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“And if you had thought otherwise?”
She considered her question, then raised her eyes and met Harley’s, her expression deadly serious. “I think I would have recommended someone else.”
“Why?”
Izzy shook her head and frowned, and several moments passed before she answered. “Mostly because of you. I don’t think you fully realize what you’d be letting yourself in for—his defection, witness protection, a difficult and draining process to naturalize him to even become an American citizen.”
Harley stared at Izzy. “I’m not a green CIA operative, Izzy. I’m a Shadowguard. It’s not as if I don’t understand what’s at stake here or aware of all those obstacles.” She leaned back and folded her arms across her chest, an unsteady catch in her voice. “I appreciate your concern.” Sarcasm seeped into her voice.
There was a dispirited slump to Izzy’s shoulders, and she hated that her best friend in the world was upset about this almost non-existent affair with Aleksei. She couldn’t say she didn’t want more with him. But there were so many complications in their way.
“This job is hard enough going it alone.”
“I know,” Izzy answered, sounding suddenly weary. “The last thing I want is for you to be alone.” She sighed and leaned back into the sofa, her face lined with concern. “But I don’t want you trapped in something that’s going to suck the life out of you. Aleksei doesn’t either.”
Harley felt as if a tremendous weight were pressing the air out of her. She struggled to keep her voice level. “Don’t tell me you talked to Aleksei?”
“I did.” That struck her as the closest thing to a betrayal she’d ever experienced with Izzy, and the hurt was so intense that she had to either give way to tears or unleash her temper. She shoved the chair back with such force, it scraped the floor, but she was so angry that she barely noticed. She turned without a word and left Izzy with a startled look on her face.
Harley started for her own office. She needed some privacy right now. As she turned down the hallway, she bumped into Aleksei, who was coming from the conference room. He took one look at her face and caught her arms, his voice low and urgent. “What happened?”
Harley shook her head, fighting to hold back the overwhelming anger.
His grip on her arms tightened and a flinty expression glinted in his eyes. “Did Isabelle talk to you?”
Unable to answer him, she made a helpless gesture with her hands, and his expression turned to one of fury. Swearing hotly, Aleksei released her and was about to storm to Izzy’s office when she grabbed his arm and restrained him. He took a look at her stricken face and relented. Exhaling sharply, he opened the door to her office and drew her inside. Catching the door with his elbow, he swung it shut, then leaned against it as he gathered her to him.
She sagged against him, struggling for control, his cheek brushing her hair. He drew in an uneven breath and held her even tighter, his voice unsteady. “Tell me what she said, Harley.”
Harley shook her head, still unable to answer him. He caught her under the chin and gently raised her head, forcing her to meet his gaze.
She related the gist of the conversation.
His voice gruff with emotion, he said, “Ever since DC, since you saved my life at the Lincoln Memorial, and afterward, listened to me like I meant something to you, as if my life wasn’t some empty puppetry where my father pulled the strings…” The dark, smoky look in his eyes was so mesmerizing that it was clear he was having a hard time continuing. “I adore you, Harley. I wasn’t playing last night.”
Slipping her arms around him, she pressed against him, his jaw resting on her temple. His tone was solemn. “But there’s a lot of truth in what Isabelle said.”
“It’s none of her business.”
Aleksei sighed and eased his hold on her. “Maybe it isn’t, but I have to agree with her. If we were to…take this to a different level…it would be difficult for both of us, but mostly for you.”
She was getting tired of hearing about how hard it would be for her, and she stared back at him, her chin lifting stubbornly. “That’s not true. You’d be making the most sacrifices. You’ve lost your homeland, they're going to be hunting you down, you’ll have to hide for who knows how long.”
His expression changed, and there was annoyance flashing in his eyes. “That doesn’t undermine your sacrifices, Harley,” he said, his voice a little too quiet. “It’s a legitimate concern.”
Her eyes narrowed, then indignation took over and her temper flared. “Well, then I guess we don’t have to worry about it, if it’s too hard.”
He stared at her coldly, then brushed past her and yanked open the door. “I can see this was a waste of time.”
“Yes, it certainly was.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
He gave her one last icy stare and stomped off down the hallway. Harley didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she slammed the door instead.
* * *
