She places her fingers over my lips. “Nothing will happen to me. I trust Viraj. I trust you.”
“That’s not the issue.” I let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t trust those sick bastards. Not when I know they’ll come for you again just for the thrill of it. I’m not letting that happen.”
Viraj interjects, rising to his feet. “Sidharth, I’m not saying we put her in real danger. We’ll have eyes on her the whole time. But we need just enough calculated exposure, something—”
“Why the hell can’t you get it that there’s no such thing as ‘calculated’ when it comes to Prakash?” I snap, cutting him off. “You were there the last time, Viraj. You saw what he’s capable of. And now, knowing he’s not working alone, you still want to give him a chance to outsmart us?”
“I’m not giving him a chance,” he says coolly. “I’m trying to force the one move that traps him. You want to protect her, I get that. But we don’t win this by playing scared.”
“I’m not gambling with her life,” I growl, my tone leaving no room for argument.
Viraj exhales harshly, clearly fighting to stay calm. “We really need to stop waiting for him to make the next move. Because the longer we wait, the more unpredictable he becomes.”
“I’ll come up with another plan,” I grit my teeth. “One that doesn’t involve putting her in his line of fire.”
“Fine,” he says, grabbing his jacket and slinging it over his shoulder. “I’ll make a move now.” He walks to the door, then pauses, glancing over his shoulder. “Just remember, we don’t have the luxury of time.”
The door shuts behind him, and I just sit there, staring. My hands curl into fists at my sides, my knuckles bone-white. Every part of me itches to punch a hole through the damn wall just to feel something break.
“Sidharth,” Nisha says softly, her hand tightening against my thigh. I turn my gaze to her, hoping the storm inside me will calm, but the rage still boils under my skin, especially when I see the fear in her eyes.
“I can’t live like this in fear. And for that to change, Prakash and whoever’s helping him need to be behind bars. And if I can help in any way, I want to.” She makes another attempt to break through the decision I’ve already made, like her hope alone might be enough to change my mind.
“I said no. I’m not leaving you exposed like that.” My voice carries a protectiveness I can’t switch off, no matter how ready she thinks she is to take this risk.
She sighs. “Sidharth, stop thinking with your heart for just one second and start thinking like the detective you are. Thinkabout what catching Prakash and finally ending this would mean. For me. For all of us.”
My jaw ticks as I hold her gaze with a stare sharp enough to end this damn argument right then and there. “You think I don’t want this nightmare over? I do. More than anything. But not at the cost of you.”
Her chin lifts in quiet defiance. “It’s my choice.”
Then, without waiting for my reply, she stands and walks off towards the kitchen as if the conversation’s over. Like she’s the one calling the shots now. Like hell she is.
My temper spikes, rising fast and hot. Why the hell doesn’t that stubborn woman see it? Doesn’t she get that I can’t risk her life? The very idea of her stepping into harm’s way, even with a dozen men guarding her, makes me want to tear the damn walls down.
I continue to sit there, trying to compose myself. This woman has a real knack for infuriating me, testing every ounce of my patience, but damn it, I still love her more than I know what to do with.
Seconds tick by, but I still can’t bring myself to calm down. Especially knowing that she won’t listen, and there’s no way in hell I can just let it slide. So I make up my mind. I jump up from the couch, my fists clenched, and storm into the kitchen. If she thinks I’ll eventually back down while she throws herself out there like bait, she’s dead wrong.
When I reach the kitchen doorway, I find her standing by the counter, staring blankly down at the glass of water in her hand. As if sensing me, she lifts her gaze and meets mine.
“Sidharth—” she starts, but I don’t let her finish.
I close the distance in two long strides. I take the glass from her and set it down harder than necessary, the clack echoing in the quiet. Then I plant my hands on the counter, one on eachside of her, caging her in. Not to frighten her, but to make sure she can’t walk away from what I’m about to say.
“Listen to me, Nisha,” I grit out. “I’ll find a way to put those assholes behind bars. I swear I will. But I’m not using you as bait. Get that through your thick skull.”
“Sidharth…”
“Don’t,” I snap, my eyes locked on hers. “Don’t you dare open your mouth and try to convince me because it’s not helping. It’s only pissing me off. We’re doing this my way. And that’s final.”
Her lips part, trembling, but she doesn’t look away. And I’m not done.
“Tattoo it in your damn mind, Nisha, if anything happens to you, it’ll destroy me.”
Her eyes glisten, and for a beat, she doesn’t move. I drag in a deep breath, trying to steady the chaos clawing at my chest and press on.
“When I lost my sister, I buried myself in work. Hunting down criminals was the only thing that distracted me, that dulled the pain just enough to survive. But then you came into my life, and you became more than a reason to survive. You became an obsession, Nisha, something I just can’t afford to lose.”
