“Privacy blackout mode engaged,” the AI replied immediately.
She stood in front of his desk, slim arms crossed over her chest, staring at him with the world’s most disapproving look on her face.Jamie was momentarily thrown back to the first time they’d ever met in the organized depths of an FOB, her field uniform still dusty from a morning patrol outside the wire.She’d looked at him then like she was now—the judgment in her eyes of having to deal with a wet-behind-the-ears second lieutenant with zero field experience never once translating to her face—because NCOs knew better than to showcase their true feelings surrounded by people with far more rank than she had.
Katie had never once let him forget his place when it came down to the fight, and Jamie was thankful for that fact every day of his life.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”Katie asked in a flat voice that revealed her anger.
“I couldn’t say no,” Jamie said tiredly.
“Nois a word that I’m perfectly aware you can pronounce in at least five different languages.Why you didn’t use each one is beyond me.”
“If it wasn’t us, it would be someone else.”
“Then goddamn it, Jamie!Let it be someone else for once!This is crazy.This is—” Katie broke off, planting her hands on her hips as she stared up at the ceiling, as if some higher power would give her guidance.“Your father is running for president.”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
“This could ruin him and your family.”
“Iknow.”
“Then if you fucking know, why are you doing this to them?To yourself?”
“Because my life—my privileged,stupidlife, Katie—shouldn’t be worth more than the hundreds of people who are being used as test subjects and killed by criminals who won’t stop even if I do,” Jamie snapped, unaccountably angry in the face of her disagreement.“Which means Ican’tstop, Katie.You know that, at least, I thought you did.”
“Jamie—” Katie broke off with a muttered curse before rubbing a hand over her face.When she looked at him again, the anger had bled out of her.“I know that.I do, Jamie.But my job has always been to look out for you.You’re too honorable by half, I get that, but sometimes it makes you do stupid shit.”
“Please.Don’t hold back, Katie.Tell me how you really feel.”
She pinned him with a look that had made him shut up in the field during his first deployment every time she turned it on him.Now was no different.
“You altered the parameters of the mission where Kyle is concerned.”
Jamie didn’t reply because the truth of that decision was spelled out in their updated orders.He didn’t need to confirm what she already knew.
“Why?”she pressed.
“Because someone of my status always has a lover on their arm.Appearing without company would be at odds with my social position.Staying within the team for our needs will make it more believable than if we bring in another person,” he finally said.
“That’s the answer you give to the director to cover your ass.Tell mewhy, Jamie.”
The words wouldn’t come, not immediately.When they did, they felt like a confession, only he was giving it to the wrong person.
“For once, I want to be able to touch him in public and not worry it’ll fuck up everything else.If I need a cover in order to do that, at least I’ll finally know what it’s like.”
Katie’s mouth pulled downward, but the look in her blue eyes was kind, in a way that didn’t stem from pity.Jamie was glad for it because he didn’t think he could handle her pity right now.
“Okay,” she said.“We’ll make it work.”
Not for the first time was Jamie glad Katie had been assigned to him all those years ago.He honestly didn’t know what his life would be like without her in it, but he knew he’d be worse off in all the ways that mattered.
“Thank you,” Jamie said around the tightness in his throat.
“You owe me for the stress this is going to cause me.”
“I always owe you.”
“Damn straight.”
