Rebel Heart

Elise trotted to them and joined Dan. Brady paid them little attention as he stepped forward, uncertain how he was going to be received. Lana watched him approach, the same uncertainty on her features. He stopped a safe distance away and was the first to break the awkward silence.

"You look good."

"Thank you." Her features turned pink. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I look," he replied. "How are you holding up?"

"Very well. I told Tim I was done with government service. This is my new home now."

They studied one another for a long moment. Brady saw no anger in her face. He'd never thought he'd find a reason to leave the battlefield. Standing with his brave Angel, he couldn't think of a reason he'd want to leave her side.

"I owe you a thank you," he said. "For shooting Charlie. I know bloodshed isn't your thing."

"I couldn't let you die. I thought I'd lost you twice before. Never again." Her guardedness fell away suddenly, and Lana closed the distance between them. She flung her arms around him.

"Here I thought you'd still be angry," he said, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"I'm so sorry I doubted you, Brady," she whispered.

"You had every reason to doubt to me," he replied. "I'm sorry I lied to you, Lana. It won't happen again."

"I feel like I know you so well and yet know nothing about you."

"I'm not going anywhere. We've got all the time in the world."

"You'll stay?"

"I will."

"And not because Tim is insisting on it?" she asked, pulling away enough to look up at him.

Brady smoothed the hair away from her face. He kissed her forehead lightly, marveling at the treasure he'd found when the world seemed ready to end.

"We're in this together, remember?" he said softly.