“Trust me, baby. If she wants you to let her go, all she probably wants is some time to herself and to be with her friends. She wants to cry on their shoulders and commiserate about what an asshole you are. Let her have this time. If you want any shot at winning her back, you’ll give her exactly what she wants. Right now, that’s a life without any reminders of what she considers to be her biggest mistake… You.”

I opened my mouth, wanting to argue that letting her go wasn’t an option, but she held up her hand. “Don’t worry. It’ll all work out.”

“I don’t know if I can stay away,” I admitted. “I’ve seen her every day for the past six months. I–”

“Tyler, sometimes, we need to give those we love space to work out their feelings, and I’m not talking about months or even weeks. Right now, she’s upset and confused. Her world’s been torn apart. She needs to put the pieces back together, but she can’t do that with you in her life. Not yet, anyway. Give her space to find her life. Eventually, she’ll find her love. She’ll find the truth amidst the lies. But you need to give her time.”

I gazed ahead as runners jogged along the promenade path, considering my mother’s words. Sighing, I turned to her. “How do you always seem to have all the answers?”

“Because I’m old, baby.” She smiled at me, the wrinkles around her eyes showing. “Do you know how many mistakes I’ve made in my life?”

“No.”

“Well, I’ve made enough that I can speak to you from experience. Trust me. The best thing you can do is give her time. Then you can go to her and beg forgiveness with the most ridiculously expensive jewelry money can buy.” She nudged me and I laughed at her attempt to bring me out of my sour mood. “She’ll come around.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m your mother.” She winked, a sparkle in her eyes. “I’m always right.” Her jovial expression turned serious once more as she grabbed my hands in hers. “Go back to your routine, Tyler. It’s gotten you through tough spots in the past. Do it again. It will give you the clarity you need right now.”

A loud throat clearing sounded and we snapped our heads up to see Alexander standing off to the side. I could see guilt hidden beneath his tough exterior. Even though he should have been upset at the failed mission, it was readily apparent he wasn’t there as the head of the security company, about to berate me regarding what happened. He was there as my brother.

“Well,” my mother said, placing her hand on my leg. “I think you boys need to have a bit of a chat. I love you, Tyler, baby.” She planted a soft kiss on my temple and, for an instant, I wanted to think everything would be okay, that it would all work out. 

A group of cyclists flew by as she got up from the bench and strode to Alexander. He bent his almost six-and-a-half foot frame down to allow my mother to place a kiss on his cheek and she whispered something in his ear. I couldn’t hear what, but I knew she had to be giving him a piece of her mind.

She retreated from us and Alexander approached me with a shrunken stature, exhaling as he sat next to me on the bench. He placed his forearms on his legs and stared at the river. An awkward silence passed as we both sat contemplating everything. The sun had begun to set over the city, a chill in the spring air. Runners were out getting some exercise, people were walking their dogs… The world continued to spin even though it felt like I was stuck in that moment when Mackenzie learned the truth.

“Ty, I need to talk to you about something,” Alexander finally said.

The timbre of his voice gave me pause. I glanced to him, observing him run his hands through his dark hair, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“What is it?”

He turned his eyes to meet mine and I braced myself for what he was about to tell me, unsure of whether I could deal with any more bad news. “You can’t go back,” he said softly.

“I’m not. Not yet, anyway. I’ll give her some time and–”

“No, Tyler,” he interrupted, his voice firm. “It’s not safe–”

“And it is for Mackenzie?” I responded, my voice incredulous. “What about Charlie? What if he figures it out and goes after–”

“We need to cease all contact for everybody’s protection, including hers.”

“Why?”

He rubbed his temples. I could sense the wheels turning in his head, debating whether to tell me the truth or simply something to appease me for the moment. “Please, Tyler, I need you to trust me. I’ve worked special ops long enough to know when something isn’t right and, at this moment, there is something severely fucked up going on. I called our agency handler to give him a status report on the mission.”

“Yeah…?”

“According to his secretary, he’s been missing for a week. I couldn’t get any more information out of her, but I have a feeling in my gut that it’s related to this case. He made his last contact with her on the same day Charlie made headlines for being wanted for all those murders. Based on everything you’ve been telling me, I can’t help but think there may be a connection between the two, that there’s something bigger at play here than we’ve been led to believe. I have a bad feeling my agency handler’s been compromised. It’s only a matter of time until they turn to you.”

“Who?” I asked, my heart racing.

“I have no idea. It could be anyone. Maybe someone who was worried word would get out that Mackenzie’s father possibly had nothing to do with everything of which he’s been accused. I’m sure that’s the reason you refused to tell me his location the other night.”

I shot my eyes to his, shock washing over me. “How did you know?”

“It was pretty obvious, Ty. I know all your tells. I knew you were covering for him and, well… I get it. But if I’m right, and I have a feeling I am, your connection to Mackenzie could potentially make you a sitting duck. If they think you have even the slightest inkling someone other than Galloway is to blame, I don’t need to spell out what they’ll do. I need you to disappear.”

“What? I can’t–”

“Just one month. That’s all I’m going to ask of you. I need time to comb through the intel you gathered and find out what’s really going on here. I have a new assignment for you anyway. One that’s more of a humanitarian project. No lies. No betrayal. Just helping people who desperately need it.”

“But what about Mackenzie?”

“Nothing will happen to her, Tyler. I promise you. I made a few arrangements and will have eyes on her around the clock.”

I shook my head, confused. “But what about you? You were involved in this assignment, too. What if someone comes after you?”

“Don’t worry about me. It’s my job to worry about you.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “You’re my brother, Ty, and I love you.” He met my eyes. “Plus, I promised Dad years ago I would always watch out for you. That’s why I need you to leave. Eli, too. I need you to go somewhere else so I know nothing will happen. Like I said, if our agency handler has been compromised, your life could be at risk. This is me fulfilling my promise to Dad.”

I stared ahead at the Charles River, my mother’s advice to give Mackenzie some space echoing in my head. I hated the idea of abandoning her, leaving her vulnerable to anyone who wanted to do her harm, but if there was one thing I knew about my brother, it was that he kept his promises. If he vowed to watch out for and protect Mackenzie, I knew he would take that oath as serious as he took the oath he pledged to his country all those years ago.