Chapter 22 Sadie
SADIE
Emil wasn’t yelling, but he spoke loud enough that it woke me up from the last wisps of sleep.
I was a light sleeper, but I noticed that since Emil and I had started to be together like this, sharing a bed, I was an even lighter sleeper.
I was getting used to his being flush against me and making me feel so safe that when he wasn’t there, I was more prone to toss and turn and wake up at the slightest noise.
I sat up, trying to listen in to what he was saying in the other room. Nothing was really clear as he seemed to take a phone call, because his voice was the only one that came through. It was all a mumble, so I tried to be patient and wait.
He could either come in here and be honest and upfront and tell me what was going on or he could disappoint me even further by trying to hide details from me.
We were enemies coming together in the oddest circumstances. But we had to move forward together. As a team. Not just because we would be bringing a baby into the world but because we made sense.
We had to because I couldn’t imagine us going our separate ways anytime soon. That wasn’t due to the baby but because it seemed like everything was only just starting between us, not ending.
I sat there, hoping I looked as calm as I wanted to feel.
It wasn’t long before he stopped speaking out there and came back into the room.
With an unreadable expression on his face, he closed the door behind himself and sat on the edge of the bed, facing me.
“Let me guess,” I said matter-of-fact.
He simply stared at me.
“That was Luka?” I guessed.
He nodded.
I let go of the breath I was holding. “You know, I really thought he would’ve tried to contact you sooner. He had to have noticed me on the surveillance footage when I came in that day.”
“He was out of town on a little getaway and only got home now. But even if he hadn’t seen you on the footage, it turns out that word is spreading quickly. Quickly to the point that he heard about you.”
“About me?” I had no doubt crime lords knew which agents to watch out for. But I never realized I could’ve been that ‘popular’.
“Some of the Dubinin spies have been listening in on the Rivera Mafia Family and the Vipers Cartel. I imagine you are well aware of who is who and which organizations we monitor as specific enemies targeting us. I doubt I need to give you background information on them.”
I shook my head. “I know the main players.”
“It seems that our most recent intel that was gathered suggests both the Italians and the Cartel were talking about how you were with me now.”
I furrowed my brow. “Which means someone from the agency is spreading word that I’m with you. That I’ve been disgraced and fired. Because I personally haven’t worked on a case with the Riveras or Vipers before.”
“Well, you know how it is,” he drawled with a smirk. “Everybody is spying on someone else and it all gets around.”
I nodded. “And I take it that Luka is not happy about… this.” I flicked my finger between us. It was common sense that his father would be pissed.
“He is concerned,” Emil replied.
I narrowed my eyes. “About which part?”
“To quote him, he is concerned that his son is falling in bed with the enemy.”
I wanted to ask if that was his father’s opinion only or if it was also Emil’s take on what we were. If he was only sleeping with me instead of wanting something more meaningful than just sex. I wanted to know if he truly thought I was still the enemy, not a potential friend or lover. Or partner.
“And what did you tell him?” I asked.
This was it. This would be the clearest indication of what he thought of us. If there could be an us.
“I told him that you are not the enemy.” He took my hand. “You can’t be after all we’ve gone through. Yes, we were enemies. But I think you started to choose me over your job back in the jungle.”
I sighed, so relieved that we were on the same page about this.
“However, I do have to wonder if that’s true.”
I raised both brows and almost laughed.
He didn’t give me a chance to speak, continuing quickly.
“Because, and correct me if I’m wrong, you gave me some strong words about why you wanted this career.
How your mission is to rid the world of bad guys, and how you wanted to make the world a safer place because of how you lost your parents when they were too close to Mafia action. ”
I licked my lips, hating that he was both right and wrong. This wasn’t easy for me. I did hate that I was forsaking and giving up that mission that I’d made my priority for so long. I’d treated my career as the only thing that mattered in my identity, and now it was gone. That did feel like a loss.
We were all only human, after all.
But we were all fully able to change along the way, too.
“I told my father that I can’t leave you—not again.” He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles with a soothing pressure. “And I won’t. But I also cannot undo who I am.”
I huffed a weak laugh. “Oh, so you’re not fired, too?”
He almost smiled. “No. Nor would I be. It’s not just a job. It’s my family.”
I couldn’t comment on that. I didn’t have a family at all. Just this baby in my belly now.
“And I also told him that I believed that you would help us, not hurt us.” He lowered his head as if to get more on my eye level. “Am I right?”
“I’ve already helped you. I didn’t tell anyone that you kidnapped me, remember?”
He smiled. “I do remember, and that’s why I wonder if you came back to me because you want to help me with these enemies on our tail.”
“I came to you because I missed you, Emil.”
He leaned in to kiss me softly.
“And because I was pissed that you stranded me.”
“I hope you believe me when I say that part of the reason I did that was because the Cartel was on us too consistently for it to be random. I was worried that the longer we stuck together, the more you’d be in danger.”
I frowned. “What was the other part of the reason?” I asked, hating how timid and insecure I sounded.
“The whole agent-and-assassin incompatibility.” He shrugged.
“And now you’re thinking we can be compatible with your asking me to help you and your family?”
“I know we’re compatible in every way that matters. It’s just a matter of a career shift for you.”
I laughed once. This joker. “I’m not surprised that Luka would want me to help against his enemies.
And while I don’t want to give up what mattered to me before and turn traitor like the agency said I did, I can see how severely they turned against me first. They cast me out.
They’re the corrupt ones not abiding by the laws.
They’re not stopping criminals and making the world a safer place if they are playing games with lives like this.
” I shook my head as I embraced that low-burning fire of anger about how they’d tried to set me up to be killed by the Mexican Cartel.
If it weren’t for Emil, I might’ve been killed.
If I wanted to do my part—any part—in making the world safer, I had to accept that Emil wasn’t a monster living without any code. He was more like a hero—my hero.
But is that my head talking or something else? I’d never been in this deep with a man before, and I couldn’t tell if the attraction that linked me to him was overruling my logic to the point of no return.
“I only need to ask one thing.”
He raised his brows.
“Is Luka part of the Obsidian Eye?”
His brows spiked higher. “The what?”
I gaped at him. “The Obsidian Eye.”
He shrugged, shaking his head. “What is that code for?”
“You’ve never heard of it?” I couldn’t believe it.
“Not yet. What is it?”
I relaxed, putting my head in my hand. “Oh, thank fuck.”
“What is it?” he asked again, setting his hand on my knee. “Sadie?”
“It’s this new secret alliance and plans and—” I winced at the start of a tension headache.
“A group of leaders coming together. I’ve been following leads about who’s in it or wants to run it.
I worried that Luka was interested in it and if I told you that was why I wanted to bring you in for questioning, you’d kill me. ”
He frowned, framing my face and rubbing my cheek with his thumb. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. “Just a headache.” He was too sweet, noticing how I felt instead of pressing for more details.
“Then lie back. I’ll get you water and something to eat.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he kissed me and urged me to lie down.
“We can talk more about this when you don’t have a headache.”
“And Luka,” I reminded him. “I will talk to your father.” Now that I didn’t have to fear his involvement in the Obsidian Eye alliance, he would have no motive to kill me.
“Thank you. We’ll head home tomorrow and you can talk to him. To both of us. We will work together, Sadie.” Once more, he leaned in to kiss me, this time, on my forehead.
Together.
That was all I wanted.
I smiled, almost moved to tears that it could be this simple now, to join forces and never worry again.
While he left to get me water and a late breakfast, I closed my eyes and warned myself not to get too cozy.
Nothing would be simple about facing Luka Dubinin. It would be a challenge to convince him that I wasn’t trying to trick them or seduce his son to get intel.
“Here you go,” Emil said when he came back, setting a glass of ice water and a plate of toast and fruit on the nightstand.
“Can you sit with me? I’m not that hungry and I just want to close my eyes. I bet I can sleep off this headache.”
He didn’t hesitate. Climbing onto the bed, he positioned himself behind me so he could spoon me. Held like this, with his hand protectively over my baby bump, I basked in the warmth of his security and soon fell asleep in his arms.