Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Diana waited for him to ask the question she dreaded.
Her fingers scissored the wine stem, her heart careening down a raging river of emotion.
If today hadn’t been so damn stressful, if she hadn’t been cornered by men intent on revenge, if she hadn’t had to pretend to be this man’s lover—so many ifs, but if those things hadn’t happened, maybe she’d have a better handle on herself.
As it was, she simply tried to avoid the shoals as she bobbed along, helplessly angry.
He studied her, his handsome face creased in thought. As if he was trying to find the source of her anguish. She decided to save him the mental gymnastics.
“My family has a charitable foundation. Viktor is more than a family acquaintance, less than a friend. My parents have hosted him for dinner in the past. He’s been to foundation events, and he’s donated huge sums. He…” Her throat knotted. “He hurt someone close to me. I want him to pay for it.”
“I’m sorry, Diana.” His fingers traced a seam in the arm of the couch. Back and forth, back and forth. He did not ask what happened, or who was hurt. She was grateful for it.
“It was a long time ago. But I have not forgotten or forgiven.”
“And now you’ve been ordered to let it go by the director himself.”
“Yes. Not that Uncle—Mr. Lewis,” she corrected, though not soon enough if the flicker in his eyes was any indication.
“Not that he knows what happened, or to whom. And even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything.
That order came from higher up. Because Viktor has bought and paid for people in very high places.
Or he has dirt on them, which is the same thing.
Honestly, I’m surprised I got as far as I did for as long as I did. ”
She’d thought about it a lot over the last month.
It was possible he didn’t know that Diana Corbin was Diana Adler.
A random FBI agent poking her nose into his doings in a small Southern city was probably not worth his notice.
Until it started to impact his plans. Or he knew it was her and he’d found it amusing to give her enough rope to hang herself.
Alex still hadn’t said anything. He just watched her with those wolf-like eyes. Studying. Cataloging. Judging her, no doubt. Words clogged her throat. She knew she shouldn’t say them, but she couldn’t contain the weight of holding them in for a single moment more.
“I won’t stop. No matter what you say, I’m not going away.”
She wanted to ruffle him. Wanted to see his eyes narrow, his nostrils flare, the line that formed between his eyes when he was furious. She needed him to feel as chaotic as she did.
He refused to comply, his gaze glacial. “The choice isn’t yours, you know. It’s theirs. The militia’s. And they may not invite you to the next level. Then what?”
Her heart thumped. “I’ll date one of them. Brent Gannon. He seemed interested.”
“No.”
“Newsflash, my dear colonel. You are not the boss of me.”
And there was the spark of temper she craved, flaring in his eyes. “Leave it, Diana.”
“I don’t intend to. But maybe there’s a better way…”
“What is that?” His voice was a growl. It seriously did things to her insides. Things she couldn’t afford to think about.
“We could keep up the fiction you created today. I’ll go with you to meetings, help you investigate. I’ll fetch your food and pretend to be a dumb blonde, but I can watch and listen. I might catch things you don’t.”
“No, not happening. No fucking way.”
Anger flared in her belly, flashed heat through her limbs. She hadn’t really expected he’d agree, but it hurt that he dismissed the idea so vehemently.
“Then I guess it’s Plan A. Dating Brent Gannon.
Or maybe Teddy, the guy who invited me today.
Sadly, he had to work so we didn’t get better acquainted.
You know what,” she said, leaning forward, wanting to irritate him as much as he’d irritated her, “there are a lot of guys at Big Mike’s who’d be interested in a tall blonde with a nice rack.
I imagine I can get one of them to take me to the next meeting if I dangle the chance for sex. ”
“No.” The word whipped in the air between them. Violent as a tornado. Hard as a boulder.
And thrilling for some stupid reason she didn’t know.
He leaned toward her now, body stiff with outrage. He wasn’t accustomed to his orders not being obeyed. Well, too damn bad. She wasn’t on his team, as he’d made abundantly clear, and she didn’t take orders from him.
“You’re playing with fire, Diana. Did what happened to you today not penetrate that thick fucking head of yours?
Four men were willing to drag you away from the crowd and brutalize you.
There was nothing you could have done about it.
They’d have stuffed your mouth with something so you couldn’t scream, and they’d have taken turns violating your body because they thought they could get away with it.
And even if I’m wrong—even if rape wasn’t what they intended—they were going to beat you and humiliate you because you stood up to them in the Dawg. ”
Fury and fear dripped through her veins in equal measure. “And that means I have to quit? Because they might try again? Even more reason for us to pretend to date. If I’m with you, they won’t touch me. Because you scare the shit out of them.”
He stood with a rough sound. “No. I won’t risk it. This is my fucking mission, my team, and I’m not taking on an untrained rich girl with a vendetta simply because she doesn’t have the sense to quit.”
Diana shot to her feet, went toe to toe with him. She had to bend her neck to look up at him. It pissed her off. So much so that she poked a finger in his chest.
“You dick. You motherfucking dick. You have no idea what I’ve been through.
You think because my family has money that I’m somehow immune to pain or injustice?
Or that I bought my way into the FBI and didn’t have to do anything except show up and get my badge?
Do you really think I’ve had no training whatsoever?
What is wrong with you anyway? Do you hate women in general, or is it just me? ”
“I don’t hate you,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I’m trying to protect you. I’m a special operator, Diana.
But you already know that. I don’t need a gun or a knife to defend myself.
I don’t need weapons to kill someone. I can live off the land for weeks at a time, and I can make my way across this country without being tracked.
That’s what I’m talking about when I say you’re untrained.
You can shoot, and you can take down an opponent when they aren’t expecting it—but can you fucking survive when you don’t have a weapon or the advantage of surprise?
Can you live in the wilderness for weeks at a time without starving?
I’m talking about survival training, and combat training—you don’t have either one.
I can’t be watching your back and worrying you’ll get hurt while trying to get deeper into the group. ”
Her heart pumped. He wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t letting him leave her behind.
“I can be an asset, you Neanderthal. I’m blond.
I’m female. I have tits and an ass that men like to stare at, and I can act dumb as a rock.
They’ll think I’m giving it to you so good you don’t want to quit me.
They’re the kind of men who believe a woman’s place is serving her man, and I know how to act like a good little woman who wants to please you.
Two heads are better than one, and you need someone to watch your back, too. You aren’t fucking invincible.”
“No. You’ve just told me that Viktor’s sat at your damn family dinner table. Do you think he has absolutely no fucking clue what’s going on with his people? Especially here? Your name in his ear would blow what we’d be trying to do all to hell, don’t you think?”
“He won’t know. I’m Diana Corbin to these people, not Adler.
They aren’t asking for a job application, and they don’t run every single fucking name past the man at the top, not at first. Call me your old lady or the old ball-and-chain.
Call me whatever you like, but I’m not giving up.
If you don’t let me in, I’m heading to the bar where Gannon hangs out and getting to know him better. ”
“Diana.” His voice was rough. His pupils dilated, his gaze dropping to caress her mouth. “Why are you so fucking mule-headed?”
He caught her around the waist before she could answer, jerked her close. Maybe she should have pushed him away, but she fisted her hands in his shirt instead. His mouth hovered above hers, and a tingle of lightning sizzled to life in her core. Just the anticipation of it was enough.
“Are you going to kiss me or stare at me?” she finally whispered, the moment stretching between them like fine-spun thread.
“I’m thinking about spanking you.”
Maybe she should have been afraid of that alpha threat, but a shiver rolled through her instead. “Only if I get to spank you, too.”
“Jesus,” he muttered. “The things you say.”
Then his mouth crashed down on hers and the world tilted on its axis.