Page 143 of Carnal Urges

“Wow. And here I thought we were getting along so well.”

“You’re exceptionally stubborn. I like that. I also like your spirit. In twenty-five years on this job, I’ve had thousands of enemy combatants pass through the various facilities I oversee. Ninety-one percent of them give us the information we’re looking for within one day of arrival. Another four percent make it two days before they give in. You can see why I’m impressed.”

“What about the other five percent?”

He smiles.

“Sleeping with the fishes, huh?”

“Such a quaint expression to describe something so unspeakably violent. Before you make your decision, there are two things I’d like you to keep in mind. First, refusal equals certain death.”

“You already mentioned that.”

“I thought it important enough to restate. Second, you’re not the only one that applies to.”

He lets that hang there for a moment, just to make sure I understand what he’s threatening.

“You said Declan was one of your finest agents.”

“And now he’s one of our finest agents with a weakness. You.”

I can tell he’s serious. If I don’t cooperate, both Declan and I will die.

Fucking bureaucrats.

“Oh, one other item. You’ll end things between the two of you.”

My pulse goes haywire. My hands turn clammy. My stomach clenches into a horrid little knot. We stare at each other for what feels like a long time in total silence interrupted only by the occasional rumble of my stomach.

Finally, I say, “The hell I will.”

“I can’t have one of my best agents distracted. Your relationship is a liability.”

My voice rises. “I won’t end it.”

“You will, and you’ll make up something that won’t make him suspect we had this conversation. Perhaps that you did a lot of thinking while you were locked up and realized he wasn’t the man for you.”

Panic grips me. I’m both hot and cold, frozen in place but shaking violently. My voice shakes, too, when I say, “He won’t believe it. He’s too smart for me to pull it off convincingly.”

“I have the utmost confidence in your ability to be convincing. After all, Declan’s life is at stake.” He smiles. “And it does seem as though you’re quite taken with him, considering you’d rather starve to death alone in a shipping container than admit you’d ever met. I so admire that kind of loyalty. I know you’ll do well for us.”

He rises. His footsteps are whisper quiet against the floor. At the door, he pauses. I feel him looking back at me, but I can’t tear mygaze away from the empty plate of food on the coffee table. I can’t focus. I can hardly breathe.

Declan is a spy. I’m going to be a spy. And I have to end it between us.

Convincingly.

Or he dies.

Maybe I’m still in the hospital with that brain clot, hallucinating everything.

“I’ll give you some time to get it sorted. Don’t take long, though. Best to rip off the Band-Aid quickly. I’ll be in touch once it’s done. And remember, we never spoke. Don’t try to get creative and tell him about this conversation in some silly way like writing him a note. I’ll know if you do.”

Feeling sick, I say, “How would you know?”

“The same way I know the name of the boy who pushed you down the steps of the quad in school when you were fourteen and made you miscarry. It’s my job. Welcome aboard, Miss Keller.”

The door swings open and closed.