Luka frowned. “Excluded.” He huffed, holding his arms out to indicate the rest of the room. “You’re right here with us.”
I crossed my arms. “I would like to be active in the planning. The execution of this mission.” Already, I’d overheard a few things that wouldn’t work. I wanted to be trusted to run this mission and have closure with stopping the Obsidian Eye group.
“Sadie.” Alexsei shook his head. “You’re about to give birth. You can’t seriously think you’re coming along on this mission and?—”
Emil held his hand up to quiet him. “Sadie, what’s going on?”
I trusted this man, and I prayed he would understand that I really did.
“I insist on not being excluded.”
He watched me, giving me that careful look that hinted at his thinking things through with a strategic angle.
“I have many ideas on how to stop this group from having their first meeting. It was stillmymission. I don’t want you to just take over and… rob me of a chance of making my mark one last time. To know that with this one last job, I’ve done my part in making the world safer.”
Tipping my chin up, I waited for their reaction.
I doubted many could come in here and tell the leaders of the Dubinin Dynasty how they wanted things to go. And the fact that I was a former agent couldn’t look good, either. They very well could assume that I was up to something by insisting on being included. It wasn’t a trick. It was just personal for me.
Please.I stared down Emil.Please, if you understand me at all, let me have this last mission to be involved in.
31
EMIL
No one spoke after Sadie insisted on being more involved.
As I watched her, defiant as ever, I fell more in love with this badass. She wasn’t only brave, though, butting in like this. She was smart, too.
We would be at a loss without her. She brought so much to the table. She came prepared with all those backed-up files. She carried many secrets and bits of intel in the map of her mind. Without her as an informant and guide, we wouldn’t be in the position to wage a war against those trying to team up and potentially hurt us.
Now wasn’t the time to admire her. Not yet.
I turned, facing my father. Then I nodded. “She’s not going anywhere.”
He looked at the ceiling and sighed. “No one was kicking her out.”
That meant a lot, coming from him.
“No, but I agree with her. We’re talking over her, hijacking the case she was working on.”
Alexsei shook his head. “Emil, be reasonable. I know you’re more of a thrill-seeker than the rest of us, but are you really willing to risk her safety? You want to expose her to combat when she’s about to be the mother of your child?”
“This is what he means. I’m right here,” she said hotly, holding her arms out. “There is no need to talk over me.”
Alexsei hung his head and held his hands up in a truce.
“You’re not going to lead this mission,” my father said flatly.
She narrowed her eyes.
“Not in the field.” He glanced at me, incredulous. “After how panicked you were that she’d deliver this baby when she was held hostage, you want to appease her and let her run out into war and deliver it like Gabriella did when she had Andre?”
“No.” Sadie stepped closer to me, and I took her hand because it felt natural to do so. To not only verbally stand up for her, but to physically offer her a touch of solidarity.
“I’m not asking to bethatinvolved. I won’t risk this baby.” She placed her hand on her belly. “But I can already tell you’re looking at this as howyousee it being done. How you want to place men and what to look for. I come with an alternative perspective. I’ve done my research. And I know I can manage this project for you.”
My father stared at me for a long moment, as if he was waiting for how I’d react to what she said.
