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“You said you could handle it from here.”

“I thought I could. But apparently, I’m going to need to get a bit closer.”

“What exactly does the statue represent? Slash, you need to talk to me.” Fierce, protective anger rose inside me. I wanted to help, to stand with him against whoever was putting that look on his face, but right now, it seemed like he wanted to be anywhere except in our kitchen with me.

He sighed. “The statue is said to contain thenkondi, spirits who root out evil and enforce an oath or a promise made. Legend says the nails activate the spirits inside the statue. Those nails have been recently added.” He pulled one out and held it up. He was right. The nail was new and mostly unblemished.

I looked between the nail and him. “An oath? Why do you know so much about this? What does it symbolize?”

He placed his hands on my shoulders, looked me in the eye. “You are going to have to have faith in me,cara. I don’t like that your name was on the package. I’m going to go to Rome for a short time to check things out and have a few conversations.”

What?He was going to Rome after he’d told me he wasn’t? I didn’t understand what was going on. I’d thought we were past all this. He’d always been respectful, as had I, that we both had potentially dangerous jobs and we’d worked through our issues on that front, or at least I’d thought so. But now—without warning or discussion—he was shutting me out. Something deeper was going on, something ominous, and he wasn’t sharing. I wanted to be calm and logical in my response, but the lack of trust hurt. A lot.

Still, my brain raced to find the right words to argue effectively. “You do realize that by going to Rome, you’ll be doing exactly what they want—whoevertheyis. You’ll be walking right into whatever trap or scenario they’ve created for you.”

He calmly opened the refrigerator and took out a chilled bottle of water. Twisting off the top, he took a long drink. “I realize that and I will not go in blind. But they are escalating this. If I don’t go now, it’s only a matter of time before they do something else to get my attention. I’m not waiting until that happens.”

“You’re doing this to protect me.” The expression on his face proved it clear as day.

“No. I’m doing this to protectus.”

“This is crazy.” I threw up my hands, desperation setting in. “So, you’ve already decided to go?”

He set the bottle on the counter and took two steps toward me. “The statue decided it for me. I’m going to Rome to find out what’s going on. That’s all.”

My stomach churned uncomfortably as I tried to get him to see clearly. “You’re not thinking logically. How can you be sure I’m even in danger? Firecrackers, statues and notes. Those are hardly death-defying. Can’t you see? They’re manipulating you—escalating things to get you to do whattheywant.”

“I know.” His voice remained calm, agitating me even more. “I’ll be careful, but I’ve got to take care of it. Trust me, okay?”

Every word heightened my anxiety. Why hadn’t he discussed this with me before making his decision? We were a team and now, suddenly...we weren’t. But I wasn’t giving in so easy. “What about your work at IAD?”

“As far as they are concerned, I’m taking a short vacation to resolve a family matter. Charlie will manage things for me while I’m gone.”

“How can they just agree to that? What about your security detail? Are they going with you, too?”

“Not this time. The department is actually facing severe budget cuts. We may even lose our constant tails as a result of it. They’re discussing the possibility of relying solely on this for most of us.” He held up his left wrist where a tracker had been implanted. It was both a GPS and medical alert so the people who were watching it could monitor his every heartbeat. Although he’d never acknowledge it, I also knew it could provide an electric shock that would stop his heart if he fell into the wrong hands. That’s how important he was. His knowledge of the architecture of America’s most sensitive networks, as well as his extensive insight to a great deal of US cyber vulnerabilities, made him a priceless commodity to American national security. The fact that he might be walking straight into danger despite that upset me more than I cared to admit.

“Cara, I’m going to be fine.Everythingis going to be fine.”

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry. Why wasn’t he listening to me? He always listened to me.

“The embassy in Rome has already been notified of my arrival,” he continued. “I’ll have any resources I need through them. It will be okay.”

But it wasn’t okay, and yet, it was a done deal. I could see it in his eyes, in the hard set of his jaw. He’d informed his work, the embassy and now me. He wouldn’t back down no matter what I said.

I closed my eyes. I wanted to believe this conversation wasn’t taking place, but it was. “When do you leave?”

He pulled me close, rested his cheek against mine. “Tomorrow afternoon, but I’ll be back before you have time to miss me.”

He didn’t know how wrong he’d be.

Chapter Ten

Slash

What the hell am I doing?

He shoved his hand through his hair, looking at the empty passenger seats on the jet he’d chartered. He’d violated a sacred relationship rule. He hadn’t accepted any consultation or input from Lexi before he made his decision to return to Rome. They hadn’t come to a mutual agreement, nor had they engaged in a give-and-take discussion. He’d simply dictated to her what he was going to do and left.