Rickie pulled into an overnight café near her neighbourhood, turned the key in the ignition, and looked over at the silent woman in the pa.s.senger seat. Meaghan slowly opened the car door and slid out onto the pavement, and began walking towards the open door of the business. Rickie quickly alighted from the vehicle, and caught up with her just inside the lobby. After waiting a moment to look over his options, he steered her over to a secluded booth, and sat down next to her.She looked down at her shaky hands, squeezing them tightly.
"How did that man know me without an introduction? And what was that about my parents?"
Meaghan then looked up at him. "And who are you, really?"
He grabbed her hands, shocked at their cold trembling. "I didn"t mean to hurt or deceive you. My family has been in business for several generations, but until a half-year ago, I worked for the government security agency. Thanks to your report, we managed to stop a terrorist group from sabotaging my company"s gas platform."
"But what is all this about my parents?"
Rickie rubbed her hands between his in an attempt to warm them. He looked directly into those chocolate eyes, now clouded with confusion.
"They were BKN agents, too. In fact, I worked with your parents directly, right up until…the plane crash."
Meaghan looked at him in surprise. Just then, the waitress walked over to their table. Rickie ordered two café Americanos, and waited for Meaghan to respond.
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"You…you knew my parents? And you"re telling me, they were spies?"
Rickie shook his head impatiently.
"They were government agents, not spies. They helped monitor activity between Malaysia and the other countries. They were heading over to China when their plane went down."
That knowledge was another blow to her stunned mind; she pulled her hands from his grasp.
"So, you"ve known all along who my parents were and didn"t tell me. Plus," she held up a hand when he opened his mouth. "You had me transferred to your think-tank, taskforce, harem, whatever you want to call it."
Meaghan took a deep breath, the pain of hundreds of icy needles piercing her chest.
"You have been manipulating me all along, the n.o.ble Prince versus the poor mouse. You must have laughed at my naiveté when you were leading me around. All you ever had to do was crick your finger and I would do whatever you asked of me. Did you ever really care for me…?"
Meaghan"s voice trailed off on a sob as tears burned her eyes. Rick made a move towards her, but she stepped back, her left hand palm out as if to hold him off.
"Don"t. I can"t do this now. I"m leaving. Since this business is done, there"s no reason for us to see each other anymore."
Rickie was ready to argue, but the bright pain those beautiful eyes stopped him cold. He could only stand there, tears pooling in his eyes as the woman he loved picked up her things and walked back towards the gla.s.s door.
Only when he could no longer see her through the café windows did he collapse into the cool vinyl of the banquette, despair welling up from the depths of his soul.