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Coleman’s voice broke over the radio, followed by gunfire cracking the air behind him. Gunfire from his team. He barked out a surprised laugh, relief dizzying his head. Doc grinned.
He knew what he had to do. He knew who he had to call. He’d known, somehow, that this would be how it would eventually turn out. He couldn’t escape, not at all, from the universe’s cruel forces.
As always, he answered, and the sound of his voice went straight through Adam’s chest. His lungs clenched, and he fought to breathe. “As-salamu alaykum.” Faisal, my God. Even after all this time. I still melt when I hear your voice.
When Jack pulled on Ethan’s Secret Service sweatshirt before Ethan could grab it, Ethan tried to glare, but his tender smile spoiled it. He grabbed a plain pullover instead, and in under a minute, they were heading down, running through the White House together, again, in the dead of night.
He’d always been a peaceful man, but the thought of Madigan dead brought him true pleasure. The thought of him obliterated, wiped off the planet, made his heart beat faster and gave him a thrill of satisfaction so strong he could practically taste it.
“I got my people on this as soon as we heard about the release of your cables. I am sorry, but we were only able to pick up five of your operatives.”
They stared at each other, frozen, for a long moment.
It had been six months since Ethiopia, since he’d ran for the safety of Faisal’s arms again, and, in a fit of relief, regret, and desperate adrenaline, had kissed Faisal breathless and followed him into his palatial bedroom.
He sensed Faisal before he heard him. He’d always been able to. That shiver to the air, the tang of spices, and a punch to his gut that he’d felt from the first night, the first moment he’d laid eyes on Faisal. He heard Faisal crossing the roof to his side. They were the same height, and Faisal stared at his profile as if he’d never seen him before, taking in the tanned lines and his stubble, and the ragged tear in his ear from Cook’s gunshot.
“I’ve prayed… endlessly for the opportunity to see you again. Allah has delivered. Al-hamdu lillah. Seeing you always brings joy to my heart. And, I would rather you call me for help, even now, every time you need it, than worry about you in danger. I am here for you, always.”
He was the most fluent in Arabic and he had the better grasp on the culture. Pun not intended.
Why did Faisal have a designer suit in Adam’s size in his closet? He actually had five. They’d been gifts, once.
When Faisal laid a blanket across him halfway through the flight, he nearly lost it all. Instead, he clutched the fleece as if he could hold on to Faisal and counted the minutes until they landed.
Jack rolled his head toward Ethan. “I guess we are both political rebels, huh?” “Idealists was what I thought.” Ethan leaned back, and his face ended up next to Jack’s, their lips almost touching. “And good men.”
“Some days are tougher than others. But you never give up. You always want to make the world better.” “It’s like you know me or something.” Jack repeated Ethan’s words.
He wanted Ethan so badly, all the time.
The last time the national anthem had been played live for Jack was at Ethan’s funeral in Arlington.
“We will never retreat. We will never cower. We will never run. We will never turn back in the face of terror.” Swallowing, Jack stared up into the briefing room’s lights, letting halos of color dazzle his vision. “The combined forces of the United States, and her ally, Russia, are coming for you. This is a promise.”
Scott glared back at Sasha, as if having a Russian bodyguard in the White House and so close to Jack was a personal affront to his existence.
“You’re my poster boy for a hero, and you’re the man I love.” Jack dropped a kiss to the top of Ethan’s head.
Brody's head kisses from Lawson!
And, on top of each image, a red M had been drawn, closed in a circle.
“We can’t all be perfect Iceman Reichenbach, can we?
Jack held on to Ethan’s waist, his thumb hooked through the belt loop of his khakis. Ethan’s warmth leached into Jack, grounding him back to reality. Ethan was here. He wasn’t lost, and he wasn’t about to disintegrate into one of Jack’s nightmares, full of blood and sand, white noise and Jeff’s sneer.
“I want,” he began, clearing his throat when he croaked. “To show the world how much I love you. I don’t want to hide. I don’t want to let other people define this—define us—anymore. I want everyone to see that I am proud to be with you. Proud of who I am. That I’m not ashamed. Not hiding.”
“I’m with you all the way.”
Everything clicked into place when he picked out the right mix of metal and diamonds. His design spun on screen, winking at him, and even Scott and Daniels kept their smart comments quiet as he smiled, breathless. “That’s it.” “And what is the president’s ring size?”
Adam’s gaze caught on Faisal, standing on the edge of the court and watching with hooded eyes. He froze, and the ball slammed into his chest. He fell to his ass with a grunt, rolling to his back as his team laughed.
Adam turned into Faisal’s touch for just a moment. He pressed his cheek to Faisal’s fingers, breathing over his wrist. Cardamom and peach filled his nose, and honey and orange dizzied his brain.
Adam shuddered. He couldn’t take this, couldn’t take Faisal’s endearments. Couldn’t take being called Faisal’s bright sky, or his darling. He closed his eyes. He was fighting against himself, wanting to reach out, wanting to pull Faisal close, and struggling not to.
Slowly, Faisal breathed out, somehow managing to capture the sound of a heart breaking in his soft sigh.
President Spiers has taken over the Friday briefings at the White House, turning the afternoon brief into a lighthearted conversation. Nothing seems to be off the table, the president answering questions ranging from his controversial support of a Democratic piece of legislation to his weekend date plans with his partner.
Air Force One, en route to Sochi, Russia
All the electricity was off. Sochi was like a ghost town, and pitch black.
Had he been shot? Or was this just his heart cracking in half? Was this what it felt like to die? Or just to wish he was dead?
If he thought about Ethan, for even a moment, he would shatter.
His soul was a kite in a hurricane, and he was hanging on by one, tiny thread.
Scott didn’t smile back. He stared at Jack. “Are you certain?” he growled. “Ethan loves you more than you know, and this is tearing him apart. If you’re not absolutely certain, dead sure, about this, it will break him. He’s like a brother to me. I don’t want to see him like this again.” “I’m one hundred percent certain. It’s him. Forever.” “When he gets back,” Scott growled. “Don’t fuck this up, Mr. President.”
On one side of his head, a small entrance wound, and on the other side, a blown out depression, skull and brain gone, like an ice-cream scoop had dug in and taken a portion of his head away.
Across the island, Doc snapped on a pair of latex gloves. “I’m ready to assist.”
Doc whistled Disney songs softly and washed each organ in the kitchen sink.
Madigan wanted them apart. Damn that madman; Jack would find Ethan, and he would never, ever let him go again. Together, they’d stop Madigan. They’d end his reign of terror, obliterate him from the planet.
“No, the world needs a leader who isn’t compromised, Elizabeth. And let’s face it. I’ve been a disaster since we got back from Sochi. You’ve been doing everything. The world would be rotting in flames if it weren’t for you.”
He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Ethan’s phone. Ethan, wherever you are, stay alive. I’m coming for you. Like you came for me. I’m coming for you. What was it Ethan had said to him once? I will tear through the whole world to get to your side. Always. “Ethan,” he whispered. “I’m with you all the way.”
Ethan’s voice was wrecked, his expression wrenched apart. “Your presidency—” “How many times have I told you that you’re more important?” Wet drops appeared on Ethan’s cheeks, salt splashes raining from Jack’s eyes. “I meant it every single time.”
He shook Sergey’s hand off and grabbed his shoulders, shoving him against the cockpit ladder. “Damn you, Sergey. Damn you.”
He hadn’t known what to do or where to go after his life had been beaten to a pulp, but Sergey had helped him rebuild and had given him a place and a purpose at his side.
“What do I do?” Jack’s burning eyes piercing Ethan’s soul. “I want to make us whole again.” He brought Ethan’s hand to his lips, pressing a long kiss to his knuckles. “I love you. You are my whole world, Ethan.”
“No,” Ethan whispered, kissing the tears at the corners of Jack’s eyes away. “I’m with you all the way.” Jack smiled. He caressed Ethan’s face, his thumb tracing Ethan’s lips. “All the way. Forever.”
Jack grinned. “I’m with you all the way.”
