Page 52 of Stolen Empire

"They'll see through it."

"They won’t."

I straighten, crossing my arms.

"I'm going to give you a cover that can't be questioned."

I meet her gaze, unflinching.

"This isn't optional. If you want to survive, you play the role I give you."

She exhales slowly, her shoulders slumping.

"You really think this will work?"

The Katya Volsky I met last week was defiant and headstrong.

This woman looking up at me from her chair seems intimidated and afraid.

Maybe fucking her really did mess things up.

Or maybe she's like this before every major score.

I don't know.

"I know it will."

I fold the map and tuck it back into my pocket.

"But only if you commit. No hesitation or second-guessing. You do exactly what I tell you, when I tell you, and you don’t deviate."

She nods, though the tension in her body doesn’t ease.

"Good."

I check my watch.

"The crew will arrive soon. You stay close to me today. You watch how I move, who I talk to, how I handle problems. You don’t speak unless I tell you to. You don’t ask questions in front of anyone else. Understood?"

"Understood."

Her breath hitches, but she nods.

"Good."

I release her and step back.

"Now we need to get started. There's more work to do."

The plan is in motion, every detail accounted for, every contingency mapped.

And I don’t fail.

So I'm hoping my choice of partner for this mission is a good one.

If not, Katya may find herself in a very dangerous position and all this work of training her will be for nought.

I'd hate to see that happen, especially with how pliable she is under my touch, but if we fail, it's either her head or mine.