Steel Vengeance (Blackthorn Security #6)

Chapter 37

CHAPTER 37

S loane clutched Stitch’s hand, her fingers trembling against his as the chaos of Jinnah International Airport swirled around them. It felt like she was standing in the eye of a storm, the relentless noise and movement a stark contrast to the silence stretching between them. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, nerves coiled tight enough to snap. Every second felt like a countdown to disaster—any moment, she expected the crack of a gunshot to echo off the walls, or the sudden sting of a blade slipping between her ribs. It wasn't paranoia. There was a price on her head.

Jeremy was gone, but Matthew wasn’t—and he was the one calling the shots, according to Pat.

Patrick Burke.

It was clear both Stitch and Blade looked up to the former SEAL commander. They spoke about him in almost reverent tones. Sloane had never met the man, but she trusted him, if only because they did. Pat had promised he’d pull every string he could to get Stitch home. But it wasn’t fast enough, not for this moment.

"Matthew’s gone dark," Pat had told them. No surprise there. He’d know the heat was on after Jeremy’s death. He wasn’t stupid. He was dangerous, calculating. Airports and ports were on lockdown, and an APB was out, but somehow Sloane doubted that would stop a man like him.

Still, for now, she could go home.

Home. The word hit her with a strange mix of emotions. Elation—because it meant she was safe, she could breathe again. Relief—because this nightmare might finally be over. But underneath all that was a heavy ache, a bitter disappointment that gnawed at her. This wasn’t how she wanted it to end. Not like this. Not with a hurried goodbye, not with Stitch left behind.

"I can’t go back to the States," Stitch had said, his voice gruff but tight with frustration. "Not until they clear things up. Besides, I’ve got unfinished business.”

She gulped. Rahul Ghani. She knew he was going after him. Alone.

“You sure you don’t want me to stay?” Blade asked, for the hundredth time.

“No. It’s more important you get Sloane back safely.” He grinned. “And I know how much you love Afghanistan.” There was an undercurrent there, something between the two men.

Blade gave a nod. “Watch your six, brother.”

“Always.”

Sloane couldn’t believe he was sacrificing his safety for hers. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

Blade would be flying back with her, not Stitch. The thought made her heart twist painfully in her chest. She liked Blade—respected him even—but it wasn’t him she wanted by her side.

She wanted Stitch.

What if she never saw him again? The thought lodged in her throat, making it hard to breathe. Was this how it ended, after everything they'd fought through, after all the bullets and blood and sleepless nights? A rushed, awkward farewell in a crowded airport, the last kiss stolen between security lines?

More tears threatened, but she gritted her teeth and stopped them falling. She couldn’t let him see her break. Not now. Not like this. Stitch squeezed her hand, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough.

Blade clapped a hand on Stitch’s shoulder, a silent promise passing between them. “Pat’s talking to Commander Mattison as we speak. He’ll get things sorted. It won’t be long before you’re stateside, man. You can trust him.”

Stitch shrugged, trying to play it cool, but the look in his eyes betrayed him. He was desperate to go home, to finally walk free without the weight of the past few years hanging over him. But the system wasn’t that simple. Sloane knew that hunger, saw it in the way his jaw clenched, and his gaze flickered to the doors leading to the terminal. The place where he should be walking through with her.

They hugged, the kind of tight, bone-crushing embrace only brothers-in-arms understood. Stitch’s voice was low, rough. “Take care of her, Blade.”

Blade gave a sharp nod. “You know I will.”

It was time. The words echoed in Sloane’s head as she took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing herself to let go of his hand. The warmth of his touch slipped away, leaving her cold and empty. She tried to smile, but it trembled at the edges. “I’ll miss you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crowd. “Thank you for… everything.”

His eyes locked on hers, piercing through the noise and chaos like a lifeline. “Stay safe, Sloane. I mean it. Matthew’s still out there, and he’s dangerous.”

“I know.” Her throat burned with the words she couldn’t say. I love you. Don’t let this be the end.

“Damn, I wish I could be there to hunt him down,” he muttered, the frustration spilling over now, raw and unfiltered.

“Give it a few days.” Blade’s voice was steady, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “You’ll be back in the fight soon enough. We’ll get him.”

Stitch gave a reluctant nod, but his gaze never left hers.

Her heart screamed at her to stay, to fight against the inevitable, but there was no choice. Not now. She gave him one last, lingering look, hoping somehow he could see everything she wasn’t brave enough to say.

Then she turned, her stomach twisting with every step she took, Blade at her side as they moved through security. Every beep, every scan felt like she was walking away from something she wasn’t ready to let go of. And even as the crowd swallowed them up, she knew she’d left a part of her heart back there, standing with Stitch in the middle of a busy airport in Karachi.