need to talk to Renegade, alone .”
Katya backed down, unaffected by my anger. She took a step back and gestured for us to go. I didn’t wait for Renegade to move, I pulled him along with me. He kept pace easily as we rounded the corner. After putting a fair distance between us so Katya wouldn’t overhear, I turned to face Renegade. From the determined expression etched onto his features I knew our conversation wasn’t over. Maybe I could put it off until he stopped caring about making it up to me, but something told me that was a lost cause.
“Katya is creating too many problems and one big suicide mission for whoever gets sent out to save her sister.”
“You don’t know for certain that Sharp Shooter is making that call. We may not go at all. We can’t save everyone, Night Stripe.”
I glared daggers at him. “What other choice does he have? Without Natasha safe, Katya won’t give us the information we need. Without that information, we can’t get rid of Volodya before he comes to kill you himself for killing Marco.”
A smile spread across his lips. “It’s nice you care enough about me not to want me dead.” He reached up and brushed my bangs away from my eyes. The gesture sent my stomach into knots and my heart pounding against my rib cage. I let the moment last a little longer before I pulled back and looked him in the eye. The playful gleam I had adored had returned as well as the breathtaking smile. About time.
“I don’t want anyone to die,” I said honestly before silently adding especially you to myself. “That’s why I need you to go back and convince her this is a bad idea.”
“Why is it such a bad idea? I did it for my sister and you’d do it for your family,” he pointed out. “What’s wrong with her doing the same thing we would?”
I fell silent. I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence I was able to save her. Something told me this was just a bad idea, though I knew it couldn’t have been avoided. I sought out some of the survivors after being released from house arrest, but I never had one fall into my lap like this—one I had to protect further. The others had been able to remain out of danger and move on with their lives—all except Katya and Jackson.
I glanced at Renegade, who was still waiting for an answer. Just having him here proved that even when I didn’t go looking for the survivors Ash left behind it was only a matter of time before I ran into another one.
But what were the chances of finding a survivor only to save them again? I could ask the same thing about the two of us, both targeted by Ash, ending up in CIRA. Coincidence? I didn’t think so but I didn’t know how Ash would line up with my recruitment into the agency.
It seemed off, but I never thought about it before. Renegade had technically joined before I did, and then I was recruited for a mission due to my natural skills. There was no way Ash could have had something to do with our recruitment, or did he? If anything he just gave us a reason to say yes.
“Night Stripe,” he asked as he waved a hand in front of my eyes to snap me out of my thoughts. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about something.” I was vague on purpose and for once Renegade didn’t push me. “You’re right, I can’t ask her not to do what I’d risk for my family, but it’s not her life on the line. It’s mine and other agents. Who’s the poor soul that has to go out for Natasha? Me, but I’ll make sure it’s just me. No one else’s life will be put on the line for this.”
Renegade was about to shoot down my idea when Rum called for us. She rounded the corner to find us, and I didn’t miss the curiosity in her stare as she looked over the scene in front of her. Renegade and I close together in another heated argument. I’d be lucky if I ever heard the end of this one.
“If you two are done, we’ve made a choice.”
Chapter
Katya backed down, unaffected by my anger. She took a step back and gestured for us to go. I didn’t wait for Renegade to move, I pulled him along with me. He kept pace easily as we rounded the corner. After putting a fair distance between us so Katya wouldn’t overhear, I turned to face Renegade. From the determined expression etched onto his features I knew our conversation wasn’t over. Maybe I could put it off until he stopped caring about making it up to me, but something told me that was a lost cause.
“Katya is creating too many problems and one big suicide mission for whoever gets sent out to save her sister.”
“You don’t know for certain that Sharp Shooter is making that call. We may not go at all. We can’t save everyone, Night Stripe.”
I glared daggers at him. “What other choice does he have? Without Natasha safe, Katya won’t give us the information we need. Without that information, we can’t get rid of Volodya before he comes to kill you himself for killing Marco.”
A smile spread across his lips. “It’s nice you care enough about me not to want me dead.” He reached up and brushed my bangs away from my eyes. The gesture sent my stomach into knots and my heart pounding against my rib cage. I let the moment last a little longer before I pulled back and looked him in the eye. The playful gleam I had adored had returned as well as the breathtaking smile. About time.
“I don’t want anyone to die,” I said honestly before silently adding especially you to myself. “That’s why I need you to go back and convince her this is a bad idea.”
“Why is it such a bad idea? I did it for my sister and you’d do it for your family,” he pointed out. “What’s wrong with her doing the same thing we would?”
I fell silent. I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence I was able to save her. Something told me this was just a bad idea, though I knew it couldn’t have been avoided. I sought out some of the survivors after being released from house arrest, but I never had one fall into my lap like this—one I had to protect further. The others had been able to remain out of danger and move on with their lives—all except Katya and Jackson.
I glanced at Renegade, who was still waiting for an answer. Just having him here proved that even when I didn’t go looking for the survivors Ash left behind it was only a matter of time before I ran into another one.
But what were the chances of finding a survivor only to save them again? I could ask the same thing about the two of us, both targeted by Ash, ending up in CIRA. Coincidence? I didn’t think so but I didn’t know how Ash would line up with my recruitment into the agency.
It seemed off, but I never thought about it before. Renegade had technically joined before I did, and then I was recruited for a mission due to my natural skills. There was no way Ash could have had something to do with our recruitment, or did he? If anything he just gave us a reason to say yes.
“Night Stripe,” he asked as he waved a hand in front of my eyes to snap me out of my thoughts. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about something.” I was vague on purpose and for once Renegade didn’t push me. “You’re right, I can’t ask her not to do what I’d risk for my family, but it’s not her life on the line. It’s mine and other agents. Who’s the poor soul that has to go out for Natasha? Me, but I’ll make sure it’s just me. No one else’s life will be put on the line for this.”
Renegade was about to shoot down my idea when Rum called for us. She rounded the corner to find us, and I didn’t miss the curiosity in her stare as she looked over the scene in front of her. Renegade and I close together in another heated argument. I’d be lucky if I ever heard the end of this one.
“If you two are done, we’ve made a choice.”
Chapter
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