confront her reflection. She smothered a gasp. Her naked scalp was a shock, and she forced herself to lift a hand to touch it. Oh, God. She looked ill now.
Truly, desperately ill. A convulsive swallow rippled through her throat. Any time now she’d lose her eyebrows and lashes, too. That was going to look odd. Bryn put her arms around Emily’s waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. “You’re still beautiful. You shouldn’t be, but you are.”
Emily forced a smile. “Spoken like a true friend.”
“I’m serious.” She studied her in the mirror for a few moments before blurting, “Want me to shave mine, too?”
84
Absolution
On a gasp, Emily turned her head. Bryn would do it, too. “Don’t you dare,” she warned, admiring the gorgeous fall of straight deep brown hair that came to the middle of Bryn’s back. “It’s sweet of you to offer and I appreciate it, but no.”
“Want me to get one of your wigs?”
“I’ll get it.” On her way to the walk-in closet she looked back at Bryn over her shoulder and searched her mind for something to lighten the mood. “Don’t look so worried, I’m fine. And just think—I’ll get a free semi-permanent Brazilian out of the deal.”
“If you’re trying to make me jealous, forget it. I’ll keep my bikini line smooth the regular way, thanks.”
Emily took the box from the shelf and pulled out a short bobbed wig, in a shade close to her natural hair color. She fitted it on her head and smoothed the ends into place before facing Bryn. “Well? How do I look?”
Bryn’s smile was full of genuine pleasure.
“Gorgeous. How come you never cut your hair like that before? It suits you perfectly.”
“Maybe I will once it grows back.” She fussed with the other wigs before replacing the box, eyeing her large pink suitcase set neatly in the corner. After debating it for a minute, she hauled it out and set it on the wide ottoman where she laid out her clothes each morning.
“All right,” she relented, facing Bryn with her hands on her hips. “What am I going to need to wear in Beirut this time of year?”
****
CIA Headquarters
Langley, VA
When Luke got there mid-morning the next day, Jamie was waiting for him in his office. Luke liked his boss. He was mild-mannered and only a few 85
Kaylea Cross
years older than him.
Jamie’s bright blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled and rose behind his paper-laden desk.
“Good to see you, Hutch.”
Luke accepted the hand Jamie offered and shook it. “You, too.” He seated himself in the wing chair opposite the desk.
“You look like you could use some sleep.”
“Nah, I’m good.” Other than short snatches when he could grab them, sleep wasn’t going to be an option for a while. But he wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Lounging back further into the cushy leather, he regarded his boss and cut right to the heart of the matter. “Why didn’t you tell me about Em?”
To his credit, Jamie didn’t even blink. “I wasn’t sure she wanted you to know.”
Fair enough, but it still pissed him off. “How much do you know?”
“All of it. The lumpectomy, hysterectomy and mastectomy as well as her chemo regimen.” He studied Luke in silence for a moment. “You could’ve asked me.”
Yeah, but he would have looked pathetic. “No, you should have told me.” All this time he’d assumed Jamie would speak up if something serious happened to Em or Rayne.
“The deal was I would keep tabs on her, not report her private business to you or anybody else.”
Luke’s hands curled into fists on his tensed thighs. “You knew I would have gone to her.”
Jamie inclined his head. “Yes.”
“And you also knew she was alone through all of this.”
“Not until recently she wasn’t.” He leaned forward and put his forearms on his desk. “What are you doing about it?”
A hell of a lot less than he’d like. “I’m taking her 86
Absolution
to Beirut with me, like we
Truly, desperately ill. A convulsive swallow rippled through her throat. Any time now she’d lose her eyebrows and lashes, too. That was going to look odd. Bryn put her arms around Emily’s waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. “You’re still beautiful. You shouldn’t be, but you are.”
Emily forced a smile. “Spoken like a true friend.”
“I’m serious.” She studied her in the mirror for a few moments before blurting, “Want me to shave mine, too?”
84
Absolution
On a gasp, Emily turned her head. Bryn would do it, too. “Don’t you dare,” she warned, admiring the gorgeous fall of straight deep brown hair that came to the middle of Bryn’s back. “It’s sweet of you to offer and I appreciate it, but no.”
“Want me to get one of your wigs?”
“I’ll get it.” On her way to the walk-in closet she looked back at Bryn over her shoulder and searched her mind for something to lighten the mood. “Don’t look so worried, I’m fine. And just think—I’ll get a free semi-permanent Brazilian out of the deal.”
“If you’re trying to make me jealous, forget it. I’ll keep my bikini line smooth the regular way, thanks.”
Emily took the box from the shelf and pulled out a short bobbed wig, in a shade close to her natural hair color. She fitted it on her head and smoothed the ends into place before facing Bryn. “Well? How do I look?”
Bryn’s smile was full of genuine pleasure.
“Gorgeous. How come you never cut your hair like that before? It suits you perfectly.”
“Maybe I will once it grows back.” She fussed with the other wigs before replacing the box, eyeing her large pink suitcase set neatly in the corner. After debating it for a minute, she hauled it out and set it on the wide ottoman where she laid out her clothes each morning.
“All right,” she relented, facing Bryn with her hands on her hips. “What am I going to need to wear in Beirut this time of year?”
****
CIA Headquarters
Langley, VA
When Luke got there mid-morning the next day, Jamie was waiting for him in his office. Luke liked his boss. He was mild-mannered and only a few 85
Kaylea Cross
years older than him.
Jamie’s bright blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled and rose behind his paper-laden desk.
“Good to see you, Hutch.”
Luke accepted the hand Jamie offered and shook it. “You, too.” He seated himself in the wing chair opposite the desk.
“You look like you could use some sleep.”
“Nah, I’m good.” Other than short snatches when he could grab them, sleep wasn’t going to be an option for a while. But he wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Lounging back further into the cushy leather, he regarded his boss and cut right to the heart of the matter. “Why didn’t you tell me about Em?”
To his credit, Jamie didn’t even blink. “I wasn’t sure she wanted you to know.”
Fair enough, but it still pissed him off. “How much do you know?”
“All of it. The lumpectomy, hysterectomy and mastectomy as well as her chemo regimen.” He studied Luke in silence for a moment. “You could’ve asked me.”
Yeah, but he would have looked pathetic. “No, you should have told me.” All this time he’d assumed Jamie would speak up if something serious happened to Em or Rayne.
“The deal was I would keep tabs on her, not report her private business to you or anybody else.”
Luke’s hands curled into fists on his tensed thighs. “You knew I would have gone to her.”
Jamie inclined his head. “Yes.”
“And you also knew she was alone through all of this.”
“Not until recently she wasn’t.” He leaned forward and put his forearms on his desk. “What are you doing about it?”
A hell of a lot less than he’d like. “I’m taking her 86
Absolution
to Beirut with me, like we
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