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“He gets into his own head sometimes,” Zach helped me out. “We don’t have a lot of time for this, but why don’t you two step into another room and talk?”
I nodded, and taking her by the hand, we found an unused guest room next door. “Keep the door open,” she implored me, looking around as if someone was going to jump out of the shadows.
“Sure.” The house had emptied, except for the unconscious and Hayes, but I left the door open wide so the light of the hallway mingled with the light in the room. Once we were alone, however, I faltered. Although I had her hand in mine, I felt like we were back in that holding pattern where I wasn’t sure whether I was allowed to touch her or not. “I’m falling in love with you,” I said, deciding to jump in headfirst.
Nataliya blinked, obviously trying to absorb that information. “We barely know one another.”
“I know, but I’m falling in love with you.” I already love you, I could have added, but I didn’t want to scare her. “I’ve never met anyone who makes me feel like you do.”
She started to smile but bit it back with a shake of her head. “Adrian, I have to think about Elias here. Being with me isn’t simple.”
“Why in the world would I want something simple?” I asked. “What would that even look like? From the moment you and I met, it’s been nothing but chaos.”
“And that’s not a good start to a relationship!” she pointed out, exasperated. “We’ve been running off adrenaline and impending doom since the day we met. What happens when we settle into ‘everyday’ life? Won’t that be a little boring for someone like you?”
“Someone like me?”
Nataliya tried to gesture, but our hands were still linked. We’d been talking all this while still touching. She stared at our hands for a second, as if confused by the sight of them, but she didn’t let go. She just refocused back on the fight we were in the middle of. “You’ve traveled the world and done some of the most exciting things. How could a life like that compare to putting down roots somewhere and staying? And if you kept your lifestyle going, kept working investigations that took you all over and put you in danger more often than not, what would that mean for Elias and me? I want him to have stability—to have a real home. A dad figure who’s barely around is so much less than what he deserves.”
“I agree,” I said and, feeling brave, brought her hand up. I brushed my lips against her knuckles, and I saw the goosebumps spread down her arm. “I want what’s best for you and Elias. I would do anything for you both.”
Before she could reply, the local PD burst in. “Hands up!” one deputy barked at us. He had his gun drawn, and his finger was resting on the trigger.
“Get that finger back on the barrel of the gun!” I snapped as I complied. “Are you trying to shoot us?”
“No,” the deputy said. “Uh…I mean, no.” He had to be brand new out of the academy.
“Then keep your fingers away from the trigger,” I suggested. “Hayes is in the next room with my friend.”
“And what are you doing on private property, Mr.—?”
“Pierce,” I said. “Agent Adrian Pierce…and I came here to rescue her.” I nodded to Nataliya. “Hayes had taken her captive.”
The word “agent” piqued the officer’s interest. “FBI? CIA?” he asked.
“FBI,” I replied. “Can we put our arms down now?”
The deputy agreed, and he put his gun away to show we weren’t in danger anymore. “The sheriff is going to want to talk to you,” he said. “Get your statements.”
“Of course,” I said. “My girlfriend will tell your higherups all about the operation Ian Hayes is running.”
“Girlfriend?” Nataliya murmured from my side, as if she were testing how her mouth moved to form the letters.
“My maybe-girlfriend,” I corrected, not wanting her to feel like I was putting words in her mouth or making decisions for her. “If I can get her to agree.” I squeezed her fingers with mine. “Can we get a few minutes before we join you?” I asked. “She’s been through a rough night.”
The deputy eyed us. “I…guess.”
“Thank you. We’ll be with you shortly.”
Once we were alone again, Nataliya extracted her hand from mine. “So you want me to be your girlfriend?” she asked.
“Yes. That’s what I want.”
She tried to smile but failed. “I don’t think I can,” she said finally. “We’re just two very different?—”
“We are,” I agreed. “We’re very different. But I think that’s a good thing. We help each other see life in a different way, offer different perspectives. We complement each other—and I think we could be good for each other, too. I know there’s a lot we’d need to work out and talk through, but if we’re both willing to try, I think we can find a compromise. And when it comes to you, I’m always going to be willing to try.”
“You weren’t before,” she pointed out. “You wouldn’t even hear me out.”
