A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire 1)

He refused to believe anything had happened to Parker as he ran blindly down the dock, shouting her name at the top of his lungs. She had just been standing not two feet from him, touching his face. He could still smell her skin and taste her fingers against his lips when she'd silenced him.

Garrett got as close as he could to where the La Meta Anna Bello used to float before he had to stop and shield his face from the heat. The boat was gone, the only thing left in its place was a wall of fire two stories high that burned off of the wreckage and spilled gasoline and oil on top of the water.

Garrett's eyes searched the water frantically for signs of Parker. She couldn't have been on the boat. He refused to believe they'd come this far for her to just be taken from him like this.

He kept trying to get closer but the heat from the fire was too much and the wind had shifted, forcing the black, billowing smoke in his direction, making him cough and step backwards. He continued to scream Parker’s name and turn in circles, searching the water and the other boats left untouched by the explosion.

All the things he should have said, should have done, every regret and mistake he’d made with Parker flashed through his mind and almost brought him to his knees.

Garrett was so crippled with fear he almost didn't hear the watery coughs behind him. He whipped around, back towards the way he had come, just as a hand reached up from the water and slapped down on the dock.

The sparkle of the sapphire and diamond ring on the hand forced a cry of relief from Garrett before he dove to the ground, grabbed the wet hand, and pulled the most beautiful, sopping wet sight he had ever seen out of the water.

Parker felt like her lungs were on fire. She couldn't stop coughing as strong arms pulled her from the marina. Her body shook from fear and shock as she was cradled against a dry, warm body that she'd recognize anywhere.

Garrett's hands pushed away the wet strands of hair that stuck to her face, his fingers coming away with blood on them as Parker tried to stop coughing.

"Fuck, you're bleeding," Garrett said with panic in his voice. She wanted to tell him that she was fine, that it was just a scratch from flying debris, but her throat hurt too badly from the amount of water she swallowed during her unexpected swim.

Garrett pulled Parker tighter against him and ran his fingers over every inch of her, checking to make sure she wasn't bleeding anywhere else, but mostly to assure himself she was really there, safe and alive.

When Parker's coughs finally subsided, the sound of sirens in the distance filled the air.

"We need to get out of here," Parker said with a scratchy voice.

They couldn't be anywhere near the explosion when the authorities came or every lead they’d found would come to a screeching halt. If their cover was blown, they’d never get any more answers.

Garrett slid one arm under Parker's knees, wrapped the other around her back,, and stood, easily scooping her body up as he went and cradling her against his chest.

"Garrett, I'm fine, I can walk," Parker protested in between coughs.

He pulled her tighter against him, her wet clothes soaking both of them and dripping a puddle by Garrett's feet.

"Shut up, Parker. I'm not letting you go, so just deal with it," Garrett said as he started walking at a fast pace down the dock and out into the parking lot to where he parked the car.

Parker wrapped her arms around Garrett's neck and stared at his profile as he got them to the end of the dock in record time. She couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Garrett’s face as he’d pulled her from the water. His eyes had been watery, full of unshed tears. The blood had drained from his face like every single fear he’d ever known had come to fruition.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Parker whispered as Garrett opened the passenger door of the car and gently placed her inside.

He knelt down next to the open door and pulled the seatbelt across her chest and fastened it while she shivered from shock and cold.

Parker knew now wasn't the time to break down, but she couldn't stop the tears from pooling in her eyes when she thought about how close she’d come to never being able to touch or kiss Garrett again.

He wiped the tears from her cheeks and brushed the hair out of her face. Something cracked wide open inside of Garrett the moment he thought he might have lost Parker forever. He was done pretending, done keeping everything he felt buried deep inside. But he needed to get them out of the marina. The sirens were getting louder. It would only be a matter of minutes before the place was filled with the authorities.

"I wasn't worried," Garrett said with a shrug and a smile. "You're too stubborn to let anything happen to you."

Parker let out a laugh and rolled her eyes as Garrett stood up and shut the car door.

Garrett called Brady after they pulled out of the marina and explained what happened. Instead of making Parker sit in the car for over three hours with wet clothes, Garrett decided to get a hotel room so she could rest. They could get up first thing in the morning to head back to the resort.

He checked them into the first hotel he came to, drew Parker a hot bath so she could get rid of the chill, and then walked to a corner store once she was situated in the tub. He picked up first aid supplies for the cut on her head and a change of clothes since hers wouldn't be dry any time soon.

Forty minutes later he paced back and forth outside of the bathroom door waiting for Parker to emerge.

The light splashes of water and soft sighs he heard on the other side of the door every so often were the only things preventing him from barging in to make sure she was okay.

Garrett's phone rang and he momentarily stopped his pacing to answer it.

"McCarthy."

"Hey, man," Brady replied. "How's Parker?"

Garrett sat down on the end of the bed and stared at the closed door.

"She's alright. Relaxing in the tub. Did you find out anything?" Garrett asked.

On Garrett's walk to the store, he had asked Brady to get a copy of the marina's phone records and find out what the blocked number was that always made the appointments for Milo's boat.

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He refused to believe anything had happened to Parker as he ran blindly down the dock, shouting her name at the top of his lungs. She had just been standing not two feet from him, touching his face. He could still smell her skin and taste her fingers against his lips when she'd silenced him.

Garrett got as close as he could to where the La Meta Anna Bello used to float before he had to stop and shield his face from the heat. The boat was gone, the only thing left in its place was a wall of fire two stories high that burned off of the wreckage and spilled gasoline and oil on top of the water.

Garrett's eyes searched the water frantically for signs of Parker. She couldn't have been on the boat. He refused to believe they'd come this far for her to just be taken from him like this.

He kept trying to get closer but the heat from the fire was too much and the wind had shifted, forcing the black, billowing smoke in his direction, making him cough and step backwards. He continued to scream Parker’s name and turn in circles, searching the water and the other boats left untouched by the explosion.

All the things he should have said, should have done, every regret and mistake he’d made with Parker flashed through his mind and almost brought him to his knees.

Garrett was so crippled with fear he almost didn't hear the watery coughs behind him. He whipped around, back towards the way he had come, just as a hand reached up from the water and slapped down on the dock.

The sparkle of the sapphire and diamond ring on the hand forced a cry of relief from Garrett before he dove to the ground, grabbed the wet hand, and pulled the most beautiful, sopping wet sight he had ever seen out of the water.

Parker felt like her lungs were on fire. She couldn't stop coughing as strong arms pulled her from the marina. Her body shook from fear and shock as she was cradled against a dry, warm body that she'd recognize anywhere.

Garrett's hands pushed away the wet strands of hair that stuck to her face, his fingers coming away with blood on them as Parker tried to stop coughing.

"Fuck, you're bleeding," Garrett said with panic in his voice. She wanted to tell him that she was fine, that it was just a scratch from flying debris, but her throat hurt too badly from the amount of water she swallowed during her unexpected swim.

Garrett pulled Parker tighter against him and ran his fingers over every inch of her, checking to make sure she wasn't bleeding anywhere else, but mostly to assure himself she was really there, safe and alive.

When Parker's coughs finally subsided, the sound of sirens in the distance filled the air.

"We need to get out of here," Parker said with a scratchy voice.

They couldn't be anywhere near the explosion when the authorities came or every lead they’d found would come to a screeching halt. If their cover was blown, they’d never get any more answers.

Garrett slid one arm under Parker's knees, wrapped the other around her back,, and stood, easily scooping her body up as he went and cradling her against his chest.

"Garrett, I'm fine, I can walk," Parker protested in between coughs.

He pulled her tighter against him, her wet clothes soaking both of them and dripping a puddle by Garrett's feet.

"Shut up, Parker. I'm not letting you go, so just deal with it," Garrett said as he started walking at a fast pace down the dock and out into the parking lot to where he parked the car.

Parker wrapped her arms around Garrett's neck and stared at his profile as he got them to the end of the dock in record time. She couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Garrett’s face as he’d pulled her from the water. His eyes had been watery, full of unshed tears. The blood had drained from his face like every single fear he’d ever known had come to fruition.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Parker whispered as Garrett opened the passenger door of the car and gently placed her inside.

He knelt down next to the open door and pulled the seatbelt across her chest and fastened it while she shivered from shock and cold.

Parker knew now wasn't the time to break down, but she couldn't stop the tears from pooling in her eyes when she thought about how close she’d come to never being able to touch or kiss Garrett again.

He wiped the tears from her cheeks and brushed the hair out of her face. Something cracked wide open inside of Garrett the moment he thought he might have lost Parker forever. He was done pretending, done keeping everything he felt buried deep inside. But he needed to get them out of the marina. The sirens were getting louder. It would only be a matter of minutes before the place was filled with the authorities.

"I wasn't worried," Garrett said with a shrug and a smile. "You're too stubborn to let anything happen to you."

Parker let out a laugh and rolled her eyes as Garrett stood up and shut the car door.

Garrett called Brady after they pulled out of the marina and explained what happened. Instead of making Parker sit in the car for over three hours with wet clothes, Garrett decided to get a hotel room so she could rest. They could get up first thing in the morning to head back to the resort.

He checked them into the first hotel he came to, drew Parker a hot bath so she could get rid of the chill, and then walked to a corner store once she was situated in the tub. He picked up first aid supplies for the cut on her head and a change of clothes since hers wouldn't be dry any time soon.

Forty minutes later he paced back and forth outside of the bathroom door waiting for Parker to emerge.

The light splashes of water and soft sighs he heard on the other side of the door every so often were the only things preventing him from barging in to make sure she was okay.

Garrett's phone rang and he momentarily stopped his pacing to answer it.

"McCarthy."

"Hey, man," Brady replied. "How's Parker?"

Garrett sat down on the end of the bed and stared at the closed door.

"She's alright. Relaxing in the tub. Did you find out anything?" Garrett asked.

On Garrett's walk to the store, he had asked Brady to get a copy of the marina's phone records and find out what the blocked number was that always made the appointments for Milo's boat.

"Yeah," Brady sighed. "The number is the same one for the extra cell phone Milo owned."

Garrett suspected that would most likely be the case, but it was still frustrating to have it confirmed. He kept thinking back to the kid he'd grown up with, the one his parents had taken under their wings, encouraged, and supported in every way. Garrett had no idea how Milo had strayed so far from them and turned into someone like this.

"There's something else," Brady said, the trepidation evident in his voice.

Garrett waited for him to continue.

"I tried to pull up flight records for Milo, but there was absolutely nothing listed on any of the public airline's itineraries for him," Brady explained. "I found the records of his trips for the military easy enough, and they all legitimately matched his missions. I find it hard to believe that Milo never took one personal flight his entire life though."

Garrett's head spun as Brady added even more details to the mystery.

"I looked through every private charter service’s flight plan, and he's not listed on a passenger log on of any of them. But, my computer has an anagram program that will take the letters of a name, mix them up, and tell you what other names can be made using those exact letters," Brady explained in a rush of growing excitement.

“On August 29th, 2004, there was a passenger by the name of Roberto Mils listed on the flight roster of a private jet that landed in Maryland from the Dominican at Saint John’s private airport. If you take that name and rearrange it, you get Milo Roberts.”

Brady paused to let the information sink in with Garrett.

“That flight was in the summer right before Parker started her senior year of college,” Garrett mused to himself out loud. “Milo flew to Florida around that time for a cousin’s funeral...or so he said. He never mentioned the guy in all the time I knew him but said something about how it was the only family member he kept in touch with, occasionally. I tried to go with him but he said he wanted to go alone,” Garrett told Brady.

The door to the bathroom opened and Parker stepped out into the room, wrapped in a towel.

“Good work, Marshall. Call me if you find anything new.”

Garrett disconnected the call and tossed the phone down onto the bed as he stood up and crossed the room to Parker.

He immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. Parker hadn’t been able to get warm enough no matter how hot she made the water. She’d been in plenty of dangerous situations but none where she was two steps away from being blown to bits. The chill that burrowed deep down into her bones had more to do with nerves than it did with actually being cold. Garrett’s arms enveloped her and melted everything away from the past couple of hours.

Parker slid her arms around Garrett’s waist and turned her head to the side so she could rest her cheek against his chest, right above his heart. The muffled thumps of each beat reverberated through her ear, and she counted each one.

Garrett let out a sigh of relief at having Parker in his arms again and being able to feel that she was safe and alive. He rested his chin on top of her head and rubbed slow circles across the skin of her back above where the towel ended.

Garrett wasn’t sure when it had happened, but he had accepted the fact that CIA Parker was independent, strong, and could take care of herself. He realized that watching her in action made him care about her even more than he thought possible. She excelled at what she did, and he was amazed at how easily his previous notions of her personality before he knew she was CIA fit so well with who she really was and who he had always known her to be.

The only problem he had, the one realization that sucker punched him in the gut with the force of a freight train, was that he was powerless to keep her safe. Garrett would never forget the staggering pain he felt when he thought she’d been hurt.

Or worse.

There was one thought on his mind and one thought only – if she was gone, she’d never know how much he loved her.

Garrett squeezed his eyes closed and kissed the top of Parker’s head. She pulled her cheek away from his chest and looked up at him, keeping the rest of her body as close to him as she could. He stared deep into her eyes, and she felt her heart speed up.

Garrett brought his hand up to push some of her hair behind her ears so he could cup her cheek. His thumb moved lazily back and forth against her skin while the butterflies in his stomach fluttered rapidly.

“I love you,” he told her softly, his gaze never wavering from her own.

Parker heard him say the words, she saw his mouth move to form the sounds she waited a lifetime to hear, but it didn’t seem real. She was afraid if she closed her eyes, if she looked away, it would all be a dream. Nothing about this day made sense. It only seemed right that this shouldn’t either. Of course Garrett loved her. They’d been friends for years and now they were intimate. He was scared he'd almost lost her today, and it made him want to reaffirm the love he had for his friend. It was a natural response to a scary situation, a knee-jerk reaction to the adrenalin still coursing through him.

“I know,” Parker replied softly, understanding evident on her face even though she wished things were different.

“No, I don’t think you do,” Garrett said with a shake of his head. “And that’s completely my fault. I should have told you a long time ago. I shouldn’t have waited until I almost lost you. I know love isn’t something that comes easy for you or that you even believe in it. I know and I don’t care. I don’t care if you’re afraid to love me back, I don’t care if you never feel the same way that I do. I just need you to know, right here and right now, that I am in love with you, Annabelle Parker.”

Parker bit her bottom lip in an effort to stop the flow of tears that were threatening to spill over onto her cheeks, but it was useless. His admission alone would have made her fall apart, but the way he said her name, like she was the most important person in the world to him, forced a sob past her lips.

Garrett hadn’t given one thought to how Parker would react to his declaration. He just spit it out. She hadn’t said a word since he’d spoken; the tears just slowly leaked from her eyes as she stared at him in disbelief. Garrett felt like maybe he said something wrong. He should have planned it better, given her some kind of warning about how he felt before throwing it at her after the day she had. He was so busy kicking himself he almost missed Parker’s whispered response through the tears.

“I’m scared.”

Garrett knew because of her father and the way she was treated she refused to give all of her heart to someone. Garrett didn’t want her to feel guilty for one minute because she couldn’t return his feelings.

He bent his knees so he was eye level with her.

“I told you, it doesn’t matter to me if you can’t-”

Parker quickly reached up and covered his mouth with her hand before he could finish.

“I’m not scared because I can’t give you my love in return,” she told him softly. “I’m scared because I love you so much sometimes it’s hard to breathe.”

Garrett groaned softly behind her hand.

“I’m scared because I never ever wanted to lose myself in someone as deeply as my parents did. I’m scared because I was so stupid to realize I would have no control over that where you were concerned.”

Garrett closed his eyes for a moment, letting Parker’s words sink in and letting himself believe in everything she was saying. He opened his eyes as another tear fell from her eyes and slipped down her cheek and over her lip.