“He’s had eyes on me the entire time. Training. Graduation. Assignments. Everything.”
A long stunned silence followed.
“What the hell...” Roman breathed.
The shock in his voice was real.
It meant he hadn’t suspected this either.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Should I come get you out?” he asked immediately.
The instinct behind the offer made something painful tighten in my chest.
“Too late.”
I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes for half a second — forcing myself to breathe through the chaos.
“I need you to get out of California. Now.”
“Not happening.”
“Roman—”
“Not happening,” he repeated firmly. “You don’t get to order me to abandon you.”
His tone shifted — steel cutting through concern.
“Head back to New York,” I insisted. “Fast. Write everything up. Send it to any field office outside Vincent’s chain of command. Any agent you trust. But get gone.”
I lowered my voice.
“I don’t trust that Ruslan won’t come for you next. He’s got reach I didn’t understand until tonight.”
There was a beat of silence.
Then —
“You think I’m leaving you here alone?”
His voice hardened.
The softness replaced by something protective.
“Roman—”
“If I’m leaving,” he cut in, “I’m leaving with you.”
His words weren’t romantic.
They were tactical.
Loyal. Dangerous.
I swallowed.
Part of me wanted exactly that.
