Page 96

"I know what you do, Adrianos. I know what this world is. I'm not going to start clutching pearls every time somebody gets shot."

"You don't own pearls."

She gives me a look. "That is your contribution?"

"I'm trying to lighten the mood."

"Don't."

"Apparently I'm bad at it."

"Catastrophically."

I almost smile, but she turns serious again.

"I don't want you becoming some sanitized version of yourself because you think that's what I need. I wouldn't believe it anyway."

"Good."

"But I need room beside you."

The words settle deeper than I expect. Not behind me. Not beneath me. But beside me.

Elena holds my gaze. "If we're doing this together, then we actually do it together. You don't get to value my intelligence only when it produces answers you like. You don't get to call me your partner until my opinion becomes inconvenient."

I nod once.

"And I'm not promising I'll always agree."

"I'd assume you were ill."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

I reach across the table slowly, giving her every opportunity to pull away, and take her hand.

She lets me.

The tension in my chest eases for the first time since she walked out of that room.

"I can't promise I'll become better at uncertainty," I tell her.

"I know."

"I've buried too many people because I waited too long to remove a threat."

Her fingers tighten around mine. I don't say Nikos's name. I don't need to.

"But I can promise," I continue, "that when the decision belongs to both of us, I won't pretend it belongs only to me."

Elena watches me for several seconds.

"That's suspiciously reasonable."

"Don't spread it around."

"Your reputation would never recover."