Page 84 of Silk Shadow

Besides, she was as much to blame as he was. If not more. She'd asked him to hold her that first night. She'd instigated the affair between them. She would just have to make sure he didn’t get fired because of it.

"I'm so sorry," Izzy said again, feeling the weight of her guilt.

Viper stopped pacing and looked at her, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and resignation. "I know you are."

She nodded, but inside, she was determined to do whatever it took to make things right. She couldn't let Viper lose everything because of her mistake.

"I don't need to tell you why you're here," Pat said, once Viper was seated in his office. There was an edge of steel to his voice that terrified him.

"No, sir."

Pat sighed. "I know what it's like, Viper, and she's a beautiful girl, but you know the rules."

"I know. I'm sorry, sir. If it's any consolation, it's over between us. I ended it as soon as we got back to D.C."

Pat studied him. His dark gaze was hard to read. "Do you have feelings for her?"

"Yes, sir."

"Real feelings, or is this just something that happened on the job?"

There was no point in denying it. "Real feelings, sir."

Pat sighed. "Goddamn it, Viper. You know I've got to take you off the case."

Viper frowned. "Is that really necessary?"

"You damn well know it is. You're too close. I need someone with a clear head protecting her. Not someone who's going to be ogling her rather than keeping lookout."

Viper stared at the floor. His boss was right. Even in Mexico they'd been caught by surprise by that German mining executive who'd snuck up from the beach. Because he hadn't been doing his job properly. He'd been strolling hand-in-hand with Izzy and hadn't noticed the threat.

"I understand, sir."

"I wish it wasn't so, Viper, but as of now I'm assigning someone else to guard Izzy."

"Am I fired, sir? I know this was only a probationary position."

Pat paused. The tension drew out. There were very few men that could make him feel uncomfortable, but Pat was one of them.

"I'm not sure yet," he finally said. "We're so busy, and now I have to put someone else on Izzy, I could use you. I'll get Anna to reassign you. Grab your things from Izzy's apartment and come straight back here. No lingering goodbyes, okay? I need your butt back at work."

"Yes, sir."

He felt weak with relief. At least he still had a job. If he could prove himself to Pat and stay away from Izzy, then he might just be able to keep it.

CHAPTER 35

The new bodyguard was as professional as Viper had been. He answered, "Yes, ma'am," to everything she said, unless he was talking to her about security, in which case it was Miss Beaumont. He was a fine-looking man, big, strong, like they all were. But he wasn't Viper.

Emily came around early the next morning, bustling with energy. "Oh, my God, Iz, what the heck is going on? First the kidnapping, now a drive-by shooting. These guys aren't messing around, are they?"

"No, they're not," she mumbled. She hadn't slept well without Viper's arms around her, and not having him here made her realize how much she missed him. She hadn't spoken to him since he'd come back for his things after his meeting with Pat. Even then, their exchange had been brief.

"I've got to go," he'd said, once he'd packed his meager belongings into a backpack. "Pat's expecting me back at work."

"Okay, sure. If you must go."

There'd been no hug, no kiss, no nothing other than a stiff goodbye and a "see ya." Then he'd walked out of her apartment and her life.

---