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“And you’ve known this whole time what you have?”
Her voice was quiet. “I have, but once I worked out the kinks, I was going to destroy that part of the research and the defective drug.”
“What about the company that’s financing your research?”
“Biotech? What about it?”
“Don’t they have access to everything? What about Dr. Pallon?”
Syd shook her head. “I don’t give anyone access. Even Dr. Pallon. I’m the only one. And Biotech doesn’t know what I have.”
“So you have a biological weapon that only has your fingerprint as security?”
“I told you, no one was supposed to know. It should have been enough security.”
Aaron stood and turned his back on her. “You can’t assume anything when you have a weapon that dangerous. You can’t say no one was supposed to know. People know. Dangerous people know.” He turned to her. “You’ve put thousands of people’s lives at risk on an assumption.”
“Hang on a second. I thought you were here to protect me. If you’ve just come here to tell me what an idiot I am, don’t bother. I already feel ashamed enough. You don't need to tell me what a mess I've made. I already know that. I don’t need you putting more guilt on me. You can go. McCaffrey can come back. At least he does his job.”
Aaron ran his hand through his hair. “Looks like you and I have both been irresponsible. Why didn’t you just destroy it when you found out what you had?”
“Because I need it. It’s the path that I need to follow to get where I want to go, and I’m close to a breakthrough.”
“But at what cost?”
She stood, smacking her hand on the table. “It wasn’t supposed to cost anything.”
Aaron raised his voice to match hers. “You keep saying that. When are you going to step into a bit of reality? You are exposed. Your work is exposed. All you are doing is putting people’s lives in danger. You’re not helping anyone. It doesn’t matter that no one was supposed to know. People know. Accept it.”
She turned away from him, but not before he caught the glistening in her eyes.
She leaned on the table. Her voice was cold, but Aaron could hear a quaver. “You’ve wanted out of this job since the beginning. Tell you what.” She took her mug to the kitchen and tossed it in the sink with a clatter and turned to him. “I’ll call your boss and tell him I want someone else.”
“Syd.”
“This isn’t supposed to be personal, but it is. I don’t know how to separate you as this … this man in front of me from the teenage boy from my childhood and neither can you. I’ll tell your boss you were great, okay? But I can’t do this. I thought I could. I thought this was what I wanted, but it’s not working. I can’t give up everything I’ve worked for because you feel the need to treat me like a little girl.”
“Is that what you think? That I still see you as a little girl?”
“Don’t you?”
“Syd, I do respect youandyour work. What you’re trying to do is admirable. But my job is to keep you safe and right now, you are not safe.”
“I’m sorry, Aaron. I can’t do this. It just feels … ”
“What?” He couldn’t remember crossing the room, but he found himself standing in front of her. “I just want you safe. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I know,” she whispered, breathless. “But I don’t know how to do this with you.”
His fingertips brushed a tear from her cheek.
“We’ll find a way. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
They both stopped breathing, and the only reason Aaron had the willpower to step back was because, if he kissed her, he’d definitely have to take himself off the job, and he wouldn’t trust anyone else with her safety. Not now. Not ever.
“If you want to keep doing your research, then we need to find you a safer place to do it. That biological weapon needs to be completely secure.”
* * *
