Page 29 of Shielded Secrets

After she finished speaking, I shared a look with Lev. Then Vik. And lastly, Eva. All of them wore a similar expression of doubt and skepticism, as if they, like me, were unconvinced that was the full story. Kelly had been thorough, open with the details about what happened last night and the facts that could set the background for why she was aware of the location of that meeting and also how she knew Jerome.

She’s hiding something.I could just tell. That inner sixth sense flared with suspicion when she remained quiet again, as if she felt she’d done her duty and told us what she thought we wanted to know.

But what?

She had to have experienced a hell of a past in the foster system. Things couldn’t have been easy, bouncing around from one home to another. But I wanted to hope that her interactions with deadbeat troublemakers like Jerome Parson had been limited.

We waited for Oleg to speak up while Kelly and Eva talked about the courses they’d taken. It sounded like Kelly was serious about getting a degree whereas Eva openly admitted she’d only gone to college for the experience, to get out and feel like she was “normal” and like any other young twentysomething.

“Perhaps you can help us, then,” Oleg told her at last, seeming to have come to a conclusion with this news.

“Me?” Kelly pointed to herself and glanced at me.

“Yes, you. You could do us a favor,” he suggested.

Again, I fought the urge to cringe. I’d been implying that she wouldn’t need to worry about repaying the favor to me for saving her life, twice. It was simply what kind of a man I was, what kind of an organization the Baranovs represented.

“A favor because I owe you?” Kelly asked, defensive.

“Who was talking about owing anyone?” the Boss countered. “It seems that you are in a unique position, and it would be beneficial for all of us if you cooperated with an idea that hit me.”

“Me?” she asked again, sounding more incredulous this time.

“Yes. Because you seem to loosely know this Jerome who’s dealing for one or perhaps both of our rivals. And also, because you are already placed at and familiar with the location where members of the administration or the dean meet.”

I didn’t react, making sure that I didn’t look bothered by this idea he’d brainstormed so quickly. I could guess where this was going, and I didn’t like this suggestion at all.

“We could have you see what’s going on in those offices. You'd be our spy to see if the Petrovs or Ilyins are at fault for Marcus James’s death.”

No. Hell no.

I didn’t want Kelly to feel indebted to us or expected to help. After her admission that she’d never had anyone to rely on or depend on for anything in her life, I hated the thought that she would have to “earn” her way into our family. I had already given her my protection and I wouldn’t retract that.

Kelly, surprisingly, seemed to debate it.

“No.” I lost my patience to bottle my frustration in. “I don’t like this idea at all.”

“But she is in a position to get information,” Irina said thoughtfully.

“You’re only saying that because your father conditioned you to assume you always need to be someone’s spy.”

She frowned.

“Hey,” Vik said. “Go easy on her. I agree. Kelly would be in a good position to get intel we might not hear otherwise.”

“And she could also be hurt.”

Oleg shook his head. “No, she wouldn’t.”

“How would you guarantee that, Uncle?” Eva asked with a furrowed brow. She wasn’t a fan of this idea either, looking out for her friend.

“Because he would be with her.” The Boss pointed at me. “You will work with her,” he instructed. “And you will keep her safe.”

Of course I would. No one—including Kelly—realized how head over heels I already felt about her. But that didn’t mean I wanted to have my feelings for her tested with a dangerous idea like her spying for us.

13

KELLY

---