Page 51 of Red Fury

I was out of line earlier. I’m sorry.

Then lastly:

Please answer me. We need to talk this through…please.

All delivered. None read. The little indicators might as well be giving me the finger.

“Crap,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “I really fucked this up.”

Did I, though?

The question has been eating at me since she stormed out of that conference room. Would it be wrong of me to question Shadow’s honesty? To wonder if she’s keeping information from me that could benefit her people over mine? We’re talking about the survival of our species here. Blind trust could get everyone I care about killed.

But even as I try to justify my actions, the thought doesn’t sit right. The hurt in her eyes when I accused her of lying…that was real, and it stung more than it should have.

No!

Fuck!

I made the right decision, dammit. I was right to question her in the way that I did. Especially after our meeting with Kozlov.

Then I think of her anger when she called me out for not trusting her despite everything we’ve been through together.

It’s so damned confusing. I want to trust her, but I can’t…I just can’t. Why did she have to be so touchy about it? Surely someone like her, someone in her position, should understand?

I massage my temples, feeling a headache building behind my eyes. My dragon is making himself known. I would love nothing more than to find a place to shift. I know it would take away this edge and make me feel better.

It doesn’t matter how I feel about what happened. I have a job to do, and that job just got a hell of a lot more complicated. Nuclear weapons. Two small countries. The implications of what I learned today are staggering, and Shadow needs to know what went down. More than that, I need her on my side if we’re going to find out more about the whole thing, so that we have a chance to warn our people.

She’s positioned perfectly within Harrison’s inner circle. I’m just muscle, standing around looking intimidating while the real decisions get made by people like Kozlov. If I’ve burned this bridge with her…I’m in serious shit.

No. It’s going to work out. I’ll apologize in the morning. I’ll eat humble pie and grovel if I have to. I’ll explain what I learned today and why I was so frantic, so desperate for any scrap of information that could help us understand what we’re facing.

A sharp knock at my door interrupts my thoughts. I glance at my watch; right on time. I grab my things, shoving them into my pockets as I head for the door.

Webb stands in the hallway wearing a navy suit that is probably a little over the top for a club, but what do I know? Thompson is beside him in dark slacks and a gray button-down shirt, looking more the part.

“Ready for this?” Webb asks, his eyes bright with anticipation. “I have to admit, I’m excited to see what Kozlov’s club is like. Word is, it’s freaking amazing.”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, pulling the door shut behind me and ensuring it locks.

We start walking toward the elevators, Thompson checking his phone as we move.

“Man, what a day,” Thompson says, sliding his device back into his pocket. “That last meeting ran long as hell. And getting kicked out of that classified session? That was a first for me.”

My steps falter slightly. “You were kicked out?”

“Yeah, you weren’t there. The two of you went to the meeting with Kozlov.” He sighs. “I’m sure General Delport has balls despite being a woman. She’s tough as nails and, quite frankly, I’m a little scared of her. Anyway,” he goes on, “she dismissed a whole lot of us, including all the security personnel, before they got into the heavy stuff.” Thompson shakes his head. “Whatever they were discussing must have been seriously classified.” He widens his eyes.

Holy shit!

Thompson was kicked out, too. Just like Shadow said.

She was telling the truth.

Of course she was telling the fucking truth. Deep down inside, I knew it.

My stomach drops as the full weight of my stupidity crashes over me. Shadow wasn’t lying or holding back information.