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“Not much,” she admitted, coming to stand in front of my desk. “What do you intend to do with me?” she asked bluntly.
I admired her forthrightness. She had fire despite the glimmer of fear I saw in her eyes.
I pointed to the chair opposite. “Sit.”
Mila’s eyes narrowed, but she did as I asked, her back ramrod straight.
“I’ve decided not to refer this little matter to the authorities… for now.” I had no intention of doing so anyway, but she didn’t need to know that. Yet. “But from this moment on, you are working for me.”
“Hate to break it to you, but I already work for you,” she rallied, crossing her long legs.
My bear stirred beneath my skin, and I bared my teeth. “No, you don’t. You work for whoever sent you here. But that ends now. You’re going to tell me everything you know. And then you’ll help me draw out the fucker who is blackmailing and threatening you. You’re under my protection now, and no one fucks with what’s mine.”
“Yours?” Mila’s narrowed gaze met mine. “I don’t belong to anyone, Mr. Guardian,” she said, spitting my name like an epithet. “I’ve been alone my whole life. Fought my own battles, put myself through college, and paid my own way.”
“With other people’s money,” I pointed out.
She flinched as my words found their mark. “You may disapprove of how I support myself, but I had few options.”
“Everyone has options, Mila,” I pointed out. “You’ve used your talents for nefarious purposes.”
Her blue eyes sparked with fire. “You have no idea what I’ve sacrificed to get where I am. I’m damned good at what I do.”
“Yes, you are. But not good enough to hide from me or the person blackmailing you,” I said bluntly. “I’ve done my homework, Mila. I know you were abandoned as a baby. I know you were in the foster system until you aged out. I know all of your aliases, how you’ve kept moving to stay under the radar of those who might seek revenge. Yet here you are. Finally facing the consequences of your career choice.”
Her eyes widened. “How do you know all that?”
“I have a cousin who’s a damned genius when it comes to uncovering secrets. And I plan on knowing every one of yours before I’m done.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk and pinning her with my gaze. “I’m offering you the chance to stop running, Mila. You’re not a bad person. You didn’t have a family to guide you in your choices or give you the love you deserve. You’ve been forced to survive the only way you know how. But everyone has choices.”
Mila scoffed and waved a hand around her. “Easy for you to say as CEO of a billion-dollar company and every luxury at your fingertips.”
“You think all this didn’t come at a cost? You’re not the only one who’s faced trials and overcome obstacles.”
Mila's expression softened slightly, a flicker of curiosity mixing with her defiance. "I’m sorry. It’s hard to imagine someone in your situation having struggles.”
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. Memories stirred, ones I rarely allowed to resurface. "I lost my best friend four years ago. He was killed in action overseas. I went off the rails for a while. All this”—I circled my index finger in the air—“meant nothing to me. There were times after I lost him when I didn't know how I’d make it through the day, much less sustain this company."
Mila released a sigh, her eyes soft with compassion. “I’m sorry. That must have been tough. I imagine you never get over the loss of a loved one.”
I observed her thoughtfully. “No, you don’t. You just make room for the grief. And try to make better choices to honor those you’ve lost.”
She regarded me with a newfound intensity. "Is that what this is all about? You think you can fix my life? That you can simply swoop in and save me from my troubles?"
I shook my head slowly. "No, Mila. I can't fix everything. I'm no knight in shining armor. I’m ruthless when it comes to guarding my family and our legacy. But I can offer you resources, protection, and a chance to turn your life around. It's up to you whether you take it."
Her mouth dropped open. “Why would you do that after?—”
“I have my reasons,” I cut across her. Time enough to reveal my true intentions. To claim her. Keep her.
Mila frowned. "What would I need to do?”
“Work for me. With me. Tell me all you know about your blackmailers so we can figure out their motives.”
Silence blanketed the office as Mila mulled over my words, her gaze shifting to the window overlooking the city skyline. The faint sound of sirens drifted up from the streets below, a reminder of the dangers lurking beyond the safety of my office.
My bear rippled beneath my skin again, urging me to claim our mate. I hadn’t let him free to roam in weeks, immersed in unveiling the threat in my midst. I suddenly longed for the wide-open spaces and forest surrounding my home, to shift into my bear form and run with nothing but the wind on my face and the earth beneath my paws.
Soon, I promised him again.
