When Day Breaks

And the hell of it was that Eden had been utterly sincere. She really was just too damn nice. Swanny would have told the director to go f**k himself on several occasions, but Eden had taken it all in stride and performed to expectation. Beyond expectation, in Swanny’s opinion. Considering all she’d been through, it was a damn miracle that she could even perform at all.

Swanny’s team immediately kicked it into high gear, preparing for Eden’s departure to the new hotel, where she’d be checked in under a false name. Joe had used one of the many aliases KGI possessed for just such occasions as this.

Before departing, Eden donned a black wig and wore heavily tinted, large sunglasses that covered nearly the entire upper portion of her face and a scarf wrapped around her neck and pulled up over her mouth. She also wore a coat with extra padding so it appeared she was several pounds heavier than she was, and she wore flats to make her appear shorter. She’d been instructed to hunch slightly to solidify the illusion of her being shorter and heavier.

Swanny’s team had dressed casually, looking like normal people instead of the operatives they were. Though it made him extremely uneasy, they didn’t completely surround Eden, because they didn’t want to draw any attention to the fact that they were protecting her.

The crew was instructed to remain until thirty minutes after Eden’s departure.

Joe and Nathan went out first to get into the waiting SUV and then Swanny came out with Eden at his side, Skylar and Edge following casually behind.

Swanny was on heightened alert, scanning their surroundings while appearing to be casual as he headed toward the car. One hand was inside his light blazer, resting against the butt of his pistol in case he needed to act fast. He knew Skylar and Edge were similarly prepared and that Nathan and Joe, already in the vehicle, would both have their weapons drawn, ready to leap out at the first sign of danger.

When Swanny got Eden into the middle seat, Skylar went to the opposite door while Edge took the front seat next to the hired security specialist driving the SUV.

Swanny didn’t like Edge being in such a vulnerable position. After what had happened when their vehicle had been hit with an RPG and the driver had been killed, if a similar attack happened, Edge was an open target. The very last thing Swanny wanted was to lose a teammate. A brother.

Eden was more at ease as they drove to the hotel. She was relaxed, leaning into Swanny’s side, snuggling as if seeking his strength and warmth. Uncaring of how it appeared to his teammates, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to his body. She laid her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh.

“One more day of shooting and then the launch party and we’ll be done with this,” she said, relief evident in her voice. “I won’t lie. I’m ready for this to be over with. It scares me that you and your team are in the line of fire. I’d never forgive myself if one of them—or you—were hurt or killed because of me.”

Swanny frowned because she sounded like she was ready to be done with it all. Including him.

He was suddenly struck with a raging case of nerves. He could feel his palms growing clammy. What if she didn’t feel the same way about him as he did about her? What if when this was over, she moved on, leaving him behind, only the memory of him being her first lingering in her mind?

He tried to block out his doubts and focus on the positive and hope for the best. It scared him to death to put his heart on the line. To open up to her completely and to be so direct in his planned conversation with her.

His head told him he was an idiot for even considering that a woman like her would have any interest in seeing him beyond the time they spent protecting her, but his heart clung to the tenuous hope that he was more to her than her bodyguard.

What if he got shot down?

He wished he could be more confident. But his demons wouldn’t go away. His dreams were still tormented by his time in captivity, though he had noticed that when Eden slept with him, she chased away those demons, calming his inner beast and soothing away the pain of the past.

But he had visible reminders of his captivity. Could a woman like Eden look beyond those? In her career, where beauty and elegance was a part of her daily life? He couldn’t imagine her ever wanting to show up to an event on his arm.

Beauty and the Beast. Literally. Only real life wasn’t a fairy tale and no happily-ever-afters were ever guaranteed. He’d seen love work with the Kelly brothers. Other members of the KGI team. But he’d never considered it for himself. Never thought he would even entertain the thought.

And yet he knew in the deepest recesses of his heart that he loved Eden beyond measure. He felt the worst kind of fool for setting himself up for such a huge fall. He wasn’t even sure when he’d fallen for her. She’d certainly had his attention from the moment he met her, but looking back he couldn’t pinpoint an exact moment when love had happened.

It seemed he’d always felt it toward her, growing even more the first time they made love and he discovered he was her first. That had humbled him in a way he’d never been humbled in his life. It still had the power to bring him to his knees. It was a gift he’d treasure forever, no matter what happened between him and Eden.

But he knew one thing. No matter where life took him, he’d never love another woman as he did Eden. Nor would he ever meet another woman of her caliber.

CHAPTER 30

EDEN issued an audible sigh of relief once Swanny and part of his team had entered her suite and swept the interior while Edge and Skylar had remained in the hallway with her, flanking her protectively and watching for any sign of anyone in the hallway.