****
Lydia had walked back with Briggs to her quarters with a bowl full of fruit. If it were up to Jaime, Lydia would have sat down and eaten a seven-course meal. Lydia knew what her body was capable of, and after such a traumatic experience, it didn’t involve consuming a bunch of food. She’d been happy when she’d spied the fruit and even happier that she’d been escorted by Briggs back to her room to eat it. The two men standing guard outside of her room reminded her of the danger she’d been in. They’d nodded as she passed.
There was a knock on her door. She pulled it open. Her mood lifted immediately. Rick always managed to put a smile on her face. He was the one man besides Briggs that she trusted with her life. “Hey you.” She backed up. “Come on in.” Lydia grabbed her bowl of fruit and sat down at the wooden table. “Want some fruit?”
Rick shook his head. “No.” He placed the revolver down on the table. “I just came to give you this.”
Lydia glanced up at Rick. His whole body was tense. His lips pulled into a fine line. Lydia stood. “You aren’t staying for a while?”
Rick took Lydia’s hands into his and drew her against his body. “I’m afraid I can’t.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.
She would have gotten lost in his kiss if the energy in the air wasn’t somewhat off. She couldn’t put her finger on the difference. Lydia pushed on his chest and glanced up into the crystal eyes that could see down into the depths of her soul. “Can’t or won’t?”
Rick dropped his hands and moved to the center of the living room. After seeing her one more time, the kiss was inevitable. He couldn’t resist kissing her one more time. He was selfish and he knew it. “I have to tell you something, and somehow I doubt you’re going to want me to stay.”
Lydia’s heart dropped into her stomach. She didn’t like the sound of that. She walked to him and picked up his hand. “What are you talking about?”
He pulled his hand away and turned toward the only window in the room. “Don’t make this harder than it already is.”
Lydia pulled in a deep breath before she said, “You’re breaking up with me?”
Rick shook his head and spun around to meet her gaze. “Not on your life.” He motioned for her to sit on the couch. “Lydia… I don’t know how to tell you this, and I’m sorry that I have to spring it on you now of all times.”
Lydia wrapped her arms around her midsection. “Just tell me.” The energy in the air stirred. Her apprehension had her heart racing. No matter what he said, she’d deal with it. She was a Bennett after all, and everything would be fine.
He clasped his hands and lowered his head. “I’ve been hiding something from you.”
Lydia stood. Oh god, this can’t be good. She could have accepted that from anyone but him. She’d given him her heart and soul, even if she hadn’t told him she loved him. Lydia knew he was about to crush her. Just the fact that he’d felt the need to lie to her had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. “Go on.”
Rick glanced up at her. “I’ve been tasked to keep tabs on you and learn everything there is to know about you.”
Lydia dropped her arms. “I know. Mike asked you too. I get that.”
Rick stood. “You don’t understand.” He took a step toward her, and she backed up. “Mike having me look into your background may have started it, but the real reason I’m here is because I’m under direct orders from the FBI. At first they just wanted more information.” Rick took another step toward her. She threw up a wall of energy to stop him.
“What orders? What do they want from me?”
“I’ve been assigned to keep you under surveillance to make sure you aren’t a national security threat. My mission was to either recruit you or kill you. My boss didn’t want to risk that you’d end up in the wrong hands.”
Lydia lifted her hand to her mouth and shook her head. “It was all a lie. You were only with me to keep easier tabs on me.”
Rick pushed against the energy wall and raised a brow. “I’m not going to hurt you, Lydia.”
The wall that had been holding him from advancing on her dissipated, and it hadn’t been her who let the energy drop. Lydia lifted a finger. “Did you just do that?”
Rick nodded. “That’s what I tried to explain yesterday. I can absorb the energy, just like you can manipulate it.” Rick stepped back and held up his hands. “I promise I would never hurt you.”
“You just did.” Lydia turned around, unable to look into his eyes. Her own were misty, and it took every ounce of her energy to hold back the tears from her broken heart.