Between Love And Obsession

isco - Pr

receptionist with a plastic smile, no welcome brochure printed in five languages. Just a stretch of bulletpr

e emerged through the rotating doors. Cool eyes, composure, nothing out of place-her reflection flickered in the g

rs, she

s since

since she

kissed him like she

neve

ten see danger mixed with grace. Her boots had the silent danger of weapons, and her black tre

voice caught and he sa

old, smooth voice with a hint of French.

hen glanced at her again

th the Departm

a warning in silk. "No.

zzed the elevator and nodded toward

to. The message she sent was short: "We have unfinished business.

She stepped in, alo

ff her gloves slowly. Her fingers w

self this was

vinced he

believed

The kind that had a name. The kind tha

the top floor, she stepped

ific fog. Every piece of furniture was elegant, precise. No clutter. No

acklit like a myth, s

as if he'd already

here

ze-only fo

unbuttoned just enough to hint at the scar on his collarbone. His dark hair was longer, swept

s that hit hardest

like she was both the t

eau,"

ow, with a rasp that hit her in the rib

nov

ed. He step

you were de

"You'd be surprised

silence between th

lau

and threaded with disbelief. "You walk in here li

he replied, walking cl

e classified intel or ju

from him. The air b

rogant,"

her like a loaded scan. "Though I'm not sure if

'd m

lightly, voice

t flinch.

e. This time,

s dan

ce held but couldn't quite disarm. Then he tur

ffee, whiske

," she

lf a glass of something expens

tched him instead. "Wh

hy you disappeared after Djibouti. Why the hell

re," she said. "I came b

harp, almost bitter. "Of course you did. Yo

rafficking ring that stretches from Mali to Geneva. Someone's pul

amused: "You come in here after two years o

slower now. "I'm informing you. Beca

stopp

tension twisted between t

in," h

open, scanning. A photograph. A list of black sites. A coded messag

d. "There's a contract out. Not just on your co

at last wo

nd you just happene

ted the a

ared

ack... to p

onsider it unfin

s time. Not as a threat. As somethin

one who knows how this works. Some

pice, skin, and danger. Her fingers twitched. Old

he murmured. "You left a h

gaze. "You de

round them again, until h

o save me, or to see if

ends. Are you still the man I lef

.. li

lit second, th

ped the

epped

llided like som

e. This wasn't a ki

and you-should-haves and I-hated-you-but-still-wanted-you bur

and regret. He ta

gripped

rs fisted

s second, they forg

target. The dan

was this-this warz

hless and bruised and dazed, Audrey w

n't change

rehead to hers. "No. Bu

the fog broke, and the c

e war had