful politeness.

Finally, as they sorted blankets in companionable silence, Cassidy couldn't stand it anymore.

"Were we ever really friends?" she asked quietly. "Or was every conversation just... intelligence gathering?"

Sophia's hands stilled on the blanket she was folding. For a long moment, she didn't answer. When she finally looked up, Cassidy was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

"The first week was the job," Sophia admitted, her accent thickening with emotion.

"I had a role to play, information to gather.

But Cass..." She took a shaky breath. "Everything after that was real.

Every late night preparing for tournaments, every shared meal, every time you trusted me with Haven House's work—that was just me.

Not the agent. Just Sophia, who couldn't believe someone like you actually existed. "

"Someone like me?"

"Someone genuinely good." Sophia's laugh was watery.

"Do you know how rare that is in my line of work?

I've spent years infiltrating criminal organizations, pretending to befriend absolute drongos and criminals.

Then I meet you—someone who uses poker winnings to save children, who treats everyone with kindness, who made me remember why I became a cop in the first place. "

She studied her friend—former friend?—seeing the pain beneath the professional mask. "But you still lied to me."

"Every day," Sophia agreed miserably. "And it killed me. Especially when you started trusting me with personal things. When you told me about David, about feeling like you weren't relationship material—I wanted so badly to be the friend you needed, not the agent I had to be."

They folded blankets in silence for a moment, the weight of broken trust heavy between them.

"I'm going to miss you," Sophia said finally. "I know I have no right to ask, but I hope someday you can forgive me. Not for the job—I'd do that again to stop someone like Vega. But for becoming your friend along the way. That wasn't fair dinkum of me."

Something shifted in her chest. Yes, Sophia had lied. But she'd also risked her career to save them, chosen Cassidy's life over her mission. And hadn't they all been playing roles to survive Vega's web?

"Where will you go?" Cassidy asked. "Your cover's blown. I assume Interpol won't want you back."

"Already got the boot," Sophia confirmed with a bitter smile. "Turns out they frown on agents who compromise entire operations for personal reasons. I'll figure something out. Maybe private security, though the irony of that career change isn't lost on me."

Cassidy made a decision that would have seemed impossible a few hours ago. "Have you ever considered working for a charitable foundation? I happen to know Haven House is looking for a Director of Security."

Sophia's head snapped up. "Cass, you can't. After what I did?"

"You chose us over your job," Cassidy interrupted. "You saved our lives. And frankly, I need someone who understands how people like Vega operate. Someone who can keep our kids safe from predators."

"You'd trust me? After everything?"

"I'd trust the woman who blew her cover to save us. Who's crying real tears over a friendship she thinks she's lost." Cassidy managed a small smile. "But Sophia? No more lies. Not even little ones. I need to know the person working beside me is real."

"Real," Sophia repeated, testing the word. "I can do real. Might take some practice—I've been undercover so long I've forgotten what that looks like. But yes. Yes, you beauty."

Spencer chose that moment to crash into their conversation, literally stumbling over a supply box in his haste.

"Guys. Guys. You're not going to believe this—actually, wait, maybe you will because it's kind of logical when you think about it, but I just heard the rest of Kenji’s team is flying out to the airforce base in Cali where the other plane took him.

Private jet. Like an actual private jet.

Do you think it has those seats that turn into beds? I've always wanted to try those."

"That serious dude, Ronan, said they’re going ‘Wheels up in exactly an hour.’” He winced.

“Okay, so maybe fifty-five minutes now because I spent like five minutes trying to find you guys, and get this—" Spencer's enthusiasm dimmed slightly.

"He said there's room if we want to catch a ride.

I mean, if you're done here. Which you probably aren't. Statements and stuff.

Legal things. Very important legal things that probably can't be rushed?—"

"We're done," Sophia said firmly, already pulling out her phone.

"I'll handle the authorities. Tell them we'll be available for follow-up interviews stateside.

No worries." She caught Cassidy's grateful look.

"What? You think I'm letting you face whatever comes next alone?

We're friends. Real ones now. Too right we are. "

Forty-five minutes and a short helicopter ride later, they were boarding Knight Tactical's sleek jet. Maya greeted them at the door.

"Kenji's stable," she said without preamble, correctly reading Cassidy's primary concern. "That vacationing surgeon knew what he was doing."

"Thank you," Cassidy managed, relief making her knees weak.

The cabin was utilitarian luxury—comfortable seats, computers, and communications gear. It spoke of an organization that valued function over flash.

"This is amazing," Spencer breathed, immediately gravitating toward the tech setup. "Is that a satellite uplink? Oh man, the bandwidth must be incredible. And is that—no way—is that a quantum encrypted communication system? I read about these in a journal that I definitely had legal access to?—"

"Spencer," Sophia said gently, though she was fighting a smile. "Maybe save the fanboying for later, yeah?"

"Right. Sorry. It's just really cool. Like, really really cool. Did you know quantum encryption is theoretically unbreakable? Because the act of observing the quantum state actually changes—okay, stopping now."

Cassidy found herself guided to a seat by Maya, who produced a blanket from somewhere. "You're exhausted. Sleep. We'll wake you when we land."

"I should?—"

"Sleep," Maya repeated firmly. "Trust me, whatever you think you need to do can wait. Kenji's not going anywhere, and you'll be more use to everyone if you're not dead on your feet."

But even as Maya moved away, Cassidy knew sleep would be elusive.

Her mind kept circling back to that moment in the resort hallway after Kenji's devastating tournament loss.

The way his hands had trembled. The desperation poorly hidden behind bravado.

The exact same look she'd seen on hundreds of faces over the years—players chasing losses, digging deeper holes, destroying themselves one bet at a time.

She'd known immediately what she was seeing. A gambling addict who'd just lost everything.

And she'd given him her card because of it, not despite it.

For years, she'd watched desperate players destroy themselves at her tables.

Took their money, moved on to the next tournament, told herself it wasn't her responsibility.

But something about Kenji had been different.

Maybe it was the way he'd saved that man's life without hesitation, shifting from broken gambler to competent medic in seconds.

Maybe it was the dignity he'd maintained even in devastating defeat.

Or maybe she'd just finally hit her limit of looking away.

"If you're looking for a different way out, call me." That's what she'd told him. Not condolences for a bad beat. Not empty sympathy. A lifeline, thrown to someone drowning.

She needed to talk to him. To admit she'd known all along. That she'd watched him protect her while clearly suffering from withdrawal. That she'd fallen for him anyway—maybe partly because he'd fought so hard to be good despite battling his own demons.

He deserves to know I see him fully, she thought. Before he confesses to Admiral Knight. Before he decides I'm better off without him.

Because she knew that's what he'd do. It's what addicts always did—push away anyone who might actually help, convinced they were protecting them from the inevitable disappointment.

But Kenji had spent days protecting her while his own world crumbled. The least she could do was refuse to be pushed away.

As the jet lifted off, Cassidy caught one last glimpse of Orchid Isle through the window. The devastated resort grew smaller, the island itself becoming just another speck in the vast ocean. So much had happened there. She'd arrived as one person and was leaving as someone entirely different.

"For what it's worth," Maya said quietly, settling into the seat across from her, "you did good down there. Not many civilians could have handled what Vega threw at you."

"I had help."

"Yeah." Maya's smile was knowing. "Kenji's good at that. Helping people. Sometimes to his own detriment, but that's who he is."

There was something in her tone, a gentle warning perhaps, that made Cassidy wonder what Maya knew that she didn't. But exhaustion was pulling at her, and the steady thrum of engines was hypnotic.

"Get some rest," Sophia said softly from the seat beside her. "I'll wake you when we're close."

Cassidy closed her eyes, feeling oddly safe surrounded by these warrior women who'd made room for her in their world.

Tomorrow—or today, she'd lost track of time—she'd see Kenji.

They'd figure out what came next. What they meant to each other when death wasn't imminent and choices weren't driven by desperation.

For now, she was going home. Or at least, to wherever Kenji was.

Which might, she realized as sleep claimed her, be the same thing.