Page 28 of His Enemy's Daughter
“So what?” Her voice drops to barely a whisper. “We just ignore this? Pretend the chemistry doesn’t exist?”
“We acknowledge it.” I force myself to release her, to step back before I do something we’ll both regret. “And then we compartmentalize it. We stay focused on the goal—dismantling your father’s empire, getting you free. Everything else is a distraction we can’t afford.”
“You make it sound simple.”
“It’s not simple. It’s necessary.” I move to the window, needing distance between us.
The silence that follows carries weight. Then Regina speaks, and her voice holds something I haven’t heard before—vulnerability without performance.
“What if I don’t want to wait?” The question lands soft but devastating. “What if by the time we’ve dismantled everything and I’m supposedly free, we’ve lost whatever this is between us?”
“Then we lose it.” The words taste like ash. “Better to lose a possibility than lose your life.”
“Spoken like someone who’s already lost everything.” She moves to stand beside me at the window, shoulder to shoulder but not quite touching. “But I haven’t. I still have something to lose, and maybe that makes me more willing to risk it.”
“Risk gets people killed.”
“So does playing it safe.” Her reflection in the window glass meets mine. “You took a risk protecting Simeone. You took a risk approaching me in that coffee shop. You take risks every time we meet for intelligence exchange. So don’t tell me you’re not willing to gamble when we both know you do it constantly.”
“Those are calculated risks.” But even as I say it, I know she’s found the flaw in my logic. “Strategic decisions with acceptable parameters.”
“And this?” She turns to face me fully. “Us? What parameters make this acceptable?”
“None.” Honesty feels like the only currency worth trading. “There are no acceptable parameters for getting involved with you, Regina. Every scenario I run ends badly. You get hurt. I get distracted. Sabino discovers the betrayal and destroys both ofus. The mission fails. Simeone’s family remains in danger. There is no version of this where we cross that line and everything works out fine.”
“Then why do you keep looking at me like you want to cross it anyway?”
“Because wanting something and being smart enough not to take it are two different things.” I finally meet her gaze directly. “And because you deserve better than being someone’s complicated risk calculation.”
“What if I don’t want better?” Her voice carries defiance. “What if I want real—even if it’s messy and dangerous and potentially catastrophic?”
“Then you’re still the desperate woman who walked into that abandoned church looking for an exit strategy.” The observation is gentle but firm. “And I’m still the man who spent fifteen years learning not to mistake desperation for genuine connection.”
The words land like a slap. I see it in how she flinches, how her jaw tightens.
“You’re right.” Her voice is back to that professional neutrality. “I apologize for allowing personal feelings to complicate our partnership. It won’t happen again.”
“Regina—”
“I should go.” She gathers her laptop and flash drives. “Father will be expecting me for dinner. Wouldn’t want to raise suspicions by being late.”
“Wait.” I catch her arm as she heads for the door. “I didn’t mean—”
“You meant exactly what you said.” But she doesn’t pull away, doesn’t run, just stands there with exhaustion written across her features. “And maybe you’re right. Maybe I am just desperate for anything that feels like connection. Maybe I’m confusing adrenaline and rebellion with actual attraction.”
“That’s not what I—”
“But maybe you’re wrong too.” She turns to face me fully. “Maybe I recognize something in you that has nothing to do with desperation. Maybe I see a man who understands cages and survival and the cost of loyalty. Maybe that recognition is what draws me, not just the thrill of working against my father.”
“And maybe both things are true,” I say quietly. “Maybe you’re desperate and genuine at the same time. Maybe I’m protecting you and wanting you in equal measure. Maybe this whole situation is so fucking complicated that neither of us knows what’s real anymore.”
“Then what do we do?”
“We stay focused.” I release her arm, force myself to create distance. “We stick to the plan, working toward your freedomand Sabino’s downfall. Everything else—all this heat and chemistry and possibility—we box it up and deal with it later. If there is a later.”
“And if I can’t box it up?” Her voice cracks slightly.
“Then you fake it.” The advice tastes bitter but true. “You perform the role, maintain the distance, and tell yourself that surviving is more important than feeling. Trust me—it gets easier with practice.”
