Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
" I 'm so sorry." Izzy couldn’t believe what she’d done. "I didn't think."
"It's okay." Viper paced up and down the room.
But it wasn't. She could see it wasn't. Viper had turned pale, and for the first time since she'd met him, he looked scared. Terrorists, bullets, and mercenaries didn't frighten him, but the prospect of losing his job did.
He'd tried to warn her. They’d even clarified that there was nothing happening between them, because he was afraid of Pat finding out. And she'd gone and screwed it up.
"Are you sure he knows?"
He gave a helpless nod. "I saw it in his face."
Shit.
"What do you think he'll do?" she whispered.
"I don't know, but there are consequences for getting romantically involved with your principal and I'm on a probation period." He sank down onto the sofa and dropped his head into his hands.
She felt so bad. "What if we deny it?"
He glanced up, and she saw just how wretched he looked. "You touched my thigh. That wasn't an accidental gesture. He'll know I'm lying and that's even worse. I'm not going to lie to my commanding officer."
"Okay, then I'll talk to Pat," she said. "This is my fault. I'll sort it out."
His face softened for a brief moment. "I appreciate you're trying to help, but there's nothing you can do. Rules are rules. I'm going to have to face the music."
On cue, his phone beeped.
He took it out of his pocket and looked at it.
"Is that him?" she whispered.
"Yeah." His eyes were haunted. "He wants to see me first thing tomorrow morning."
"I suppose it won't help if I tell him there's nothing between us anymore." Izzy was grasping at straws, but there must be something she could do. She'd known Pat her whole life. He wasn't a mean person. Surely, he wouldn't fire Viper when he knew this job meant so much to him.
Besides, she was as much to blame as he was. If not more. She'd asked him to hold her that first night. She'd instigated the affair between them. She would just have to make sure he didn’t get fired because of it.
"I'm so sorry," Izzy said again, feeling the weight of her guilt.
Viper stopped pacing and looked at her, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and resignation. "I know you are."
She nodded, but inside, she was determined to do whatever it took to make things right. She couldn't let Viper lose everything because of her mistake.
"I don't need to tell you why you're here," Pat said, once Viper was seated in his office. There was an edge of steel to his voice that terrified him.
"No, sir."
Pat sighed. "I know what it's like, Viper, and she's a beautiful girl, but you know the rules."
"I know. I'm sorry, sir. If it's any consolation, it's over between us. I ended it as soon as we got back to D.C."
Pat studied him. His dark gaze was hard to read. "Do you have feelings for her?"
"Yes, sir."
"Real feelings, or is this just something that happened on the job?"
There was no point in denying it. "Real feelings, sir."
Pat sighed. "Goddamn it, Viper. You know I've got to take you off the case."
Viper frowned. "Is that really necessary?"
"You damn well know it is. You're too close. I need someone with a clear head protecting her. Not someone who's going to be ogling her rather than keeping lookout."
Viper stared at the floor. His boss was right. Even in Mexico they'd been caught by surprise by that German mining executive who'd snuck up from the beach. Because he hadn't been doing his job properly. He'd been strolling hand-in-hand with Izzy and hadn't noticed the threat.
"I understand, sir."
"I wish it wasn't so, Viper, but as of now I'm assigning someone else to guard Izzy."
"Am I fired, sir? I know this was only a probationary position."
Pat paused. The tension drew out. There were very few men that could make him feel uncomfortable, but Pat was one of them.
"I'm not sure yet," he finally said. "We're so busy, and now I have to put someone else on Izzy, I could use you. I'll get Anna to reassign you. Grab your things from Izzy's apartment and come straight back here. No lingering goodbyes, okay? I need your butt back at work."
"Yes, sir."
He felt weak with relief. At least he still had a job. If he could prove himself to Pat and stay away from Izzy, then he might just be able to keep it.