Page 73 of Silk Shadow

Except, nobody knew the company like Robert, and Raf to a lesser extent. And what about all the other people who worked for Omega Enterprises? Would their jobs, their livelihoods be on the line too? Every decision she made affected so many other people.

To be honest, it would be a relief to offload the company and go back to concentrating on her own enterprise, but what were the consequences? Her father had left her with a responsibility that she couldn’t take lightly.

She turned to Viper, sleeping silently beside her. At least, she thought he was asleep. His breathing was even and steady, but she was never sure with him. He woke up at the slightest noise. Instantly alert, like he’d been awake the entire time. Another occupational hazard, she guessed. Even when he was sleeping, it felt like he was watching over her.

She'd miss having him beside her.

Not as a bodyguard, but as a partner.

These past few days...

She smiled as she thought about what they'd done, how they'd been with each other. It had been perfect. Apart from the way they’d gotten here, she wouldn't change a thing.

Their flight landed at Dulles International Airport at three o’clock that afternoon. They'd caught a taxi to Mexico City earlier that morning and flown first-class back to D.C. Izzy had been on edge the entire time.

She had to resist the urge to take his hand. Now that they were home, she had to keep up pretenses. She pushed aside the heaviness in her heart and took a steadying breath. This was her reality now, and they both had to deal with it.

“You okay?” Viper glanced down at her.

She nodded and forced a smile. He looked ridiculous walking through the airport in his shorts, dolphin T-shirt, and leather sandals, especially with his imposing bulk and height. She noticed how people eyed him up, then moved out of the way as they came through. Thankfully, it was the end of August, American in the midst of a heatwave, and people were returning from summer vacations with bronzed faces and mismatched tan lines. In that respect, they fit right in.

Pat had sent a car for them. A woman in a pantsuit with flaming red hair stood at Arrivals holding a sign that read "Victoria Granger".

Izzy smiled. Viper must have told them the name she'd checked in under.

"That's me," she said, coming to a stop. They had very little baggage, just canvas bags containing the few things they'd bought from the hotel store.

The woman nodded and held out a hand. "Rose Clayton, but everyone calls me Thorn. I work for Blackthorn Security."

"Izzy Beaumont," Izzy said, shaking it. “Why Thorn?”

“I’m prickly, I guess.” She grinned.

"Viper Morgan."

"It's good to meet you, Viper," Thorn said, nodding at him with respect. "I heard about what you did in Colombia. Great job."

Izzy turned to look at him. That’s where he’d been shot.

“It was nothing.”

Thorn punched him on the arm. "Don't be modest, Viper." She turned to Izzy. "This guy saved a whole bunch of people in a resort shooting a couple of months back. He's a hero."

She could have sworn Viper was blushing. "I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn't have done."

Thorn scoffed. "You went into a resort under attack and saved lives when most people were running in the opposite direction."

Izzy gazed at him in wonder. Why didn’t that surprise her? He’d come for her, after all. She could just imagine him springing into action over a terrorist attack.

He was a hero. Not just her hero, but other people's too.

He strode ahead, eyes on the ground.

"I didn't know," she murmured to Thorn. She'd read about it, of course. The resort attack had been on the news channels and in the papers, but she hadn't known Viper was the mysterious special forces operative who'd gone in and gotten people out.

"Are the FBI any closer to proving the cartel wrote those letters?" Viper asked, changing the subject.

"I'll let Pat brief you on that," Thorn said. "I'm not a hundred percent on the details. It's not my case."