“I was definitely the luckier one today.”
He lifted his head and met her eyes. He slid his knuckles across her cheek. “That’s arguable. I’ve gotten pretty damn lucky with you.”
She gave his hand a squeeze, then leaned sideways against the back of the sofa. “I guess we have a lot to talk about.” She pushed her boots off and curled her feet beneath her, searching for warmth. “Do you really think Misty was counterfeiting for Hank?”
“I’m sorry, baby. I really do.”
Her heart grew heavy with sadness, regret, disillusionment. “Nobody is what they seem, are they?”
“You’re the first exception I’ve ever met.”
She shrugged. Savannah’s history had forced her to appreciate the simple things. She had simple needs. Simple wants. But even those had proved too complicated to attain.
“Do you have enough evidence to put Hank and Lyle away?” she asked him, watch
ing his expression for deception. “Really put them away?”
“They’re going down. That is for sure.”
She searched his expression and realized she couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. But she admittedly sucked as a lie detector. Still, she relished the thought of not fighting them anymore.
“How did this all start, anyway?”
“Mason’s death,” he told her. “He was undercover for a joint task force run out of the State Department. He’d been assigned here because they tracked counterfeit passports back to Bishop Mining. Some were being used by terrorists.”
Disbelief and fear flared. “You’re not telling me Misty’s selling passports to terrorists, are you? Because there is no way she would be part of that. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She’d never want to do anything to deliberately hurt someone else.”
“We don’t think so. In fact, I think Hank was blackmailing her to create the passports. But they were used in some horrific terrorist attacks.”
“Oh my God.” When Misty heard this, she’d be heartbroken. “What’s going to happen to her?”
“They’ll arrest her, try to get information about what she’s doing and why. But no matter what deal authorities might be willing to make with her, I imagine she’ll go to prison for some length of time. All that will depend on how she cooperates and what they can prove.”
Savannah’s heart broke for Misty. “This is going to crush Jamison. He loves her. She’s been like an aunt to him. And a sister to me.”
“I know. It’s going to be hard on both of you.” He picked up her hand and threaded their fingers. The gesture was so simple, yet so sweet. “Are you going to stay in Hazard after Hank and Lyle are gone?”
“Hell no.” Her immediate and emphatic answer made Ian smile. And man, what a smile. Even amid the dried blood and dirt, the man was heart melting.
“Where will you go?”
She shrugged, smiled. “I have no idea. Just the thought of taking that next step exhausts me right now.”
He leaned forward and took her hands in his. Then he met her eyes. “I didn’t sleep with you to trick you. I slept with you because I wanted to. Because you’re beautiful and sweet and damned amazing. I admit, from a professional perspective, Roman’s right, I shouldn’t have. And while I am sorry I lied to you, I’m not sorry I slept with you.”
She pulled in a breath. “No more lies?”
He smiled a little. “No more lies.”
She nodded and let it go. After everything she’d been through, she wasn’t going to hold it against him. “Tell me about your team. About the company.”
“Misty told you about the military version of the team?”
Savannah nodded. “Said you were called the American Taliban because you swept in, killed, and bailed.”
He shook his head on a long exhale. “The thing is, we didn’t do anything different from SEAL Team Six. They get movie deals and accolades. We get labeled Taliban.”
“So, you’ve killed people.”