Page 26 of Kept By The Agents

"Can you please give me my own room?" She batted her lashes at me. She would soon learn those tactics wouldn't work on me.

"Sorry. We all make sacrifices on missions. This is one you have to make." I bit back a grin when the pretty look disappeared from her face and she was back to scowling at me.

"You're just doing this to be a jerk."

"Nope. I have my reasons." I moved closer to where she was standing. "I'm the leader of this team. If you want to tag along while we finish up this mission, you'll understand that and obey when I give orders."

She folded her arms underneath her tits, pushing them up and making it almost impossible to keep my eyes off them. "You'd seriously let me leave right now and go out on my own?" The look in her eyes sharpened, telling me she'd noticed my inherent reaction to that idea. I hated it. "Knowing I'd be out there still trying to find Elena. Still going after the Raleka?"

Fuck no. There was zero chance I was letting her do any of that, but I couldn't let her take control of this situation. That would start us out on the wrong foot if we did end up deciding to keep her. I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "If you really wanted to." Calling her bluff nearly killed me. I had to shove the words out through gritted teeth. I was taking a chance that this woman cared less about her own life than she did about a story. Or maybe it really was Elena she was doing this for after all. I didn't know her well enough to know if she'd risk her life for a young woman she barely knew.

"Have you ever even met Elena?" I asked.

She shook her head, her features smoothing out into a softer emotion. "No. But I've met her younger sister. And her baby brother." Her eyes sparked with sadness. "I've met the families of other young women who were taken by these barbaric men. Women that have never returned home. Whose families have no idea whether they're alive. Well, except for Hana's parents. They know." Sadness flashed in her eyes. "They had to bury both of their children, just weeks apart."

"You want to stop the Raleka?"

"Of course." She shot me a look that told me I was crazy for even having to ask.

Moving up the stairs, I stopped one below her, putting us eye level with each other. "So do we. Your best chance of doing so is by sticking with us."

She swallowed, her lashes fluttering as she accepted the truth in my words. She knew it, and I knew it.

"But if you're going to tag along with us, you need to follow orders. You'll be a part of this team while you're with us."

Her face brightened. I almost felt sorry for having to crush her hopes. "You're not going out on missions with us while we track down leads." The happiness faded off her face. "You won't be going out to find these leads. You won't be speaking to any of the men we come into contact with, friend or foe. That's our job." The scowl was back. "And you'll sleep, where I tell you to sleep."

And soon you'll fuck who I tell you to fuck.

She huffed out a breath. "So what is it I'll be helping the team with if I can't do any of that?"

"You can help Weaver look into what we find out from his side of things."

"On the computer."

It wasn't a question, but I answered it anyway. "Yes."

She sighed, clearly irritated, but realizing she had no choice. If she wanted to be a part of this, at all, she'd have to do things my way. "Fine."

"Fine what?" I prompted.

"I'll help Weaver. It's better than nothing."

And much better than her getting snatched by the Raleka, though I didn't say that out loud. "You agree not to try to get involved with the rest?"

"Yes," she grumbled.

It was cute, the way her upper lip was curled upward, scrunching her nose as she pouted. It made me want to kiss it. Then kiss her. Instead, I nodded. "Good." I didn't say anything else. There was no reason to rub salt in the wounds of her ego.

I turned and walked down the stairs again, going into the kitchen to start on dinner. The sound of her bare feet padding along behind me made me smile. "Can you cook?"

"Not really," she admitted. "I have no aversion to it, but I'm usually so busy I just order take out, or eat a frozen meal."

"No time like the present to learn. You can chop the vegetables." I pointed over at the counter where some tomatoes, shallots, and garlic were sitting.

She came over and took the knife I handed her. "Where did you get the food from?"

"A friend dropped it off earlier today," I told her as I started sharpening my knife. The chicken carcass sitting in front of me would be enough to feed the four of us tonight, but I'd have to get more supplies tomorrow.

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