Rick approached her. She couldn’t make herself turn around, even though his voice was right behind her. “Lydia, it started out as an assignment, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you.”
Lydia spun around. Her heart was racing. Not because of his loving words, but from his audacity. “How can I believe a word you say?” She walked to the door and pulled it open. “Did someone find out? Is that why you told me?”
Rick remained silent.
Lydia closed her eyes. “Just get out.”
Rick walked to her and pushed the door shut. “You know in your heart that I’m telling you the truth. I know you love me too.”
Lydia felt the fight leave her body. Her energy had been sucked right out of her. “I can’t believe that in one breath you tell me you lied and would have killed me and in the next you say you love me.” Lydia tilted her head. “Did you think that professing your love would make me forget all about the lie?”
Rick leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehand. “No, that wasn’t the reason I told you. I just needed you to know before I left.”
He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “You deserve better, I just hope one day you can forgive me.”
He pulled the door open and walked out.
Lydia fell to her knees. The tears she’d been holding back now ran down her face. She lifted her hand and covered her eyes. She hadn’t thought her life could get any more screwed up, but she’d been wrong. The one man she trusted, the one man who she’d risked her life for, had lied to her. And if that wasn’t enough, he loved her too. What was she supposed to do with that information?
Chapter 23
She didn’t know how long she stayed in that position. She didn’t have the energy to go to gun practice, but she knew that Briggs would be coming soon. Her phone vibrated on her hip. She pulled it out and looked down at the caller ID. Emma. She should have known. Lydia cleared her throat and dried her eyes then pulled off the best performance she’d ever given trying to convince her sister that everything was all right while she hid that her heart was breaking into a million pieces.
Lydia replaced her phone and replayed the conversation with Rick for the millionth time, and it struck her like lightning to a tall tree. Someone else knows. Someone else was lying to her, and it was about time she found out who. Lydia hurried out of her room to Briggs’ door and pounded her fist against it. No answer.
The guards standing station outside her door watched her with a worried look in their eyes. Lydia narrowed hers. She absorbed the surrounding energy and tried her best to hold it in. The guards didn’t deserve her wrath. No, whoever else knew and hadn’t told her was going to be the recipient of a nice jolt.
Lydia made her way to the dining hall. Screw the general’s orders to have someone accompany her. She felt like she could take on the world if it got in her way. Lydia pushed the dining hall doors with her mind, and they flew open. She found Briggs, Jaime, and Brody sitting at the opposite end of the room, all laughing as they sat eating their breakfast. She wondered if they’d all been in on Rick’s deceit.
She stormed over to the table and threw her palms down. The trays in front of each of them lifted from the table. “Which one of you knew?”
Briggs stood. “Knew what? What are you talking about?”
Jaime stood next to Briggs and placed her palm on Lydia’s arm.
“Don’t touch me.” She jerked her arm away. “Which one of you knew that Rick was lying to me?”
Briggs stepped in front of Jaime. “Just calm down, Lydia, and tell me what’s going on.”
She spun toward him. “Don’t you get it? I was his fucking mission. He lied about why he was here.”
Briggs took a step closer, and Lydia closed her eyes. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I don’t want to hurt you, Briggs.”
She opened her eyes. Briggs held up his palms. “You have to believe I didn’t know.”
Lydia let out a breath. She knew that Briggs wouldn’t have betrayed her or her family. That left two. She turned toward Jaime and raised her brow.
Jaime held up her palms. “Don’t look at me. Rick and I have hardly been in the same room for more than a minute.”
It only took a second for Lydia to believe she spoke the truth. She turned toward Brody. His head was hung low. No, not him too. “Brody, tell me you didn’t know.” Lydia’s voice broke.
He raised his gaze to meet hers, and all she saw was pity looking back at her. He pushed from the table. “I knew he was hiding something, but I didn’t know what it was.” He held out a hand to her. “You have to believe me.”
Lydia felt for the energy in her body. She narrowed her eyes and lifted Brody off the ground.
Briggs placed his palm on her arm. “Don’t.”
“Red, you know I can do that too,” Brody warned. “Put me down.”