Mia shook her head. “No, they came back to the house, but they were afraid to wake my father and tell him I was missing in case he took it out on them, which he definitely would have. I agreed to keep it from my father to save them from getting in trouble, but honestly, I was more concerned about what my father would say to me. He wouldn’t have just let that go.”
Max frowned. “I hate that you put yourself at risk for me.”
Mia held his gaze and small smile played at the corner of her lips. “It was worth it.”
Max felt his heart swell.
“What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?” he asked.
Mia leaned forward in her seat, her hands nervously clasped together. There was a hesitancy in her eyes, a fear that seemed to reach deep into her soul. Max watched her silently, waiting for her to speak.
“I didn’t want to tell you this,” she began, her voice wavering slightly. “I was afraid of what you might think of me...afraid that you would judge me.”
Max frowned at her words, his mind racing to comprehend the seriousness of her confession. “Mia, I could never—”
“I’ve been helping the FBI,’ she said, cutting him off, her words tumbling out in a rush. “I’ve been helping them build a case against my father.”
The words hung in the air between them, heavy with implication and unspoken fears. Max was silent, his mind processing the revelation. Mia was risking her safety and her life to bring her own father to justice.
Mia took a deep breath before starting, her fingers idly twisting in her lap. “I’ve taken certain...steps,” she began, her voice filled with a resolve that made Max’s respect for her deepen.
Our mate is fierce.
“Steps?” Max echoed, leaning forward, his full attention on her.
“Yes,” she continued. “Covert steps... Gathering as much evidence as I could without drawing attention. It’s been hard, Max. Harder than anything I’ve ever done.”
Max could see the strain in her eyes, could feel the weight of her burden pressing down on her.
“What kind of evidence?” he asked, his voice soft.
“Records, conversations, financial transactions...anything that could help build a case against him,” she replied, a note of desperation seeping into her words.
“And you’ve been meeting with the FBI?” Max’s brow furrowed in concern.
“Yes,” Mia confessed. “Under the very noses of my father’s guards. It was risky and dangerous...but necessary.”
Max ran a hand through his hair, his mind struggling to catch up with the torrent of information. “You’ve been living on the edge,” he said, his voice filled with worry.
She gave a hollow laugh, a sound that had no joy in it. “Youcould say that,” she allowed, “I felt as if I was always just one step away from being discovered. I’ve spent so many nights lying awake, fearing the consequences.”
Her words hung heavy in the silence that followed, the magnitude of her confession sinking deep into Max’s soul. He found his admiration for her growing, but so too did his worry. Mia had been navigating a dangerous world, and he feared the cost it could exact. Max knew because he lived in that world too. The difference was, he’d had extensive training. She hadn’t.
Each revelation hit Max like a physical blow. The enormity of her bravery was almost overwhelming, but it was overshadowed by the sheer danger of her situation. If she was caught, there was no telling what her father would do.
“Mia,” he said, finally breaking his silence. His voice was low and gravelly with worry. “What you’re doing...it’s incredibly dangerous.”
“I know,” she replied, her voice small. “But it’s something I have to do. And if we’re going to be together, I don’t want there to be secrets between us even if you can’t look at me the same way again.”
Max leaned forward, reaching out to take her hands. The intensity of his gaze locked onto hers.
“Mia,” he said softly. “I don’t think less of you for this. In fact, I’m proud of you. But that doesn’t change the fact that what you’re doing is putting your life at risk.”
The room fell silent once again, but this time, it was filled with understanding and shared worries and hopes. They were together in this, no matter how dangerous the path ahead might be.
In the charged silence that followed Mia’s confession, Max found himself getting up from his chair and going to her, driven by a mixture of concern, admiration, and a desire that was becoming harder and harder to ignore. He took her hand and lifted her to her feet then his lips found hers in a soft, gentle exploration that quickly escalated into a heated embrace.
The world outside her bedroom ceased to exist as he got lost in the taste of her, his hands tangling in her hair, his heart pounding against his chest. It would have been so easy for Max to lose himself in Mia, and he wished she would reconsider her plan to work with the FBI and move in with him where she would be safe.
