CHAPTER 15
THE LINE IN THE CONTRACT
Adrian's phone rang before Mara finished dressing.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
Not fear.
Something colder.
Mara came out of the bedroom fastening the buttons on her wool coat.
"Who is it?"
"My employer."
She stopped.
"That's never good."
"No."
He answered.
"Vale."
A woman's voice came through the speaker.
Mara couldn't hear the words, but she could see the effect they had on him.
His shoulders stiffened.
His gaze moved toward the window.
Then toward Mara.
"Understood."
A pause.
"No."
Another pause.
"I'll handle it."
He ended the call.
Mara watched him.
"What happened?"
He slipped the phone into his pocket.
"They know."
"About Naomi?"
"About us."
Mara went still.
"What does that mean?"
"My employer received a report."
"From who?"
"We don't know."
"Do they know we kissed?"
His silence answered.
"Do they know about last night?"
"Yes."
Mara looked away.
The apartment suddenly felt too small.
"So I'm a liability."
"No."
"That's what they think."
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Adrian stepped closer.
"Mara."
She looked at him.
"They're concerned about a conflict of interest."
"And are they right?"
He didn't answer.
She folded her arms.
"Adrian."
"Yes."
The answer was quiet.
Mara's stomach tightened.
"Then what happens?"
"I may be removed from your protection detail."
The words landed harder than she expected.
She looked toward the window.
"Because of me."
"Because of the situation."
"That's the same thing."
"No."
"You wouldn't have this problem if I hadn't..."
"Don't."
She looked at him.
"Don't what?"
"Take responsibility for something you didn't cause."
"I kissed you."
"I kissed you first."
"That doesn't make me feel better."
"It isn't supposed to."
She almost laughed.
Then stopped.
"What did they say?"
"They're reviewing the assignment."
"How long?"
"I don't know."
"And while they review it?"
"I'm still responsible for your security."
"Until they replace you."
"If they replace me."
Mara looked at him.
"You sound like you don't want them to."
"I don't."
Her chest tightened.
"Why?"
"Because I don't trust anyone else to understand the threat."
"That's professional."
"Not entirely."
She looked down.
The silence stretched.
Then Adrian's phone vibrated.
He checked it.
Marcus.
"Go ahead."
Mara watched his face.
Marcus spoke for several seconds.
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Where?"
Another pause.
"Don't touch anything."
He ended the call.
"What?"
"Marcus found an access point."
"Inside the security system?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"We don't know yet."
"Can you trace it?"
"Marcus is trying."
Mara grabbed her bag.
"Where are we going?"
"Office."
She stopped.
"I thought I wasn't supposed to leave."
"You aren't going alone."
She smiled faintly.
"You're learning."
He looked at her.
"I told you."
They left.
The drive to the office was tense.
Neither spoke much.
Mara watched Adrian's hands on the steering wheel.
He looked controlled.
But she knew better now.
His thumb tapped once against the leather.
Then stopped.
He was worried.
At the office, Marcus was waiting.
He turned the monitor toward them.
"We found the access."
Adrian leaned over the desk.
"Show me."
Marcus pulled up a log.
Someone had accessed Mara's security profile two nights earlier.
Then again yesterday.
Then again that morning.
Mara stared.
"That shouldn't be possible."
"It shouldn't," Marcus said.
"Who has authorization?"
"Three people."
Adrian looked at him.
"Names."
Marcus listed them.
Adrian's face didn't change.
Mara noticed one name.
"Who's that?"
"Contractor," Marcus said.
"What's his connection to Voss?"
Marcus looked at Adrian.
"That's what we're checking."
Mara frowned.
"Then he's the leak."
"Maybe," Adrian said.
She looked at him.
He caught himself.
"Possibly."
Marcus laughed.
"You're making progress."
"Focus."
Marcus zoomed in.
"The access didn't come from his regular workstation."
"Where?"
"Remote connection."
"Location?"
"Chicago."
Mara leaned closer.
"That's not helpful."
"It gets better."
Marcus opened another screen.
"The connection bounced through three servers."
Adrian studied the data.
"Someone experienced."
"Yes."
"Not a random contractor."
"No."
Mara looked at Adrian.
"So the person inside knows security."
"Yes."
"Which means they know how you work."
"Yes."
She swallowed.
"Then they know how to get around you."
Adrian's eyes met hers.
"Not necessarily."
She rolled her eyes.
"You're hopeless."
Marcus smiled.
"I like her."
Adrian ignored him.
"Can you isolate the account?"
Marcus nodded.
"Already done."
"Good."
Marcus hesitated.
"There's another thing."
"What?"
"The access request came from an internal administrative account."
Adrian went still.
"Whose?"
Marcus looked at him.
"Yours."
Mara's stomach dropped.
Adrian stared at the screen.
"Impossible."
"That's what I thought."
"Someone cloned my credentials."
"Yes."
Mara looked between them.
"Can they make it look like you accessed my file?"
"Yes."
"Could they have accessed anything else?"
Marcus nodded.
"Potentially."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Then they know everything."
"Not everything."
"What?"
"The file was segmented."
Marcus pulled up another window.
"They only got your basic protection profile."
Mara released a breath.
"What's in that profile?"
"Your locations."
"That's enough."
Adrian nodded.
"Yes."
Mara stepped back.
She looked at him.
"Could someone inside your company be helping them?"
"Yes."
The word came without hesitation.
She nodded.
"Then I understand why your employer is worried."
Adrian looked at her.
"They're worried about the wrong thing."
"How?"
"They think my involvement with you compromises my judgment."
"And does it?"
He held her gaze.
"No."
Mara waited.
He continued.
"It makes me more aware of what I'm risking."
She looked away.
The answer should have reassured her.
Instead, it made her feel exposed.
She walked toward the window.
Below, Chicago moved through another gray afternoon.
People crossed streets.
Cars waited at lights.
A train moved through the distance.
Everything looked ordinary.
Mara wondered how many of those people knew nothing about the world underneath theirs.
"Maybe you should let them replace you."
Adrian's head turned.
"What?"
"If you're removed, you don't have to risk your career."
"I said no."
"You could lose your company."
"My company isn't built yet."
"Your reputation."
"Can be rebuilt."
"Your job."
"Can be replaced."
She turned.
"And what can't?"
He looked at her.
"You."
The room went quiet.
Marcus suddenly found something very interesting on his tablet.
Mara's throat tightened.
"Adrian."
"I won't leave you because someone else thinks wanting you makes me less capable."
She stared at him.
"You can't say things like that."
"Why?"
"Because I don't know what to do with them."
He stepped closer.
"You don't have to do anything."
"That's not true."
"No."
He stopped in front of her.
"You can tell me what you want."
Mara looked at him.
"I want you to stay."
His expression softened.
"I'm staying."
She nodded.
"Okay."
Marcus cleared his throat.
They both turned.
"Sorry," he said. "I hate interrupting emotional moments."
Adrian glared.
Marcus ignored him.
"We have another problem."
Mara's stomach tightened.
"What?"
"Naomi."
She stepped closer.
"What about her?"
"Her last phone signal wasn't near the Riverwalk."
"Then where?"
Marcus pulled up a map.
"Here."
Mara stared.
The location was familiar.
Her eyes widened.
"My old apartment."
Adrian went still.
"When?"
Marcus checked the timestamp.
"Last night."
Mara's blood ran cold.
"Someone went back there."
"Yes."
"Looking for the ledger."
"Probably."
She looked at Adrian.
"We need to go."
He nodded.
Then his phone rang again.
The same employer.
He answered.
"Vale."
A pause.
His expression became rigid.
Mara watched.
"Understood."
He listened.
Then said, "No."
Another pause.
"I'm not transferring responsibility."
His eyes met Mara's.
"I'll submit the report."
He ended the call.
She stared.
"What did they say?"
"They're suspending me."
Her stomach dropped.
"For how long?"
"Until the investigation is complete."
"And your assignment?"
"Still mine."
She exhaled.
"You're suspended and still responsible?"
"Yes."
"That makes no sense."
"It doesn't have to."
He picked up his coat.
"Marcus will coordinate with me."
Mara looked at him.
"Adrian."
He stopped.
She wanted to say something.
Thank you.
Don't leave.
I'm scared.
Instead, she said, "Be careful."
His expression softened.
"I will."
They left the office together.
Outside, the rain had started again.
Adrian opened the car door for her.
Mara got inside.
He closed it.
As he walked around the vehicle, she watched him through the windshield.
The line between his job and his feelings had become impossible to see.
And somewhere inside the security system he trusted, someone had already crossed it.
The only question was how much they knew.
And how close they were to finding what Mara's father had hidden.