She nodded. “You look really nice, by the way.”
“Thanks,” I said simply.
“And I’m really looking forward to working with you,” she admitted.
I smiled just a little. “Me too,” I agreed sincerely, keeping my eyes on the road. “Although…” I hesitated, finally turning in my seat a little to focus on her. “Can I ask a favor?”
Her purple eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, of course. What is it?”
I took a deep breath, knowing this was going to ruin the otherwise pleasant mood we’d shared all morning. “Please don’t lie to me anymore.”
She sat up straighter in surprise, before looking away with an ashamed expression. “I’m…I’m sorry.”
Of course, she knew what I was talking about – her denial that the airport bombing wasn’t a targeted attack.
I took a deep breath, reaching out to gently rub her shoulder before pulling away. “Look, I get it. I completely understand. You basically had to lie constantly for three years to keep yourself safe. To keep your sister safe. And old habits die really hard. But please don’t lie to me. Because I can’t keep you safe if you keep stuff like that from me.”
She nodded, tears in her amethyst eyes as she continued to avert her gaze.
I sighed. “And I’m not mad or anything. I just want you to be honest with me from now on.”
She finally looked at me in surprise. “H-How can you not be angry? I almost got Lily killed.”
I took a deep breath, focusing on the road again. “No, you didn’t. The terrorist who is targeting you almost got Lily killed. Yes, it would have helped to know going out in public might not be safe for you, or that I might need to stay closer to everyone, but ultimately it’s not your fault.”
She shook her head, reaching up to carefully wipe her eyes to avoid smearing her makeup, though I was pretty sure it was the waterproof kind anyway. “I really don’t understand how you can be so forgiving,” she admitted quietly with a sniffle. “This isn’t the first time harm has befallen her because of me.”
I reached out to grasp her hand, holding it in mine, causing her body to stiffen in surprise. My tone was gentle. “We had this conversation before, right? You were a gun in the hands of a bad man. And now you’re a target in the sights of a terrorist. That makes you the victim, not the perpetrator.”
She relaxed, tears filling her eyes again as she grasped my hand more tightly.
“But if you want to make it up to me,” I continued. “Then just be honest with me from now on, so we don’t have this kind of problem again.”
She sniffled. “I don’t even know how they keep finding me,” she replied. “Like, I’ve mixed up my routine, and the trip to the mall was kind of sporadic. And, of course, the CDS has everyone working on it. They’re doing pretty much everything they can, shy of having a security team with me at all times.”
“Any reason why they haven’t done that?” I asked seriously.
She grimaced. “Because I rejected the offer,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to inconvenience you, and I was afraid you guys wouldn’t want me around if I had to have security with me wherever we went.” She looked away, still holding my hand. “Not to mention, being close to you is significantly safer than a bunch of men with guns would be…”
“If I’m aware there’s a threat,” I corrected her.
She looked at me again with another wave of shame crossing her expression, before nodding in agreement. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “Part of the problem too was that I couldn’t tell you anything specific, because everything about this guy is classified. But if you start working with me then I’ll be able to share everything.”
I nodded in agreement, finally taking my hand away, prompting her to fold her hands in her lap. “Right, and I understand that. Still, there’s no reason why you couldn’t have told me a threat existed, even if you couldn’t say much about the situation.”
“I’ll do better,” she promised. “I won’t lie to you again. Trust me, after everything that’s happened, I won’t hesitate to give you whatever you want, when you want it.”
Okay, shit, that was an unusual way to put it.
I knew she was probably talking about giving me any information I asked for, but damn Lexi! If she kept talking like that, then I was going to have to readjust in my seat again for a very different reason.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks,” I said sincerely, ready to focus on our arrival now that I’d gotten that cleared up. “So what’s the plan once we get there?”
She cleared her throat too. “Right. Well, as you know, I can’t be there with you, so I’ll be dropping you off at the front. I’ve been told someone will be waiting to escort you inside. And then, afterward, assuming you’ve reached an agreement, I’ll be able to show you around the office. Given that it’s Wednesday, you should be able to meet all my coworkers.”
“Wouldn’t I be able to meet them no matter what day it was?” I wondered.
“Oh.” She shook her head. “No, not exactly. A lot of us work Monday through Friday most of the time, but there are quite a few who are on a weekend rotation where they only work four days a week with slightly longer shifts, either Wednesday through Saturday, or Sunday through Wednesday. Basically, they work one weekend day in exchange for an extra day off, assuming no significant emergencies come up. But this is the one day when everyone is at the office. It’s also the primary day when we have our weekly debriefing to make sure everyone is on the same page.” She paused then, her brow furrowing. “Oh shit,” she whispered.
“What?” I said in concern.
She sighed heavily, giving me an apologetic look. “Well, I forgot, but I think they’re throwing me a party this afternoon for
