Reaching out to caress the leaves while Sin hovered at her shoulder, she slowly turned to face him. "I'm sorry," she said softly.
"For what?" he asked.
"Making things complicated." She turned to glance at him. "Killing people. Becoming friends. Having to tell you that your Legion isn't perfect."
"I'm glad we're friends," he assured her, "and the rest is nothing new."
Those silver eyes of hers searched his. "But you're a priest."
Which was when he realized what she was really trying to say. She was sorry he'd wanted to kiss her. The strange thing was, he didn't regret it. Not in the slightest.
"I'm also a man," he said softly, moving closer so he wouldn't be overheard. "Riss, our friendship means a lot to me. I don't want to lose it, and my mistakes are not your fault."
"What about when I know better?" she asked timidly.
"Even then." He smiled at her to prove he meant it. "We're also working on a safe house to get you out. It might be a while, though."
"Why?" Her question held no judgement.
"Because of this hearing," he explained. "And because Davis needs to make some adjustments so we can use it. Still, I wanted you to know I am not going to leave you there."
"It's a nice thought," she told him.
"But you're not going to hold me to it," Sin grumbled, having heard her say that line before. "Well,I'mholding me to it. Now c'mon. Let's clean up your head, Riss."
She nodded, and together they left the garden behind. Dhatri Pharmaceuticals was only a few doors down, directly across from the garden, but each step closer made her hand close tighter on his arm. He knew she didn't want to do this.
"Is the transfer going to be bad?" he asked.
"I think so." She looked up at him, and offered a tentative smile. "It's not a solution I want to give."
"Is it too large for the problem?"
"No," she admitted. "This is a valid problem. It's just…" A small crease appeared between her brows, as if she was struggling. "Sorry. My programming makes it difficult to speak of client work."
"What does that mean?"
Rissa turned, meeting his eyes. "You know the originator, I believe. The…" She pulled in a breath. "It's…" And she swallowed hard. "...related."
Sin nodded, pulling in a deep breath to keep himself calm. She meant this was related to the illegal data. Likely it was tied back to the Legion somehow as well, but her downloaded training was designed to keep these things confidential. Clearly, that wasn't something she'd fixed in her mind yet.
So he asked, "Can I do anything to make it easier?"
"Pray for me?" she asked, her eyes holding his just a moment too long.
And now he was sure of what she'd been trying to tell him. "I will," he promised as they stepped through the door.
The entire time she was behind the closed door, Sin prayed, begging his God to ease her suffering and watch over the innocent girl who knew too much. She was definitely stronger than anyone thought, but he wanted her pride to be spared as much as her mind and body. She'd asked for none of this, and yet here she was, dragged into it regardless.
The seconds ticked by, and he began to pace, his ears straining for a sound from the room beyond. His hands brushed the grips of his weapons, wishing he could find a target for the anxiety growing inside him. He prayed again, hoping she hadn't collapsed. He wouldn't embarrass her by storming in, though. He knew maintaining her composure was the only defiance she had, and while he wanted to protect her, he wouldn't take that from her.
Then the door opened and a technician waved him in. "I think she could use your help."
That was all it took. Sin marched in, daring any executives to speak against him. The look on his face held them silent, but a few monitors were tilted and holoscreens were turned off. In the middle of it all, Rissa knelt on a large cushion, her hands clasped in her lap.
"Ingénue?" he asked, lowering himself to a bended knee.
"The download is complete," she replied. "The data is being verified."
