Page 39 of Wicked Shadows
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
One Year Earlier
“Elle Moore, best known for her supermodel days, had her big break on the big screen with minor, but memorable, secondary characters. Confidential sources have told us that’s all about to change. One of Hollywood’s most influential leading men, Matt Lane himself, has specifically requested Elle be his leading lady in the highly anticipated romantic comedy.
“Filming is scheduled to begin late next month, but the beautiful pair has been spotted together several times already. Is it too early to hope this pairing is more than just great casting? We may be looking at Hollywood royalty in the making. We’ll keep our eyes on this couple and bring you more updates as they become available.”
Watching television normally bored Shadow to tears, but seeing Elle cozied up to Hollywood’s “good guy” on the nightly entertainment news certainly caught his attention. With his eyes glued to the screen, his hands curled into fists, and his nostrils flaring from agitation, he watched Matt put his arm around Elle’s waist and pull her into his side. When she curled into Matt willingly, Shadow’s blood began to boil. But when Matt placed a lingering kiss on Elle’s cheek, Shadow finally moved.
“Hey, Reap. Just wanted to let you know I’ll be away for a couple of weeks. I’ll call you when I get back.”
“No problem. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just a few things I need to take care of.”
After he finished talking to Noah, he called Steadman.
“Shadow, my man. What do you have for me today?”
“I’ll be off the grid for a couple of weeks. Don’t send anything my way because I won’t be checking in at all.”
After a few clicks on his laptop, his ticket to LAX was booked. Then he started planning the ultimate destination—and that place didn’t includeMatt Lane. With his surprise plans securely in place, he threw his clothes into a suitcase and hurried to the airport. Every element of his actions went against the grain of his personality.
He didn’t make rash decisions. He always carefully planned every move he made.
He only appeared to be spontaneous. Every move and countermove were considered ahead of time.
Logic ruled his mind, heart, and actions. He wasn’t a slave to his emotions. Rational thinking, sound decision-making skills, and careful analysis of every possible outcome had kept him alive in some of the worst places in the world.
All the years of extensive training and having the rules of working undercover drilled into his subconscious evaporated where Elle was concerned. No risk was too great, no stakes were too high, no matter what the cost to himself would be. She was worth it. She was more than worth it—she was the only light he could see at the end of his tunnel.
It appeared the only thing he couldn’t do for her was the very thing she’d asked of him. He couldn’t stay away from her and give her the time apart like she’d requested. He’d stayed away for as long as he could stand, and seeing her happy with another man was the tipping point. There was no doubt he’d pay the price of her wrath when he showed up out of the blue, demanding she see him. Even more so when he sprang the tickets to Jade Mountain in St. Lucia. For two. For two weeks of total seclusion.
His life of secrecy and disappearing with no word for weeks on end had taken an adverse toll on their relationship. Questions gave way to suspicions. The silence between them became deafening. He couldn’t say the words she needed to hear, and she couldn’t accept the way their lives had to be.
“Devon.” She’d begun tentatively, and he read the signs of what was to come next. “There’s still so much I don’t know about you. Where you go. What you do. I feel like an outsider in your life, when I want nothing more than to know everything about you.”
“I know you do, Elle. I don’t know what to say to make you feel better about us.”
She wrung her hands, and tears shimmered in her eyes. “This isn’t working for me, Devon. As much as I want it to, as much as I love you, this isn’t the life I want. We need some time apart to reevaluate our relationship and what we want out of it.”
Devon nodded slowly. Not agreeing with her, but giving himself an extra moment to rein in his feelings before he spoke. “Time apart to reevaluate our relationship,” he repeated. “How much time will that take? How much more time do you need apart from me than you already have?”
“I don’t want you to come back until I call you. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I can’t constantly watch for you to show up and live my life at the same time. The longest we’ve been apart is four months—”
“That only happened once, and it couldn’t be helped. I explained that to you.”
“You did—you said it couldn’t be helped. That’s the only explanation you gave. Knowing how I felt at the end of those four months, I’m guessing I should know one way or another after six months apart.”
“You want me to stay away for six months while you decide if you want me to come back at all?” The timbre of his voice lowered while the volume raised. He ran his fingers through his hair and clasped his hands behind his neck before releasing a forced exhale.
The tears spilled over her lower lids and slid down her cheeks. One quickly followed the previous, soaking her cheeks and leaving her eyes red and swollen. “Yes. But I understand if you’d rather end it now.”
She’s testing me, he thought.Will I wait for her like she’s waited for me so many times? Yes, Elle, I will wait for you however long it takes to prove my love for you.
“Six months it is, then. I’ll stay away until you call. When I hear from you, I’ll run back to your side.”
