Page 59 of His Forbidden Alliance

“No, I don’t think I will.”

He frowned. “What does that mean?”

“I’ve ignored a lot of those government rules you think I want to follow. I hate rules, and I rarely follow orders. I’m a problem, and I’m on my last strike. I shouldn’t even have this assignment, but my boss fought for me to keep it. If I don’t bring Ivanov down, I’m out.”

“Would it be so bad to be free to make other choices?”

I looked up at him, and our eyes met. The tension between us was so strong I could feel it. Would it be that bad? No, but could I say that to Rafe? Would it imply I wanted something more, that I wanted to quit so being with a mobster wouldn’t get me fired? “Maybe not, but I want to quit on my own terms, when I’m ready.”

“And when will that be?”

I wasn’t going to make any promises. Even if—and it was a big if—Rafe wanted to keep seeing me after we eliminated Ivanov, it wasn’t like we could really be together. I’d still be a former agent, and he would still be who he was. The playboy face of the Theriots’ semi-legal empire.

What were the chances he’d want me on normal terms anyway. He might think he did now while the sex was new and hot, but he wasn’t going to want only me when he had the entire New Orleans club world of men and women at his beck and call, and I didn’t share.

“I’ll leave when I get tired of the work. That hasn’t happened yet.” I lied all the fucking time; why did it make me queasy to lie to Rafe?

His expression hardened. I’d hurt him. I wanted to take the words back. I wanted to remind him how much he wanted me to fuck him over his desk. He deserved a reward, but I didn’t say anything.

Rafe checked his gun. “I can get LeBlanc now and be discreet.”

No way in hell was I going to let him go off angry like this. “No. Before we kill him, we need a plan for how to proceed after he’s dead. Once he’s gone, the dominos start to fall. He’s communicating with someone, even if he doesn’t talk to Ivanov directly. Once it becomes obvious that he’s gone, the news will head right up the chain.”

“You really think Ivanov would make a direct strike?”

I hoped not, but I wasn’t going to chance it. “He sure as hell tried it six months ago.”

He had. He’d been right there, right in Rafe’s path, holding Dante’s boyfriend hostage. “He’s crazy. More so now.”

“That’s on us. We moved in too fast.”

“Well, we can’t do that again. I think it’s time to bring in some more players.”

Rafe shook his head. “I can’t tell my family I’m working with you.”

“We can take LeBlanc out ourselves, but we need help to bring down Ivanov’s whole operation. It’s my guys or yours. If you want this to be your family’s kill, then we’ve got to talk to them.”

“We?”

“I can’t hide my agency’s interest.”

“No way. If my family decides not to trust you, if they don’t understand, they could kill you.”

I shrugged. “Then I’d be out of your way, and you could finish the operation.”

“Are you fucking crazy? I don’t⁠—”

He turned and looked out the window. I didn’t say anything. I just stood beside him and stared at the slow-moving Mississippi. A river cruise was moving leisurely past the casino.

I knew Rafe didn’t want me dead. We were well past that, but I also didn’t think he cared as much as his reaction indicated. The way he’d looked at me, the pain in his eyes. Fuck. Now my head was going to be even more messed up than it already was.

Rafe laid a hand on my arm. “Let me make a call.”

24

RAFE

We were moving in on Ivanov. LeBlanc would have information, even if it wasn’t directly about Ivanov. We’d know more, and we’d find him. I needed to focus on making a solid plan of attack, but all I could think about was how once this was over, Zach would disappear. He’d go back to being a fed, and I’d go back to random hookups that never… No. I couldn’t think about that.