CHAPTER 12
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE QUIET
Morning arrived quietly.
No alarms.
No phone calls.
No pounding on the door.
Just the faint sound of traffic several floors below and rain tapping against the windows.
Mara opened her eyes.
For a moment, she stayed still.
Then she remembered.
The broken window.
The note.
Naomi.
Adrian.
She turned her head toward the bedroom door.
It was open.
Adrian wasn't there.
Mara sat up.
A strange disappointment settled over her before she could stop it.
She pushed the blanket aside and walked into the living room.
Adrian stood in the kitchen.
He had already showered and changed.
Dark trousers.
Gray shirt.
Sleeves rolled to his elbows.
He was making coffee.
He looked over.
"Morning."
"Morning."
He handed her a cup.
She accepted it.
"No sugar."
"I remember."
She smiled.
"Of course you do."
He returned to the counter.
Mara leaned against it.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
The quiet felt different.
Not awkward.
Just charged.
She took a sip.
"You slept."
"Some."
"In the chair."
"Yes."
"Your back must hate you."
"It does."
She smiled.
"You should try a bed."
"I've heard they're comfortable."
"Very."
He glanced at her.
"Good to know."
Mara looked away.
There it was again.
That small shift.
That awareness neither of them wanted to name.
She carried her coffee to the table.
Adrian sat across from her.
"How's your hand?"
She looked at the bandage.
"Fine."
"Let me see."
She held it out.
He examined the cut.
"You're healing."
"Excellent diagnosis."
"I try."
He released her hand.
Mara didn't pull it away immediately.
Neither did he.
Then he let go.
The moment disappeared.
She hated that she noticed.
Adrian opened his laptop.
"Marcus is still working on Naomi."
"Anything?"
"Not yet."
Mara looked down.
"Do you think she's alive?"
"Yes."
"You're certain?"
"No."
She sighed.
"But you believe it."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because the people looking for the ledger still haven't found it."
Mara frowned.
"What does that have to do with Naomi?"
"If they believe she knew where it was, they have a reason to keep her alive."
She thought about that.
"That's horrible."
"Yes."
"But it means there's hope."
"Yes."
Mara nodded.
She opened her laptop.
The screen filled with documents.
For a while, they worked.
The apartment was quiet except for keyboard clicks and the occasional sound of rain.
It should have felt peaceful.
Instead, Mara kept noticing Adrian.
The way he leaned back when he read.
The slight crease between his eyebrows when something didn't make sense.
The way he rubbed his thumb against the edge of his watch when thinking.
She closed her laptop.
"You're distracting."
His eyes lifted.
"I'm sitting here."
"Exactly."
A faint smile appeared.
"You could move."
"I could."
Neither moved.
Mara looked at him.
He looked back.
The silence stretched.
She lowered her voice.
"Last night."
His expression changed.
"What about it?"
"You said you would stay."
"I did."
"You didn't have to."
"I know."
"Why did you?"
He looked at the table.
Then at her.
"Because you asked."
Mara's chest tightened.
"That's all?"
"No."
She waited.
He said nothing.
"Then what?"
Adrian leaned back.
"I don't know."
It was the first time Mara had heard him admit that.
"You always know."
"Not about this."
She looked at him.
He seemed almost uncomfortable.
Not with her.
With himself.
Mara understood.
"This scares you."
"Yes."
She hadn't expected such a direct answer.
"Because I'm your client."
"Partly."
"Because of the age difference."
"Partly."
"Because you don't trust yourself."
His eyes met hers.
"That's the part that concerns me."
Mara looked down at her coffee.
"Do you think you could hurt me?"
"No."
"Then what are you afraid of?"
He was quiet.
"Wanting something I shouldn't have."
The words sat between them.
Mara's fingers tightened around the cup.
"What if I want it too?"
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"Mara."
"I'm asking."
"I know."
He stood.
She watched him walk toward the window.
Rain blurred the skyline.
He kept his back to her.
Mara followed.
"Look at me."
He didn't.
"Adrian."
Slowly, he turned.
She stopped a few feet away.
"I know I'm your client."
"I know."
"I know you're older than me."
"I know."
"And I know there are rules."
"Yes."
"But I'm not asking you to break them."
His eyes searched hers.
"What are you asking?"
Mara swallowed.
"I don't know."
That seemed to affect him more than anything else.
He stepped closer.
Not touching.
Just closer.
"You said something last night."
"What?"
"You didn't want me to leave."
Mara nodded.
"I meant it."
His gaze dropped briefly to her mouth.
Then returned to her eyes.
"I shouldn't be here."
"I know."
"I shouldn't want this."
"I know."
"You make it very difficult."
She gave him a small smile.
"That's not my fault."
"It is."
She laughed softly.
The sound broke the tension for half a second.
Then it returned.
Adrian lifted one hand.
He stopped before touching her.
Mara looked at his hand.
Then at him.
"You can."
He didn't move.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
His fingers touched her cheek.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Almost as if he expected her to change her mind.
Mara closed her eyes for a moment.
His thumb brushed near the faint scar above her eyebrow.
"You don't have to be afraid of me," he said.
"I'm not."
"Good."
She opened her eyes.
"I am afraid of what this means."
"So am I."
Then he kissed her.
It wasn't hurried.
It wasn't careless.
It was restrained at first, almost questioning.
Mara's hand caught the front of his shirt.
Adrian's hand moved from her cheek to the back of her neck.
The kiss deepened.
Every argument they'd had seemed to disappear.
No security briefing.
No rules.
No ledger.
No threat.
Just Adrian.
Warm.
Steady.
Real.
Mara pulled back first.
Their foreheads nearly touched.
Neither spoke.
Adrian's hand remained at the back of her neck.
His breathing was uneven now.
Mara looked at him.
"You kissed me."
"Yes."
"You're supposed to be the responsible one."
"I know."
She almost laughed.
Then his expression changed.
The reality returned.
"This can't happen again."
Mara stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because I have a responsibility to you."
"I know."
"I need to be able to make decisions without wondering whether I'm doing them because you're my client or because..."
He stopped.
"Because what?"
He looked at her.
"Because I want you."
Her stomach tightened.
He stepped back.
Mara let her hand fall.
"So that's it."
"For now."
"Right."
He looked almost angry with himself.
Mara understood.
He wasn't rejecting her.
He was afraid of what wanting her could cost.
"Okay."
He nodded.
"I'll speak with Marcus."
"About the case?"
"Yes."
She watched him pick up his jacket.
"Where are you going?"
"Security office."
"Now?"
"Yes."
She looked toward the window.
The morning had barely begun.
"You just kissed me and you're leaving."
His expression softened.
"I need to think."
"That sounds healthy."
He almost smiled.
"Probably."
He moved toward the door.
Mara followed.
At the door, he stopped.
His hand rested on the lock.
He looked at her.
"I'll be back."
The words escaped before he could reconsider them.
Mara noticed.
So did he.
Neither mentioned it.
He left.
The door closed.
Mara stood alone in the hallway.
She touched her lips.
Then shook her head.
"This is a terrible idea."
She walked back toward the kitchen.
Her phone vibrated.
Lena.
Mara answered.
"Hello?"
"Are you alive?"
"Unfortunately."
"Good. Because I need you at the studio."
Mara glanced at the locked door.
"Can't."
"Why?"
"Security."
A pause.
"Is he still there?"
"Yes."
"How's Mr. Walking Security Protocol?"
Mara smiled.
"Annoying."
"Anything else?"
Mara hesitated.
"Nothing."
Lena went quiet.
"Mara."
"What?"
"You sound weird."
"I don't sound weird."
"You sound like you just did something stupid."
Mara looked toward the door.
She touched her lips again.
"I did."
"What?"
"I'll tell you later."
"You better."
They ended the call.
Mara stood in the kitchen.
The apartment was quiet again.
She opened her laptop.
Tried to work.
Failed.
Every few minutes, her eyes drifted toward the door.
She told herself she was waiting for information.
Not him.
Information.
Twenty minutes later, her phone buzzed.
A message from Adrian.
Stay inside. I'll be back soon.
Mara stared at it.
She typed:
I know.
Then deleted it.
Typed:
Okay.
Sent.
She looked at the message again.
Two words.
Nothing significant.
Except they were.
Because Adrian had left without promising.
And then he had come back enough to tell her he would return.
Mara set the phone down.
She tried to focus.
An hour passed.
Then another.
Finally, the lock turned.
The door opened.
Adrian stepped inside.
Their eyes met.
Neither spoke.
Mara noticed the tension in his face.
He had made a decision.
"Marcus found something," he said.
Her stomach tightened.
"What?"
"Naomi."
Mara stood.
"What about her?"
Adrian closed the door behind him.
"She's alive."
Mara released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"Where?"
"We don't know yet."
"Then how do you know she's alive?"
He looked at her.
"Because she sent a recording."
Mara's heart began to race.
"What did she say?"
Adrian pulled out his phone.
"She said someone inside the network knows about the ledger."
Mara stared at him.
"Who?"
"She didn't say."
"Why not?"
"Because she was interrupted."
He played the recording.
Naomi's voice filled the room.
"Mara, if you're hearing this, they know about the ledger. Don't trust anyone who says they can keep you safe. There's someone inside the network who knows exactly where you are."
The recording ended.
Mara looked at Adrian.
"Someone inside."
He nodded.
"Yes."
She looked toward the locked door.
Then back at him.
The kiss suddenly felt very far away.
The danger was back.
The rules were back.
The world was back.
But something had changed.
Mara no longer wondered whether Adrian wanted her.
She knew.
And now she had to figure out whether wanting him was the most dangerous thing happening to her.
Or the safest.