Page 32 of Toxic Attraction
We walk to Mila's room together. Me, my daughter, and the spy I should probably kill but won't. Not yet.
In Mila's room, I settle into the chair while Valerie helps Mila into bed. There's an ease between them that took Elena months to develop. Valerie adjusts blankets, checks the nightlight, and brushes hair back from Mila's forehead with gentle hands.
"Better?" she asks softly.
"Yes." Mila looks between us. "Will you both stay?"
"As long as you need," Valerie promises.
I nod once. "I'm not going anywhere."
Mila's eyes close. Within minutes, her breathing evens into sleep.
Valerie moves to leave, but I catch her wrist. Not hard. Just enough to stop her.
"Stay."
She freezes but doesn't pull away.
We sit there in darkness, watching my daughter sleep. The silence stretches until it becomes something else. Something charged and dangerous.
"You're good with her," I say finally. Not a compliment. Observation.
"She's easy to love." Valerie's voice is barely audible.
"Is she?" I release her wrist. "Or are you just good at pretending?"
"I'm not pretending." The defensiveness is immediate. Honest.
"No?" I stand, moving toward the door. Stop beside her chair. "The blood didn't surprise you as much as it should have. Which means you've seen violence before. Recently."
She doesn't answer.
"Who hurt you, Valerie?" The question comes out softer than intended. "Who made you understand what real fear looks like?"
Her breath catches. In the dim light, I see tears gathering.
"Goodnight, Mr. Volkov." She stands quickly and moves past me.
I let her go.
Because I'm getting closer. Closer to understanding what broke her. Closer to finding that darkness.
And when I do, everything changes.
I return to my office and pull up the surveillance feeds one more time. Review her phone records. The burner number called again tonight while I was at the warehouse.
Someone's putting pressure on her. Someone wants information badly enough to risk an amateur spy in my house.
I should be threatened.
Instead, I'm fascinated.
Valerie Novak is caught between two predators.
And I want to see which one breaks her first.
Or if that flash of darkness will surface and she'll break us both.
