ee: Secrets

d in another world. A world where the man lying next to her wasn't warmth and danger wrapped in silk.

d was slippin

or her in his sleep. She froze, letting his fingers rest on her hi

could wake and ask her quest

e house was qu

rble. She didn't know who she was more afraid of runn

and citrus. A fresh cigar sat half-burned in the tray.

nstincts

e second drawer wasn't engaged. The corner of a dossier poked out ju

the drawer

eo shared to mislead outsiders. These were raw. Marked confidential. Detaile

n the middle

na

fr

her. SIRS alias. Known affiliations. Susp

breath

uspe

gh to act. But enou

. Her instincts screamed at her

older back into place a

tice Leo unti

oorway, fully dre

sleep?"

. "I was looking for

leave her. "Di

t y

d him. "You move like someone raised in tight sp

e. "Some habits ar

n't be," he

ilence then-l

sually, he asked: "Who

't blink

tudie

aze and gave

dn't

t thr

e cigar tray, picked up the

he said over his shoulder.

hen h

move for a

adn't broke

smoke wa

re was

erself a glass of water in the kitch

how she'd stoppe

lled a gun or issued a warning. H

f permission ca

cy. It was a dare. A game of ch

she was on. The other guards nodded at her now. The house staff addressed her wi

longer an

art of th

e her even m

ng, Leo took h

t-the other one. The real dock, miles west, where traffickers

ferent identity, tracking a militia transfer with SIRS agents watching f

od beside the ki

ing behind him, all armed. His expression was cal

ing bad. She

ese people," she sa

. "Trust is expensiv

here two men waited-a Lebanese arm

rvant. Calculating. Just another trusted ad

disagreement over weight discrepancies.

nstincts

linch. "Don'

d. Soft

man

weapon, just in case. Leo notic

one died. But Zara kne

e stretched between the

lled the trigg

taring out the window. "

m. "Why are you t

Because you're the only person I kno

ut maybe she had already tak

long after midnight. Rain began again, like

er-a copy of Things Fall Apart with underlined

rcled twic

ably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishnes

red at t

Leo wasn't some foolish villag

they will bury the knife

osed t

was what sh

didn't wan

hat night. Short. Clipped.

ential infiltration. He

appear stable. Recomm

kedown. Hostile blo

typed the final

servation. Target remains v

ast words a long time

e the mission began, she wasn't

been writing

ter, the fi

or this time

n flames at 3:12 a.m. By 3:14, Zara was awake. By 3:20, she was on the road with

s resting on his knees. In the flicker of passing st

some vengeful god, smoke choking out the stars. Men ran with buckets, hoses, shouting over the roa

lapse inward, a slow, burning bow. Millions in weapo

an accident

odded

job. Had

aid no

low, steady, but his eyes burne

es. I want families. I want their

r stomach twisted. Becaus

of Leo's major depots. Zara had seen the directive a week ago and fl

e empire w

ore dawn, Leo disappeared into his study.

oom-but she couldn't sleep. He

ption this time. She wanted the

behind me,

end was cold, male. "

deeper than you know. And y

You're not the on

ne he trusts. And you just mad

was si

egain control. And reme

ne wen

e edge of her bed, staring at the rose on her wi

begun t

f the study. Not for food. Not for b

't stay awa

nocke

ans

d the doo

led up, whiskey in hand. Papers scattered around him l

k at her when

" he said quietly. "And now it

l rebu

etting ghosts in

stil

p. His eyes were blo

one thing

no

here to

r this moment since the mission began. She'

dn't use a

forward, kne

hispered. "

Not angry. Not sh

didn'

d hard. "Beca

that followed, sh

s no goi

for

for

either

left the study,

ire, fingers curle

der rolled across the sky again

't lie to