“You can just drop me off at the curb.”
“I’ll walk you to the door,” he said firmly.
She shifted in her seat but didn’t say anything. Braden found a spot to park in the second row. He climbed out of the car, pocketing the keys and hurrying around to get her door, but she was already out. He grabbed her bag from the back seat and they walked side by side to the entrance.
Maddie turned to face him. Even though it was bright outside, she slid her sunglasses off. He did the same, somehow sensing she needed to see his eyes just like he needed to see hers.
He held on to her bag like it was a hostage and the only thing keeping her from darting into the doors and out of his life forever. Focusing on her blue eyes, he asked, “Can I call you?” He didn’t even have her number.
She looked miserable as she shook her head. “This will be good for us. Time to reevaluate our decision-making paradigm and all that jazz.” She smiled as if it were a joke, but then her smile fell away. “Please give me time and space like you said you would.”
Braden wanted to growl in frustration. He held it in and clutched the bag. If he couldn’t call her, couldn’t have her number, had no plan for seeing her again … it was adding up to her definitely ditching him. He couldn’t figure out when she’d withdrawn into herself again and shut him out, but it had happened. He was on the outside, wishing he could be part of her one-person party. He wracked his brain for something to say, some way to show her how deeply he cared without looking like a groveling idiot. Actually, he didn’t even care what kind of loser he looked like—he just wanted her.
One second Maddie was begging him with those blue eyes of hers to not push her and just let her have her time. It was scary to agree to that when she wouldn’t even give him her phone number. The next second she let out a little whimper and threw herself against him, wrapping her arms tight around his neck.
Her bag fell to the concrete as he wrapped her up tight and savored having her close. She looked up at him and he thought she was going to say something, but instead she pressed her lips against his and all rational thought was eradicated from his brain.
The kiss was long and thorough and very, very inspiring. He loved her. He hoped his return kiss told her that. Somebody walked by and whistled. Braden would’ve ignored them, but Maddie pulled back.
Instead of meeting his gaze, she hugged him fiercely and bent close to his ear, whispering, “I am a highly trained weapon that takes out human traffickers and drug lords. I’ve seen such horrific crimes I wish I could have my memory wiped. I try not to kill and am an expert at incapacitating my enemy but sometimes I have no choice but to kill them. So far my body count is thirty-eight.”
Braden’s stomach tumbled, sick for her and what she’d had to see and do. He tried to look at her face, but she buried her head in his neck and kept talking. “I think in an ideal world, you could be my one too, Braden, but the killing and the nightmares and the things I’ve seen have made me dark, cold, and angry inside. I have no relationship with heaven and despite your inspiring prayer for me and all your idyllic words, I don’t know that I can change that. I refuse to take you down my dark road with me and damage your beautiful soul. After I finish the Delta Protection Detail, I will go right back to killing people.”
She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his before he could say anything. He returned the kiss, but when she tried to tear herself away, he refused to let her go. Not yet.
“Maddie … thank you for sharing.”
She looked up at him, those blue eyes beautiful and terrified of what he’d say, how he’d judge her, what he’d think of her.
He prayed for help to phrase it right. “You are not the things you’ve seen or had to do,” he said. “You have given your life to protect others. That makes you an avenging angel.”
Her eyes softened, but he didn’t know if she believed him.
“Please believe me. I see you.” He touched his forehead to hers. “The real you. You’re giving your life to protect others. Our Savior gave His life for you and for me. Turn to Him, Maddie. Pray and you’ll know. You can trust Him. Let Him show you His love, His grace, and His peace.”
He studied her, begging her to listen and know how truly good she was and how loved she was.
She said nothing, simply studied him. Then she tore herself away, grabbed her bag, and ran up the stairs. She dashed through the doors as he stared after her, stunned. She’d left and never acknowledged that she wasn’t dark and cold. That she wasn’t her deeds.
The situations she’d been in, evil deeds she’d witnessed, and killing she’d had to do to protect others had brought on the cold, the darkness, and the nightmares. He had only gotten a quick glimpse of the Delta family, but it was instinctive to see they were believers. She’d been raised in light. Killing others would’ve been extremely hard on her soul. She’d done it to protect and save men, women, and children from human trafficking and crime lords.
She was a hero. But she didn’t see it like that.
Braden felt wooden, frozen. He’d tried to help her see, but she’d left anyway. He had to see her one more time, pray she could see that in his eyes, she was more than enough. He rushed across the sidewalk, up the stairs, and burst through the doors, searching for Maddie. He hurried down the hallway but reached security. It was a smaller business airport, not an international. There was still security, but only the guy manning it and one gentleman showing his I.D. were at the security desk. Braden couldn’t see Maddie.
He waited impatiently for the man to get checked through and then approached the guard. “Please, my girlfriend just went through. Ma …” He didn’t know what name she’d used, but could bet it wasn’t her real one. “Emmaline,” he finished lamely.
The guard shook his head. “Sorry. I can’t give out personal information or let you through unless you’ve got a flight.”
Braden clenched his fists but could do nothing. He finally nodded to the guy and backed up. He looked out the large windows at small to large planes lined up. Suddenly he saw the flash of long, blonde hair. Maddie climbed up the steps of a small white jet. She didn’t look back.
His shoulders sagged, and he turned to go. Had anything he’d said or done helped her at all? Maddie had said that it would work out if it was supposed to. He didn’t see how it would work out. Admiral Delta wanted him to watch Admiral Seamons, but he didn’t even have the Deltas’ phone numbers to report anything he found. He was tempted to go book a flight and head straight to Colorado, but he doubted he’d be any more welcome than he had been the first time he’d tried to look for the Delta’s secret.
Walking out of the airport and to the rental car, he decided to head to the police station and then on to base. Might as well get his resurrection story over with and see what was happening. At least there was always something to keep him busy on base.
ChapterThirteen
Maddie felt like she cried the entire flight home. She could still see Braden’s blue eyes searching hers, begging her to listen to his heartfelt kindness, feel his acceptance and love, and know Jesus loved her too. Ah, Braden. Her lips still felt the impression of his delicious kisses, but more importantly, she thought she could see in his blue eyes that he didn’t judge her and that he truly believed she was saving others and if she simply turned to the Savior, he’d accept her. Could it be that easy?