At exactly midnight, Gale returned. He left the limp Flossie behind to watch me blow out the candles. But when he came back and didn’t find me, he panicked, searching everywhere.
“Baby,” a hoarse voice called from behind me.
I turned around to find Gale standing there, sweat glistening on his neck, his red-rimmed eyes filled with panic.
“Why did you leave the party and go off on your own?” Then he glanced to the side and added, “Do you like the view by the river? How about we celebrate your birthday here next time? Would you like that?”
I just stared at him, not saying a word.
“Baby…” he said, his voice trailing off.
His face paled. Gale Holden, a hitman with countless lives on his conscience, was scared. It was obvious, but he wouldn’t admit it and he wasn’t willing to risk explaining and making a slip-up.
Finally, I gave him a soft smile. “Alright.”
That one word was enough to make him exhale in relief. Gale pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Don’t disappear like that again, baby. I swear, I’ll lose my mind.”
I patted his back lightly, signaling him to let me go.
“You’ve got a mission tomorrow. Let’s go home.”